URP 306 — Planning Model Making Workshop: Lecture Note

About this lecture note

This is the complete lecture note for URP 306 Planning Model Making Workshop. You can read it online below, open it in the full viewer, or download the PDF for offline study. It pairs with the course's video lectures, so you can read and watch together.

Preview: opening of the note

LA-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS

LA-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Course code: URP 306 Course title: Planning Model Making Workshop Course credit load: 2 Units List of Series: • Series 1: Model Making Tools and Materials • Series 2: Use and Care of Tools • Series 3: Workshop Practices and Techniques • Series 4: Preparation of Three-Dimensional Planning Models • Series 5: Production of Community and Institutional Models 1 Model Making Tools and Materials Series outline • Part 1 (1.1): Introduction to Planning Model Making o Sub-Part 1.1.1: Definition, purpose, and types of planning models o Sub-Part 1.1.2: The role of models in planning communication and decision-making o Sub-Part 1.1.3: Overview of the model making process • Part 2 (1.2): Cutting and Shaping Tools o Sub-Part 1.2.1: Knives, cutters, and blades o Sub-Part 1.2.2: Saws, files, and abrasives o Sub-Part 1.2.3: Scoring, folding, and forming tools • Part 3 (1.3): Measuring, Marking, and Fixing Tools o Sub-Part 1.3.1: Measuring and marking instruments o Sub-Part 1.3.2: Adhesives and fixing methods o Sub-Part 1.3.3: Finishing tools and equipment • Part 4 (1.4): Model Making Materials o Sub-Part 1.4.1: Board and paper-based materials o Sub-Part 1.4.2: Foam, wood, and rigid structural materials o Sub-Part 1.4.3: Supplementary and finishing materials Introduction A planning model is one of the most powerful communication tools available to the urban planner. When a community is invited to respond to proposals for their neighbourhood, when a client needs to understand a proposed development, or when a planner must convey the three-dimensional character of a new layout to decision-makers, a physical model speaks with a clarity and immediacy that drawings and maps cannot match. The ability to design and construct

LA-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS planning models is therefore a fundamental practical skill one that links spatial imagination to physical making and that connects the abstract world of planning proposals to the tangible reality of built form. The aim of this Series is to equip you with the knowledge and skills to identify the types and purposes of planning models, recognise and correctly name the principal tools used in model making, understand the properties and appropriate applications of model making materials, and prepare to work safely and effectively in the model making workshop. We shall commence this Series by introducing the concept of the planning model, its types, purposes, and the general model making process. Next, we will examine the cutting and shaping tools used in model making, including knives, saws, and forming tools. Following that, we will explore measuring, marking, and fixing tools, as well as adhesives and finishing equipment. Finally, we will wrap up by examining the range of materials used in planning model making from board and paper through foam and wood to supplementary finishing materials. Series Learning Outcomes Upon completing this Series, you should be able to: • SLO 1.1 define planning model making and describe the types, purposes, and general process of constructing planning models, • SLO 1.2 identify and describe the cutting and shaping tools used in model making and their correct applications, • SLO 1.3 identify and describe measuring, marking, fixing, and finishing tools and methods used in model making, • SLO 1.4 identify the principal model making materials and explain the properties and appropriate applications of each. 1.1 Introduction to Planning Model Making 1.1.1 Definition, purpose, and types of planning models Planning model making is the craft of constructing scaled three-dimensional physical representations of existing or proposed built environments, landscapes, and urban layouts. A planning model transforms the two-dimensional information of plans, sections, and elevations into a tangible object that can be viewed, handled, and understood from multiple angles. Planning models serve several purposes: they communicate design intent to clients, communities, and decision-makers; they enable planners and designers to test spatial relationships and massing before construction; and they serve as educational tools for explaining planning proposals to non-specialist audiences. Models may be classified by their purpose as study models rough, exploratory models used in the design process; presentation models finished, detailed models made to communicate a proposal; and display models highly detailed models made for exhibition or permanent display. Fill in the blank: Planning models may be classified as study models, presentation models, and __________ models made for exhibition or permanent display.

