Archmage - gateway to the world of architectural models

In recent years, discussions about the presentation of architecture have mainly revolved around photorealistic visualizations and digital drawing of plans. The classic physical models have become a neglected area. We were curious if there had been any interesting changes in this field and what role physical models play in the thinking of architects today. Our guide was Mr. Architect Václav Hájek from the modeling workshop Archimage.

Jan Kratochvíl: Before we start discussing models, I can't help but ask - why does an architect choose to become a model maker after graduating from school?
Václav Hájek: I was inclined towards models throughout my youth; it was essentially my great hobby. After school, I worked for a while in an architectural studio, but the work was more drafting than creative. At that time, I had already had several commercial orders for making architectural models, which made my decision to focus exclusively on models easier.

JK: Is model making a creative activity for you?
VH: We cannot intervene in the architecture of the building. Several times, it happened that thanks to a model or our suggestion, the building's design changed, but these are truly exceptions. The creative aspect of our work mainly lies in inventing the model's structure and the actual process of its realization. The principles that work for buildings must also work for models - the model's statics are often more complicated than actual buildings. The challenge is the models made in color. A fundamental requirement is usually the backlighting of the model. In dimensions of millimeters, it is essential to thoroughly consider the process of creating the model, the materials used, and the construction, which together represent our main creative act.

JK: Do you remember which was the first model you made for a commission?
VH: I remember it very well because it was quite complicated. It was a model of an exhibition stand for Český Telecom, designed by architect Pavel Rada. One could say that this model still leads in complexity among our models because it was made as an exposed construction. The model was very delicate, and essentially, what was on the drawing was exactly in the model. The use of any supporting structures or supports was out of the question.

JK: In which year was that?
VH: In 2000. At that time, I only had basic equipment. The current equipment of our workshop is not comparable at all. I made that model with just a regular cutter and a steel ruler. I also used a lot of paper back then, which today has been replaced by more durable and higher-quality plastics.

JK: How has the workshop equipment evolved?
VH: After founding the company, I acquired a smaller saw, a drill, and I already had an airbrush. A significant change came after four years when I got a commission for a large urban model, for which it was essential to acquire a CNC mill and move to new premises, where we are now sitting. It was truly a pivotal event in the development of my company. With the new equipment, as I like to say, the fourth dimension opened up for us. Today, we work in a well-coordinated team and strive to create very precise models, often in record time. Our share of work on the physical model and on the computer has changed because preparing the data takes almost half of the production time.

JK: Are you satisfied with your current equipment?
VH: It may seem that way, but it's not. The next machine we would like to acquire is a 3D printer. Occasionally, shapes or parts of models appear that can only be effectively made with 3D printing. So far, these requests mainly come from students. The downside of these machines is their small working volume, so we will not be making complete models this way. Currently, however, there is no more environmentally friendly production, as the 3D printer produces minimal waste. However, this technology still has shortcomings in the final surface finish of the products.

JK: Has there been any similar revolutionary change in the materials used?
VH: The most used material has been, is, and probably will be hard PVC and similar plastics. Non-traditional materials such as epoxies for water surfaces are still used. Occasionally, some alternative material is applied, but that is very rare. A very interesting exact technology is etching into metal sheets. It is a technology identical to the production of printed circuits. Brass sheets with a thickness of 0.3 mm and thinner are used. This technology is suitable for railing models, grids, textures, and similar detailed elements. The disadvantage is the relatively high financial demand. Once we also struggled with the different thermal expansion of brass and plastic. The same physical laws apply to models as to large buildings, and if the model is exposed to intense sun, i.e., heat, shape changes occur. Therefore, we advise our customers to place models in suitable locations, not behind windows.

JK: Are architects your only clients?
VH: It's interesting, but architects are in the minority. Currently, architects are focused on visualizations and animations. We have many more clients among investors and developers.

