Industrial model featuring interactive illumination.

Although we specialise in architectural models we also regularly produce high quality industrial models such as this model of a Cryobattery power station which incorporates interactive LED illumination. The CryoBattery system uses renewable sources to compress air in tanks which can later be used to generate power. In effect, it acts as large battery to store energy for when it is most needed. This is very much a stylised representation of the facility with the strong colours being used to indicate different parts of the process. The LED illumination rises slowly upwards to the top of the vessels and then gradually drops down again to represent the “filling up” and “emptying” phases of the CryoBattery facility.

Set of 7 models shipped in Pelicases.

The client for this project initially had the models 3D printed but quickly realised that the quality of finish wasn’t good enough for their requirements so they decided to contact us for help. They wanted to use the models for marketing purposes so it was important the technical spec and level of finish reflected the high quality of their product. We designed the models in three parts that could be easily slotted together including two interchangeable options for the top section. The rotors were able to be freely turned and we recreated the yaw action which allows the turbine assembly to turn and face the direction of the wind. We also added the reflective solar panels shown on top of the wind deflectors and finished the models in the specified white RAL colour. We then provided a Pelicase with tailored foam inserts for each of the 7 models which you can see in one of the photos above.

Three models of 5000 year old tombs.

We’ve just completed these three very different types of architectural models – they’re different because the architecture they represent is over 5000 years old. The Maghera Heritage Centre in Northern Ireland commissioned us to create these unusual models of three local megalithic tomb structures. It was a technically challenging project because it was important that the stones were accurately shaped and positioned and had a realistic looking finish. We also had to make sure that the landscaped setting looked convincing and didn’t detract from the realistic appearance of the stones. The client was very pleased with the finished models and it was very enjoyable for us to apply our architectural model making skills to some very different types of man-made structures.

White styled model to show proposed new development area.

We’ve worked with several different county councils across the UK but, as you’d expect, we’ve done a lot of work for our local county council and this master plan model is our latest project for them. Commissioned as a part of public consultation process one of the major purposes of the model is to demonstrate the scale and extent of a proposed major redevelopment of the area, including a new Arena venue for concerts and events. Although it’s hard to pick up in these photos, the existing on-site buildings are shown in light grey and the proposed new buildings are shown in white. The model also incorporates LED illumination which is used to highlight some of the key proposals.

Roof-off view to show new machinery layout.

This model was commissioned to illustrate the proposed new factory layout for a precision engineering company serving the aerospace industry. The model was to be used initially for evaluation purposes prior to finalising plans but had a secondary function as on-going staff-training tool. To keep costs down the level of detail on the machinery was kept to a stylised level but the individual machines also needed to be instantly recognisable to their highly skilled workforce. The colour coding was added to help clarify zones of operation. The upper floor of the offices and the mezzanine level in the production area were both made as removable elements to facilitate a clear view of the ground floor layout.

Three presentation models for drilling rig manufacturer.

At 1:400 scale these drilling rig models were only just over 200mm wide so were extremely small and fiddly to make. For example the handrails you can see in the close-up photos were less than 3mm tall. Because of the small scale the client said the models could be slightly simplified, which they are, but as you can see from the pics we still managed to show a high level of fine detail. When completed the three models were shipped to the client in Aberdeen, after which they were shipped on to their own clients as gifts.

… with added Scalextric track!

This 3.6m long exhibition model was built in 3 sections that could be bolted together on site. The model was designed to demonstrate three steel framework designs for the client’s car port systems which feature solar panels on the roofs. The client also produces steelwork for field mount solar panels which you can see on the first inset photo above. The model was built at 1:32 scale (the same scale as Scalextric) so that a track could be incorporated to attract visitors to the stand.

Stylized model showing multiple industries.

The brief for this project was to create a physical model of an existing CGI created landscape showing all the various industrial sectors the company worked in. The only information they were able to give us was a set of still-frame images of the landscape so we had to create our own CAD from scratch before we could start constructing the model. The muted greys and greens are an exact copy of the CGI graphic but we feel they work very well for this stylized industrial landscape. As you can see from the photo above, we also incorporated LED lighting. The system allowed 16 zones to be individually controlled from the client’s laptop.

They’re like busses!

You know how it is, you don’t get a warehouse model for ages then two come along at once. We’d only just started our previous very large warehouse model when this project came in from a completely unrelated client. Although this building was a lot smaller, the overall spec was very similar in that it too had to have a cut-away roof to show the internal automated pallet retrieval and return system. Because the building was smaller we were able to use a larger scale than the previous project (1:200 instead of 1:300) which allows us to show a slightly higher level of detail for the internal components – and made them marginally less fiddly to produce!

A big model for a mega sized warehouse.

Representing a half kilometer long warehouse, at 2.4m x 1.2m this model was close to the limit for a model that could be made in one piece whilst still being a manageable size to transport. And when I say “manageable” it still took four men to move it any further than a few meters in our workshop. We quoted for this 1:300 scale option but also showed costs for a smaller 1:400 scale version which is an equally suitable scale for these type of large industrial buildings. A further option was a cut-away roof which, as you can see, the client went for as he wanted the model to show the automated retrieval and storage system.