I was originally going to make the megastructure model with the rapid prototype machine, as I had never used it before. In the end I wasted a day and a half trying to get my model into a watertight STL file. I probably moved too much of it around in 3DS Max and there were gaps that I couldn't see.
After this I found some DAS Modelling Clay in an art store and tried to use that. It was very successful for this type of shape, though I needed to do more work to get it to a final presentation model standard. It can be sanded and painted but my model was only just dry when I had to take it to the presentation.
I realise now that this clay would have been ideal for making models throughout the design process. I should have been using it to help me design the megastructure rather than to make the final model. Next time I try to design a complex shape like this I will definitely use clay. I'm not very quick at making these kind of forms in CAD programs so clay would be ideal.
My detail model was intended to show the flexibility of the Citizens' House. The model is a section taken through the Citizens' House with one side showing the deliberative chamber mode and the other the brainstorming/small group mode.
To make this model I printed a 1:100 section from my Revit model and taped that to the back of a piece of acrylic. I then used that as a template to cut out and glue card onto the front of the acrylic. I was really happy with this model as it only took a couple of hours and I think it was very effective in showing the detail I wanted.
As with the megastructure model, after building this model I realised I could have been building these types of model throughout the design process rather than just at the end. It gives a better feeling of 3D space than a sketch or a computer model and would probably take me the same amount of time as a computer model.
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