Advice from the Architectural Industry and Alumni

Throughout my studies at university, I have been fortunate enough to know that I would like to pursue a career as an architectural modelmaker. Encouraging me to obtain a large amount of work experience in this industry, both national and international. Creating connections with industry professionals and companies who have provided guidance and advice in, developing my skills with this goal in mind.

Using work experience and contacts in industry I have gained insight into what is expect from industry and companies of different philosophies, size and locations.

'Appeal to the international community' and 'use your final year to produce presentation pieces that show progression and development of skills in your portfolio' are some words of advice imparted to me by the Head of Modelmaking at 3XN and of MAKE Architects. This has largely driven my choice to create models of international buildings and of different focal points such as presentation models like the Echo House, or Explorative models such as the Heydar Aliyev Centre that allow me to develop CAD skills and play around with abstraction and the interactions between structure, space and light.

Third year as become my laboratory for expression and manifestation of this advice through the skills I have learned throughout my university experience to both myself and potential employers through the work exhibited in my portfolio. The aim of which is to express a well-rounded representation of a professional architectural modelmaker.

For example, we began the year with our external brief. Demonstrating project management and communication with all levels of the design process. From client to architect. In the process producing a sales model.

Industry professionals have not only been able to impart advice on how to build a well-rounded portfolio, but also on the making process itself. Such as material representation through colour mixing, paint thickness and spray gun settings. Even small organisational techniques for laser cutting such as drawing out a square on Rhino accurate to the laser bed dimensions, helping to save material through better nesting. For example, I have been advised to make my paint slightly thicker than usual whilst using a low air / low paint gun setting in combination his causes the paint to be slightly dry sprayed and speckled creating texture that adds to the visual recreation of brick.

Interactions and continued friendships with Alumni such as Matthew Stewart will also aid in the planning and making of the Heydar Aliyev Centre as his knowledge and previous use of Grasshopper introduced me to the basics. Providing helpful tips such as custom pre-sets containing commonly used code, allowing me to build and find coding far faster than usual. Also introducing me to organisational skills such as code grouping and straight-line connections. preventing confusion when retracing code or presenting it to others for analysis. In his words. 'It looks a lot cleaner.'