Next top model

Developers need to see how their new piece of land will be transformed into a super-community. Real-estate agents need to present new properties to potential buyers, both domestically and internationally. Architects need to visualise the neighbourhood within which their new building will stand to ensure harmony. Clients need to get a feel for the environment in which their new home or apartment is located.

An architectural model is often the origin of a building itself and is the one architectural tool that is dynamic enough to perform all these functions. Whether it's created with state-of-the-art digital imagery, rapid prototyping (RP) and laser-cut technology, or plastic, resin or balsa wood and tiny screws, an architectural model is a fusion of the creative and constructive processes; it's a manifestation of the abstract and the functional.

"A model is the closest representation of an architectural design before it's actually built; whether it's theoretical or realistic, it's the best method for an architect to visualise, study, and develop the design," says Amjad Al-Hajj, co-founder of Mimar Models.

And, while there is some contention within the industry about the most effective visualisation tool, the issue is worth exploring as architectural models will continue to play a critical role in several stages of architectural design.

Physical model argument

The importance of using a model before breaking ground on a project is well-known throughout the industry. Models allow architects, developers and clients to identify potential problems with material, design, orientation and scale before they become costly real-time delays.

During the creative process, architects visualise a shape for every project, regardless of size, depending on the utility or theme of the proposed building. Put simply, models allow architects and designers to realise this shape. Hence, physical model-makers contend that there is a basic human attraction to that which we can feel and experience.

"Models will always have a place because human beings are tactile. Computers are still very difficult for a layperson to manipulate," says Matthew Roche, general manager of Modelcraft. "With a model, people can walk around it for as long as they want. A lot of people, men and women, played with models as children and so there's also a bit of a childish appeal to model-making," adds Roche.

"Digital modelling is, at the end, still just two dimensional. People cannot touch it, cannot feel it and cannot see the actual mass in front of them," adds Kevin Tsui, director of RJ Models. "Would you prefer to look at photos, watch videos or look at a real person right in front of you?" he asks.

However, the physical model argument doesn't end with an appeal to sensation. Model-makers who deal in the physical realm are pointing to the rapid advancement of detailing technology, laser technology and Rapid Prototyping (RP) - the automatic construction of physical objects using solid freeform fabrication - as evidence of the progress being made.

"Today, there is practically no effect, finish or form that cannot be represented in a model. Detailing can be done to the micro level... The precision and level of detailing has increased tremendously," says Y. Srikrishna, managing director of Dubai-based The Miniatures.

In fact, physical models appeal to the sensibilities of those who might otherwise be considered critics. "I think the benefit of a physical model over a digital one is that there is no room for interpretation with a physical model... a physical model gives viewers the ability to see a development from all angles," says Craig Edwards, digital director of Modelcraft.

Digital model argument

It's referred to as computer-aided design (CAD), visualisation technology, computer-generated imagery (CGI) and computer animation. Regardless of the moniker, all of these technologies utilise motion graphics and animation techniques to communicate a specific theme to the viewer. They are used to illustrate the convergence of the architect's imagination and the project's specifications.

"There are so many different ways to access the creative realm. It's like a fairy-tale," says Tarek Masri, managing director of Blackstone Studios. "It is using creativity to communicate things that people never thought could be communicated through this medium. That is the power of visual effects."

Much like physical model-makers, the CAD contingent also likens the creation and use of a digital imagery models to a sensory experience. "We want to dramatise the personal environment in which people will work, live and play. We want to engage people; immerse them into an environment that will be created. It's an emotional attachment between the customer and the product," says Masri.

Within the CAD camp, the prevailing theory is that only digital imagery possesses the dynamism to match the size and scope of the architectural projects in this region. "We're trying to give credit to the scale of the products being launched in the Middle East. What is happening here is not happening anywhere else in the world so the communication for these projects should be similar," adds Masri.

Rabih Haddad, CEO of BlackSmith Studios, the Middle East's largest 3D visualisation firm, agrees that 3D technology allows architects and future occupants to visualise their buildings with a level of accuracy and detail previously unachievable. "Computer animations are an easy way to increase the scale of a model and allow customers to ‘enter' their residential or commercial property before the first brick is laid. This was never possible with conventional modelling techniques."

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