Model Building a House – A Challenging Hobby
Design and build a structure which represents the home you were born in, or a home located in your favorite city, town, country setting, or a beach cottage. Or build a fantasy, futuristic, or your dream house. I challenge you to be a model builder as a new hobby or professional challenge.
This type of model building is known as architectural model building.
The value of model making a structure is to present a visual and tactile scenario of a structure. Architects build models of structures to help clients see the final product before real construction begins.
Yes, there are computer programs which help to visualize the house, but it is different when you build a physical model originating from knowledge, creativity, imagination, knowledge and skilled hands.
Model Building Materials and Tools
The least expensive method is to use poster board and craft paper. Poster board is flexible, but as it is pieced together with paste or glue the structure will strengthen. Craft paper with designs of shingles, brick, stone, wood strips, and other textures is a short cut to add realistic texture in, on, and around the structure.
A pair of scissors, craft knife or scalpel, a metal ruler, paste or glue, cutting mat, and pencil and paint will be the minimum tools required. If you wish, you may want to invest in an architectural scale to help calculate model scale and dimensions should you decide to habitually construct models.
Building Steps
- House plan
- Floor
- Walls
- Roof
- Finishing touches
House Floor Plan
Make a copy of the actual house floor plans. Decide on the scale. For example, one inch may represent one foot. The scale has much to do with the size of the finished product and display area.
After the scale has been determined, draw or trace the plans, label, and then section cut. Accurately cut one measured piece at a time and place into position directly on the floor plan to avoid errors and to guarantee that the building will stand true and strong. The floor plan will produce the house as the end product or place the floor plan on a platform which will allow for landscaping display.
Interior and Exterior Decor
Using the floor plan and a picture or a photo of the finished house will assist you in choosing printed designs of wood, tile, or carpet to place on the floor as you move from room to room.
The walls which have windows may be represented with cellophane paper, a window pattern, curtains, or a window sill with flowers. Craft paper with brick, stone, wood, or siding for the exterior walls can be adhered with paste to the poster board cutouts as you assemble the pieces. Most supplies can be found at an arts and crafts store or a hobbyist model shop.
Flooring and Roof
Additional flooring will be needed if the house is a two-story building. The house may or may not have a basement or an attic. This is the importance of having a house plan.
The roof is the crowning glory. Craft paper may be used to represent shingles or other choices of roofing finishes.
