Interactive Masterplan Model 1:750 Scale

By all accounts, our 6.5m x 5.5m interactive model of Cardiff stole the show at Olympia during London’s inaugural MIPIM global property conference last week. Our team set it up on Tuesday for the 3 day event and then dismantled it on Friday evening, bringing it back to Cardiff (in two vans) where it is shortly going to set up in a permanent marketing suite. Once the model is in its new home it will be used to promote the city of Cardiff to national and international investors. It is a fully interactive model controlled via a large touchscreen which activates over 30 different lighting zones on the model and at the same time displays relevant information pages on the touchscreen. The screen images will also be projected onto a giant screen so that the information is visible to all.

Cardiff City model moves to County Hall.

After being centre of attention at the football Stadium event, our Cardiff City model is now on temporary display within the County Hall offices in Cardiff Bay. As you can see from the images it’s a much more low-key venue but we’re told it does get a regular stream of visitors, from politicians and potential inward investors right through to police officers from other cities who use the model to help with crowd control planning for visiting football supporters (sadly not from premiership teams this year!). It’s going to be in County Hall for a few more weeks before moving to its permanent venue in the new Library (opposite John Lewis) where it will be open to the general public. Since the stadium event we’ve added a few tweaks and improvements to the model itself and to the interactive element including a new “All lights on” button which lights up all 36 of the model’s lighting zones at the same time.

6.5m x 5.5m model of Cardiff at 1:750 scale

Here’s a first glimpse of the massive project we’ve been working on for the last 5 months, a 6.5 x 5.5 metre interactive model of Cardiff. We set it up for the first time yesterday at a major launch in the Cardiff City football stadium where it was the centre of attention for over 200 specially invited guests. The model has been designed for use in a permanent marketing suite to promote the city of Cardiff to national and international investors. It is a fully interactive model controlled via a large touchscreen which activates over 30 different lighting zones on the model and at the same time displays relevant information pages on the screen. The touchscreen images are also projected onto a large screen above the model so that the information is visible to all. More information to follow soon.

Interactive industrial model at 1:250 scale

When the guys at DHL (UK) spotted we’d made models for both UK Mail and Hermes they knew we were the right company to supply a high quality model of their brand new southern depot at Poyle, near Windsor. Like the UK Mail and Hermes models, this needed to be a “roof-off” view of the building showing the huge investment in sophisticated sorting machinery within the new depot. DHL actually went a step further and asked us to make the model interactive so that ten specific areas of the machinery could be illuminated individually at the touch of a button (you can see the buttons in the main pic above). The most difficult part of this project was deciphering the CAD info for the machinery and then modelling the complex industrial components to a slightly simplified but recognisable level. We then had to work out how to build in the LEDs so that only the relevant areas lit up. All in all, it was a very technically demanding brief but DHL were very clear what they wanted and we delivered!

Stylised  internal view of manufacturing plant.

The brief for this project was to create an eye catching but very stylized representation of this proposed factory layout. The client didn’t want too much detail because many of the manufacturing processes were confidential. At approximately 1.2m x 1m and 700mm high, this was a large, technically challenging model that needed to be strong enough to withstand frequent shipping to trade shows and exhibitions across Europe. We added strength by building in steel reinforcement for all the major components which were then fixed through to the underside of the structural base. We also supplied a Perspex cover and sturdy white plinth that could be “flat-packed” under the model in a purpose-built, high quality flight case.

Cut-away view of turbines and sluice gates

Designed and constructed within two weeks for a presentation at the House of Commons, the main problem we had with this model wasn’t the tight deadline but how best to show an underwater view of the power generating turbines at the heart of this renewable energy project. We also had to illustrate different water levels on the inside and seaward side of the lagoon structure. Our solution was to create the water as a thin clear layer with a sprayed on rippled, surface finish and then cut out large viewing “windows” on either side of the turbine structure. This allowed clear low angle views through the turbines as can be seen from the inset pic above.

1:20 scale sectional model of commercial building.

This is the third educational model we’ve made for the University of South Wales. As with the previous two projects in our Latest Projects section this is another example of a satisfied customer coming back to us with a new order. Aimed at students in the construction sector, the purpose of this model was to illustrate the major elements that make up a typical commercial office building, including foundations, steel work, cladding components and final external finishes. As you can see from the images this was a very technically complex project but the client knew from previous models we’d produced for him that we had the skill and understanding to deliver an extremely accurate, perfectly detailed demonstration model.

Second Industrial Model for ChickMaster UK.

As with the previous model featured in our Latest Projects section this is another example where a company has come back to us for a second model after being really pleased with the first project we completed for them. This is also a similar type of industrial model but it’s at a smaller scale (1:20 rather than 1:8) and you’ll notice that the detail is slightly more simplified. This looks ok at the smaller scale and was sufficient for the client’s requirements; he didn’t need to show every nut and bolt (although we could have done if he’d needed it).

