"Today's high tech 3D computer rendering software is amazing, but it can't match the impact of a hand-built scale model."
This is a condominium model that was constructed of matt board, some plexiglas and lots of patience!
The same condominium model viewed from the street. You can see a penny in the driveway to give you an idea of the scale.
An "aerial view" of a three-dimensional site model that I did of a new condo development on a lake. Nice model and nice development!
Another view of the same three-dimensional site model.
This is a much more simple, and less expensive, way to do a site model that gives it color and impact. Its not intended to be "scale" in a true sense. This method is intended to offer something that is much more understandable to the public.
This is a topographic based model with under-lighting. It was developed for a Sales Center so that people purchasing property could get an idea of where they would be in the overall developement. Very dramatic model!
This is the same model with under-lighting of the lake. If you were flying in on a float plane, this might be the view you'd have before touching down!
The Federal Building in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. This model was exact scale and constructed with many, many hours of painstaking work using primarily plexiglass as the building material.
Another view of the same model. I still remember when that model left the shop. We were relieved to see it go because it had been so much work, but it was fantastic!
Another view of the model. Creating the granite appearance took some special techniques with the airbrush.
Courtyard of the Federal Building.
We also built sales displays for our clients. This one featured the United States and was back-lit. It demonstrated the mileage to the development.
A sales display featuring back-lit transparancies. Very effective in low lighting. Constructed with many different materials and concepts to get the impact desired.
This was a model of the "Archlight" enclosure being used over a swimming pool. Traditionally, these enclosures were used for storage buildings or even small aircraft hangars. But, they wanted to break into the swimming pool market, so I made this model for them for trade shows.
The model was built with bent aluminum tubing and Coverite model aircraft covering to get the desired effect. The "hole" on the roof was so you could easily see inside.
I worked full-time for an architectural model shop for three years in Knoxville, Tennessee.  Henderson & Associates, owned by Neal Henderson, was a wonderful place to work and learn.  Neal taught me a lot, and I even brought some new technologies to him that he had never used before (like CA super glue!).

The photos you see above are some of the projects that I built while at Henderson & Associates.  Being paid to build models was an unbelievable opportunity for me. The downside was that when I got home at night, the last thing I wanted to do was grab an X-acto knife and start building models!

I was able to use the firm's equipment after hours for many of my own hobby projects. That was a treat.  And, Neal was a model aviation nut like me, so he had a real appreciation for my personal hobby projects when I brought them in.  

If you would like me to buiild an architectural model for you, I would consider it.  However, with family and other commitments, finding the time would be hard these days.  I would instead suggest that you contact Midwest Model Makers in Indianapolis. They are a premiere model building company and they work nationwide.  Check out their website.  Its amazing what they have done!

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