LA-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Short description: Image showing three types of planning models side by side: a rough study model, a detailed presentation model, and a polished display model of an urban area. Plate 1.1 Three types of planning models study, presentation, and display 1.1.2 The role of models in planning communication and decision-making Physical planning models occupy a unique place in planning communication. Unlike plans and drawings, which require technical training to read, a well-constructed model can be understood intuitively by any observer a community member, an elected official, a client, or a child. This accessibility makes models particularly valuable in public participation contexts, where the ability to see and understand a proposal is a precondition for meaningful engagement. In decision-making contexts, models allow decision-makers to appreciate the three-dimensional character, massing, scale, and relationship of proposals to their surroundings in ways that elevations and perspectives alone cannot convey. In the Nigerian planning context, where technical literacy varies widely and community engagement is often challenging, the planning model is an especially important communication tool. Fill in the blank: A well-constructed model can be understood intuitively by any observer, making it particularly valuable in public __________ contexts. 1.1.3 Overview of the model making process Constructing a planning model follows a general process regardless of the scale or type of model being made. The process begins with design and planning establishing the scale, scope, materials, and level of detail required. Preparation of the base follows, creating the platform on which the model will be built. Construction of terrain and landscape represents the ground surface including contours, roads, and open spaces. Construction of buildings and structures adds the built elements, working from the largest to the smallest. Finishing applies colour,

LA-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS texture, and detail to the completed model. Presentation and display prepares the model for its intended audience. Each stage requires specific tools and materials, and a well-organised approach to sequencing is essential to producing a high-quality model efficiently. Fill in the blank: In the model making process, construction of buildings works from the __________ to the smallest elements. Pilot questions 1.1 1. Define planning model making and state two purposes of planning models. 2. Which type of planning model is used in the design process to explore spatial relationships? 3. Why are planning models particularly valuable in public participation contexts? 4. Fill in the blank: The model making process begins with design and planning, followed by preparation of the __________. 1.2 Cutting and Shaping Tools 1.2.1 Knives, cutters, and blades Cutting tools are the most essential instruments in the model maker's toolkit. The craft knife (or scalpel) with interchangeable blades is the workhorse of model making, used for cutting card, foam board, thin plastics, and sheet balsa wood. Blades must be kept sharp a dull blade requires excessive pressure, produces ragged cuts, and is more dangerous than a sharp one. The snap-off utility knife (or box cutter) is used for cutting thicker materials such as foam board and corrugated card. Scissors are used for cutting thin paper, tracing paper, and fabric. Circle cutters (or compass cutters) produce clean circular cuts in card and thin board. All cutting operations should be performed against a metal safety ruler never a plastic ruler, which can be sliced on a self-healing cutting mat to protect the work surface and extend blade life. Fill in the blank: A dull blade requires excessive __________, produces ragged cuts, and is more dangerous than a sharp one.

LA-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Short description: Image showing a model maker's cutting tool set laid out on a cutting mat, including craft knife, snap-off cutter, scissors, circle cutter, and metal safety ruler. Plate 1.2 Model making cutting tools craft knife, cutters, and metal ruler on a cutting mat 1.2.2 Saws, files, and abrasives For thicker and harder materials, cutting tools give way to saws. The junior hacksaw cuts metal, hard plastic, and thick balsa or basswood. The fretsaw (or coping saw) cuts curves in wood and thick card. The mitre box is used in conjunction with a tenon saw to produce accurate right-angle and 45-degree cuts, essential for clean joints at building corners. Files flat, round, half-round, and needle files refine and smooth cut edges on wood, plastic, and metal. Sandpaper and emery paper (abrasive sheets) smooth surfaces and remove tool marks. Sanding blocks sandpaper wrapped around a firm block produce flat, even sanding surfaces, essential for achieving clean flat faces on foam and wood

This is the opening of the note. Read the full note or download the PDF to continue.