Architectural Model Building

Boys learn best by doing — especially when there’s a clear and tangible goal in front of them. In Northridge’s Architectural Model Building Camp, boys will create architectural models of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater house, Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House, or similar iconic buildings of the 20th century. This camp is meant to introduce students to the fundamentals of understanding drawings, scale, and model building.

Why Architectural Model Building?

Architecture is an important profession that serves society. It brings together diverse skills: a mind for engineering and business, an eye for the artistic, and a deep appreciation for the human experience. Living in Chicago we are surrounded by world-famous architecture. All of the iconic masterpieces that made Chicago into one of the most beautiful cities in the world were created and developed through the combination of drawings and models. Every significant architectural project is studied, developed, and improved with many study and working models. Working on architectural models enables you to understand the scale of a project,  impact on surroundings, light and shadows, and even functions. 

Working on architectural models teaches the boys basic skills with simple hand tools, knives, rulers, as well as working with diligence and precision. After a few precise pieces are placed together quickly an impressive model is generated. This not only results in a beautiful display piece, but creates an understanding of space and form that gives the boys a sense of accomplishment.  These skills can be used not only for architectural models, but can be applied to any number of STEM fields, setting the foundations for a deeper sense of spatial and technical understanding. Students will be able to: 

• Read and understand architectural drawings
• Recreate and abstract /simplify architectural drawings
• Measuring and scaling drawings
• Cut and shape materials ( balsa wood, basswood, cardboard, foam, clay)
• Build Architectural Models