JK: Will the classic model find application in the future?
VH: Definitely. A physical architectural model is much more illustrative in presentations and demonstrates the entire building concept more clearly. Visualizations capture only parts of the project, while the model encompasses everything, and a person gets a clearer and more truthful picture of the building. In my opinion, visualizations will become a common part of the project, and a model will become a standard. Today, visualizations are considered a standard.
Once we made a model of a technological device for which computer simulation would be very difficult and time-consuming. It was easier to create models of individual parts, which were subsequently variably reconstructed, and the design was essentially done on the model. This model is still serving the client today, and if there are to be changes to that technical device, it is first adjusted on our model.

JK: Do you receive other assignments besides those where the model must accurately reflect the appearance of the realized building? I'm thinking of conceptual or idealized architectural models.
VH: I would very much like to receive such an assignment because it opens up possibilities for ideas and experimentation with materials or new procedures. I would love to try various colored lighting and similar matters. In one of my latest orders, I was enchanted by the effects of light sources set into the rough skeletal construction, to which the perimeter facade was subsequently glued. So far, no architect has come up with a similar sensory assignment. Architects usually commission models conservatively so that the result is a clean white model. However, there are exceptions - such as this sheet metal model and others. I would also love to make a wooden model, but so far no one has come with such a request.

JK: Why do architects automatically choose white color?
VH: Because it is well sculptural in light and handles different textures well. In the case of a colored model, these textures must be sacrificed because the result would be overwhelming. In a colored model, mostly only colors are tuned, and texture is no longer worked with. Color can ruin the entire model, especially green on surrounding areas can be deadly. Over the years, we have created a reasonable palette of colors used. Architects probably choose the safer path of pure white form due to fear of uncertain results from a colored model.

JK: Do you follow your competition or do you have a role model?
VH: Rather only indirectly through magazines and books about architecture. House models by Norman Foster have a significant influence on me because he is one of the few who is not afraid to use colors. Among their top models, I classify the model of the Berlin Reichstag, where the old building structure was made of wood, and the dome with new elements was made of plexiglass and plastic, and the resulting impression was fantastic.

JK: What models do you fondly remember?
VH: I enjoy working with Pavel Rada because I like his perspective on architecture and the houses he designs. I fondly remember the work for the Bosch factory in Jihlava, where we completed the model on-site, and the direct contact between the real building and the model was very interesting. Additionally, I was very attracted to the technological devices, whose industrial aesthetics I really like. I probably have the strongest bond with the model of the footbridge over the Brno reservoir. It was a very demanding model with a lot of work at night because we were behind schedule. But it was also very interesting from a construction standpoint - it was a big challenge to see if I could make a functioning model on a different scale with different materials. I made many fixtures. The supporting arches were of various lengths and had to be precisely set into the terrain so that they transferred the main load to the foundation. Furthermore, their shape was not simple either. To create them, I had to glue them from several parts and different materials, so their strength was not very great; they were almost rubbery. The most beautiful moment was when, at the end of the work, I removed the support fixture from under the meter-long bridge, and the model did not move even a millimeter. I was not sure until the last moment if the chosen solution would work, and maybe that's why I remember it so strongly.

JK: And what assignments do you have coming up in the next few days?
VH: Since we won the tender for two models of the R43 highway, we will mainly focus on this project in the coming weeks. I am very curious about this work because we have not yet made a highway model.

JK: I wish you success and thank you for the interview.

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Archimage
Ing. arch. Václav Hájek

Manufacturing of presentation and demonstration models. Execution in stylized and realistic forms, including color processing.
Used materials: hard polystyrene, vecaplan, lexan, plastic films, aluminum sheet, paper, cardboard, and others. Utilization of etching into brass sheets. This very precise processing is especially suitable for creating detailed accessories and parts of a model. Cutting technology CNC.

Headquarters: Kounicova 73, 602 00 Brno
Office: Štefánikova 51, entrance from Šumavská street, 602 00 Brno

mobile: +420 775 148 104
e-mail: info@archimage.cz
web: www.archimage.cz

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