In a world where AI and digital renders are common place, the public perception of these renderings is becoming eroded. The disappointing "render vs reality" meme is widely understood. Renders and AI images particularly when distributed by developers, begin to feel deceptive. Therefore, it feels not only refreshing, but essential to re-engage with the honesty and tactility of making by hand.
For us, making matters because it shifts ideas from abstract to tangible. A scrap of card can reveal the behaviour of light and form that can often be lost on a screen. A physical model is immediately legible.
For our process, there’s something grounding about the rough edges, the mistakes that lead to discovery, the way a form suddenly makes sense when it’s sitting on the table instead of glowing on a screen.
As a small practice, we can’t make models for every project, and presentation pieces like this one are rare. The majority of our model making is in the form of maquettes, simply to test our ideas and assist our thinking.
Making keeps our work authentic. It reminds us that architecture isn’t only drawn or rendered, it’s built.