Recycling Centre Model – Scale 1:250

We’ve just delivered this model illustrating the newly extended and refurbished premises for an
industrial recycling company. Although models of industrial premises aren’t particularly exciting
to look at, the addition of some landscaping detail and lorries in the company’s authentic livery
brings this model to life. The client was really pleased with the finished result and the model
is now in a meeting area where staff and clients can see how the new extended facilities will look
when all the building work is complete.

Plasma Power Station Model – Scale 1:250

The brief for this project was to create a stylized representation of this power station building that could be packed into a travel case and taken as hand luggage on international flights. This meant the overall dimensions of the case had to be no bigger than 560 x 450 x 240mm. The only way this was possible was to make the model in two halves that stacked back to back inside the foam-lined case. The chimney stacks were too tall to fit so we designed them to be unscrewed and packed flat during transit.

GlaxosmithKline Factory Model - Scale 1:75

The brief for this model was to create a 3D internal view of this GSK production plant which produces Penicillin for the pharmaceutical industry. The company frequently show visitors around the facility and felt they needed a simple visual illustration of the complex internal layout of the building. Our solution was to create this stylized 3D representation of the plant with the building floor plates in clear acrylic so that the viewer could appreciate, at a glance, the vertical and horizontal layout of all the major industrial components involved in the process. At 1:75 scale, the model is just over 2.4 metres long so it can be easily viewed by a group of people, making it an ideal starting point for a tour of the building.

Creating the model involved deciphering and rationalizing a huge volume of technical drawings so that we could design a pared down representation of the main production equipment. A crucial part of this process was keeping an ongoing dialogue with the client to make sure we were interpreting the information correctly. The client was extremely pleased with the final result and has in fact commissioned “Phase 2” of the project which involves adding further levels of detail plus some of the external plant and storage vessels that weren’t required for the original model. They have also indicated that they will require further similar models of other buildings plus an overall site model of the whole facility. So all in all, we’re looking forward to building a healthy relationship with GSK!

 Perspex House Model – Scale 1:20

Produced for a major central heating system manufacturer, this set of three Perspex model houses was designed to illustrate the layout and main components of 3 different heating systems. The model houses were made from clear Perspex so that the viewer could see the position and relative sizes of all the major system components within the building walls. The models could be displayed individually or butted up against each other to create a “street” of typical houses. Whilst the houses are obviously a very stylized representation, the heating system hardware (boilers, cylinders, solar collectors, etc) is modeled to a fairly detailed level so that the units are instantly recognizable. Red and blue lines were used to indicate the hot and cold flow routes between the components.

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.

With remote controlled illumination of water.

This simple but eye catching model was commissioned to illustrate the size and position of two proposed tidal lagoons in the Bristol Channel. The lagoons are designed to generate renewable energy by harnessing the rise and fall of the tides in an area that has the second highest tidal range in the world. The topography is represented as a stylized contour map (with exaggerated vertical scale) laser-cut from white acrylic sheet. The water is shown as blue acrylic with LED edge-lighting to add visual interest. The LEDs can be set to varying brightness and colour using a hand held remote control (visible on the front edge of the model in the main pic above).

White styled model showing internal room layout.

We produced two conventional housing models last month but this small model was a bit different, showing the internal room layout of the four standard designs on offer in a large apartment block. The stylised internal modelling is considerably less expensive than realistic colour and detail but still gives a clear indication of room function and spatial organization within the apartment. At 1:50 scale the model base is less than a metre long so doesn’t require too much space in a sales office.

David Cameron views two of our models

A few days after completing these two white styled models we were surprised (and pleased) to discover they had been the focal point for a presentation to David Cameron about the Swansea Lagoons tidal energy project (apparently they couldn’t tell us beforehand for security reasons). The models are both at 1:1000 scale and show two different areas of the lagoon structure. The largest model shows the leisure facilities where the lagoon wall joins the mainland whilst the small model shows where the turbines generate electricity from the twice daily rise and fall of the tide (the Bristol Channel has the second highest tidal range in the world). If you click on the images to enlarge them you’ll see that even at this small scale (1mm represents 1 metre) we can show a high level of detail.

Concept model shipped to Saudi for competition bid

This white styled concept model incorporates clear Perspex blocks to represent the proposed buildings for a major development in Saudi Arabia. The client RTKL, an international firm of architects, needed a company who could complete the model in just two weeks, despite the fact that for the first week they were still finalizing the scheme. We were happy to take the project on, working flexibly with the client as they evolved their design. The model then had to shipped to Saudi to form the focal point of their presentation for this international competition.