After successful completion of the course, students are able to produce a professional model of an architectural, artistic or industrial product design using analogue and digital production techniques. Students acquire practical craftsmanship as well as formal aesthetic skills (coping with questions of representation concerning scale, material, abstraction, etc.).
In contrast to the basic course Architectural Model Making 258.032, where process models for architectural design are produced, more elaborate presentation models are produced in this LVA. These represent students' own architectural designs, usually a diploma-design, and if the degree of complexity is appropriate, designs from the master's program.
Students who do not currently have a design that they would like to implement can implement a model from our special program. At the moment, these are particularly aesthetically successful examples of wooden architecture, which we would like to show in an exhibition in the foreseeable future..
In special cases, models of design and freer artistic sketches can also be created in this LVA. All materials that are commonly used in model making can be used: Plastics, metals, wood, cardboard, etc.
No registration is necessary at the beginning of the semester. Registration takes place throughout the year upon submission of plans of your own suitable design during a registration interview. Special programs (e.g. for exhibitions) are also offered on a case-by-case basis.
The models are generally made in the model-making workshop of the research department. Model making is supervised by the responsible teaching staff and the workshop team. At the beginning there is a meeting with the course leader, currently Prof. Christian Kern. An appointment for this must be arranged by email and usually takes place on Tuesday afternoons at 2:00 pm. The models to be built (section, scale, material, abstraction, etc.) will be discussed.
Before the models can be started, the model construction must be planned. This means finished plans (usually digital), parts lists with material definitions and a cost estimate. Once this planning is available, the workshop team's consultation hours can be attended on Mondays at 2 p.m. or Wednesdays at 10 a.m. during the semester. Depending on the table capacity, the allocation of tables will be discussed and training on the machines and tools relevant to the model will take place. Please bring a deposit of €30 for the table and tools. To ensure that other students can also use the tables, model construction should take place in blocks of time, if possible without being unoccupied. It should also start very soon after the tables have been allocated or the students have been trained. The temporary workstations are intended exclusively for the realization of the model and not for other activities. Corrections to the model will be made in consultation with the course instructor. These are arranged individually by e-mail and usually take place on Tuesdays at 14:00. Depending on capacity, informal coordination can also take place when the course instructor is in the workshop.
The material for the models is usually purchased by the students themselves. You will receive a list of shopping options from the workshop team. In consultation with the workshop team, stored leftover materials can also be used. If a model from the special programs is to be built for an exhibition of the research department, the research department will bear the material costs up to a certain amount. The models will then remain in the possession of the Research Division so that they can be exhibited at a later date. Consent to this must be confirmed in writing. It goes without saying that the students involved will be named in any kind of publication or exhibition.
The process of building the model, the planning and the finished presentation model must be documented by the students. A PDF with data, text and images must be submitted before grades are awarded. Depending on capacity, the models can be professionally photographed in our studio together with the photographer from the research department.
The models or parts of models are initially produced using traditional model making methods. Where appropriate, CNC-controlled machines (laser cutters, 3-axis portal milling machines) are used. In addition, 3D printers and a spray room are available. For the production of objects using CAM techniques (Computer Aided Manufacturing), the in-depth courses "Numerical Manufacturing Methods" (LVA 264.048 VO) and "Digital Model" LVA 264.047 VU are also recommended. Our photo studio offers the opportunity to document the result photographically. The in-depth LVA 264.120 "Architectural Photography" is recommended here.
Workshop opening hours: Monday to Friday from 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. (the workshop is closed during non-teaching times).
