General Discussion (Model Railroader)

Never done it but I think it's a great idea.  Might get a great builder who hasn't developed an ego about his work...yet

 It's an interesting idea. The state government building I work in opened in 1998, it still the architect's model for the building on display under glass in the auditorium. My only concern would be that architectural models are usually done to a very small scale, and often without a great amount of detail.

You might do better to hire an actual architect to build a model.  There's probably quite a few thousand out there that would be happy for any kind of work.  They probably would like to build a model.  I like to build models.  Most architects don't build models as they are very time consuming and expensive (materials, etc.).  I had an instructor who was an Architect in India.  He built a model of a 60 bedroom house for a Saudi King's grandson as I recall.  The model cost $160,000.  I always like those airport models you see under plexiglass.  I've thought about scratchbuilding some iconic architecturally designed buildings by Richard Neutra, F. L. Wright, etc.  A model of the Porsche factory/museum in Zuffenhausen (not the new one) could likely take some serious time to execute representively, maybe a couple hundred hours.  Imagine what it would take to build a model of the new museum!  I was involved in designing many buildings over many years and never actually built a single model, just lots of drawings.  Good luck in your endeavor, is your layout HO?

I have a brother who is an architect. He and I have had discussions about this very subject; down the road apiece he's going to design a series of both residential and business structures and I'm going to design kits from his designs.

 Rafferty,

intriguing idea to have the Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen Porsche factory put on a layout - the original is not really small, IIRC correctly.

Why don´t you scratchbuild it yourself? That creative bit is what makes our hobby so fascinating.

Not a bad idea. I've thought about hiring an art student to paint my back drops.

This is not quite HO but is just crying out for rail service!

http://www.pegasustown.com/more-info/pegasus-display-centre

Bill

I wanted a HO scale container ship about 300' for my Miami layout and after contacting several business's  that do custom work, it was going to run me 1800.00 for a 36" ship model, based upon my photos.  Fortunately, Sylvan will be coming out with a HO container ship next year for hopefully under 500.00.

This is not a plug,but,see Howard Zanes layout to see what an architect builds. Also there's another guy whose name escapes me i think it might be Lane Stewart, but has been features in the mag and on the DPB DVDs, BILL

loathar:

Not a bad idea. I've thought about hiring an art student to paint my back drops.

I'm redoing an atrium project for the Williston site with an architectural student up here. The art student idea for backdrops is an excellent one.

 i don't know how many of you guys remember Bill Clouser from st louis mo but he was an avid O scale traction modeler and a professional model builder by trade.  a lot of his work was for architectual firms and he also built court case model scenes.  some of his work including a 1/2" scale  steet car is in the Smithsonian.  he was one of the earliest modelers to work with resin castings for freight cars.

grizlump

grizlump9:

 i don't know how many of you guys remember Bill Clouser from st louis mo but he was an avid O scale traction modeler and a professional model builder by trade.  a lot of his work was for architectual firms and he also built court case model scenes.  some of his work including a 1/2" scale  steet car is in the Smithsonian.  he was one of the earliest modelers to work with resin castings for freight cars.

grizlump

And, as far as I'm concerned, Bill was the greatest photographer of models the hobby has ever seen, too, especially considering the (by today's standards) vintage photographic equipment he had to work with. The man was truly a master.

More in line with this thread, I don't think most folks fully appreciate the typical sort of building models architects build for customers. Generally they are relatively basic mock ups that illustrate the general appearance and outlines of a structure. They aren't usually what most of us would consider layout-quality models.

If you're looking to obtain a fully detailed structure model, you probably should be looking for a model maker, not an architectural student. What you are going to get from the latter is not likely to be in the same class with  what you see being done by either Zane, or Stuart. Incidentally, the fellow that operates Depots by John is also a well known for hire model maker. But these folk don't come cheap.

Backdrops painted by art students, now that's quite a different matter and probably would be a good idea.

CNJ831

CNJ831:

Backdrops painted by art students, now that's quite a different matter and probably would be a good idea.

CNJ831

If so, make sure what kind of "-Ism" the student is learning. A Dadaistic backdrop, how artistic it may be, will not be what you are after. I´d even go as far as saying that you´d be better off hiring a T-shirt painter (or a sign-painter). My