News (of sorts)

The architectural model that I've been working on recently is ended, not finished but ended.
I had a meeting with the architect, during which we discussed the progress of the model, which was slow (to put it mildly), and the relevance of it. He informed me that his client, who the model was being made for, was having problems with the neighbour's granting planning permission to develop the whole plot as originally intended. This, as it transpired, meant the model I was making, from the plans he'd given me, wasn't actually going to be of what would eventually get built - if anything does in the end.
Because of that, and what appears to have been a serious misunderstanding about the scale I was making it at (which I discussed previously), he confirmed that the model was no longer needed and that I didn't need to carry on with it.
Needless to say I was a little irked at this news. Although I wasn't particularly enjoying making it, because of the lack of relevant information on the plans I was given and the slightly tawdry subject matter, I would have liked to have finished it, if only for my own satisfaction.
I was paid (only half of what was originally agreed, but paid all the same) on the principle that I'd made roughly half the model. That seemed only fair and I was happy to leave it at that. I was a little annoyed a short while after he'd left, when I realised that I hadn't taken any photos of what I'd done, apart from on my shockingly poor camera phone, which will not be gracing your screens.


All in all this trip back to Bournemouth was a fairly fruitless endeavour. Having spent close to four whole weeks down here I have very little to show for it other than managing to find somewhere to live for September.
It's unlikely I'll post anything else between now and when term starts at university as I'll probably be at home, working on the projects I'd planned to spend my summer doing. Namely, stripping, priming and then re-spraying my old Royal Enfield bicycle frame and, hopefully, fitting a few new parts to it.
You never know though. I might get incredibly bored and go and do something productive, like join Rich at Seamless on work experience for a couple of weeks. But for now, that's it.

So...

I'm currently working on a private commission for architect David Wright. The project was forwarded on to me, rather fortuitously, from a couple of now graduated third year students from my course who couldn't take it on because they'd already found employment.

The commission is a card model of a proposed build in Evening Hills, Poole at a scale of either 1:100 or 1:200. I chose 1:200, thinking it might be a little easier to make at a smaller scale... this has not been the case.

The material was restricted to card - mountboard in particular - which, as lovely as it is to work with, is not great for small models. I've found that the board cuts fairly easily but when the parts one's making are of the size they are, the edges can split or pucker.

If I'm honest, I wish I had better plans to work from. Those that the architect gave me don't have the amount of information I really need to work from. I have several sheets of plans to glean the information from... I have a 1:200 scale, A1 of the full site and neighbouring properties; another 1:200 A2 sheet of the side elevations; and three 1:100 scale A2 sheets of the proposed building's interior layouts (each sheet displaying a different story of the structure).

I've encountered several problems so far: the A1 1:200 site plan has hand-drawn revisions, which are less than accurate. These revisions are shown clearly on the three A2 1:100 floor plans, but are very hard to decipher. Nevertheless, I have committed myself the to project and must have it finished soon. There's been no official deadline set but I'd like to have it finished by August 19th.

I will upload some photos of the finished model. I would put the plans on here but I think that might be illegal as they were given to me in confidence.

Here we go again

I'm sure there are literally thousands of you who've been utterly mortified by the disappearance of my previous posts. I'm afraid I couldn't keep it updated regularly enough for me to consider it a worthwhile use of my time. Instead, I've decided to start a fresh.

This new one, of the same amazing name, will be more about the things I do week in week out on in the time leading up to and period of my final year at university (it may continue after I've graduated).

I'm on the very well respected BA (Hons) Modelmaking degree at AUCB (formerly AIB). This degree is considered one of if not the best in the country. It incorporates the various and wide-ranging disciplines of the modelmaking industry and, boasts an impressive record of former graduate successes.

Anyway, this blog will give you an insight into the things I do on the course and in my spare time. It might not be all engrossing, but you might find it a little interesting. I will attempt to keep this one a little more up-to-date than the last one but I'm not guaranteeing anything.