Wright Model Making?
Wright Model Making?
I'm thinking of turning my model-making hobby into a side business. Does this board think there is a market for custom bass wood architectural models of Wright designs? What do you think would be a fair price? The ballpark is easily hundreds and possibly thousands depending on the complexity of the design.
Certainly. Would you do monochromatic basswood, or fully colored and textured surfaces ? Glazing ? Scale ? With or without surrounding topography ?
These are all the questions I've asked myself, when contemplating the subject.
I'd be satisfied, ultimately, with a 1:4 or 1:6 model of Fallingwater including 50 yd radius site condition. Some living bonsai landscaping, certainly---perhaps radio or
robotic vehicles. Indoor and outdoor lighting, of course, the model housed in a room where various daylighting and night-time environments could be reproduced.
S
These are all the questions I've asked myself, when contemplating the subject.
I'd be satisfied, ultimately, with a 1:4 or 1:6 model of Fallingwater including 50 yd radius site condition. Some living bonsai landscaping, certainly---perhaps radio or
robotic vehicles. Indoor and outdoor lighting, of course, the model housed in a room where various daylighting and night-time environments could be reproduced.
S
I'm thinking that the scale/level of detail would be worked out for each customer based on their preferences and budget. The models should be on a MDF base with layers of cork to represent the topography, possibly a plexiglass box cover. My personal tastes are for more minimalist style of model as opposed to OCD diorama style. The basswood works well for wood Usonian houses, but less well for masonry like Fallingwater.
I like that choice. But, for the building itself, I'd be happier if wood was used as wood, with other materials---machined or CNCd MDF ? Cement or ceramic ?---for brick, block or stone, for instance.
But there are almost as many ways to use the materials as there are kinds of buildings, I guess. As Schindler said, "...glass, putty, or hot air ..."
It's the poetic materiality of work like Wright's that seems (to me) to call for attention to the contrasts between the substances being rendered, on the part of the modelmaker.
S
But there are almost as many ways to use the materials as there are kinds of buildings, I guess. As Schindler said, "...glass, putty, or hot air ..."
It's the poetic materiality of work like Wright's that seems (to me) to call for attention to the contrasts between the substances being rendered, on the part of the modelmaker.
S
Representing the differences is important. I've used foam core to represent stucco or concrete surface and at certain scales the grain of wood can convey the roughness of masonry. I think the reason Fallingwater is such a hard design to model is the importance of distinguishing the interplay of masonry, cement, and glass. But there are so many wood Usonians that would be great in basswood.
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The architect's name is copyrighted (and, presumably, trademarked), at the very least. One imagines that it would be odd, but not impossible, to market models of his work without using his name. The interesting question would be whether the buildings themselves are protected by copyright. By all means, check it out thoroughly.
As an example, there are multiple models of Fallingwater visible online. Are any of those offered for sale ? If so, what have the makers done to satisfy the law ? Their example(s) could be useful.
S
As an example, there are multiple models of Fallingwater visible online. Are any of those offered for sale ? If so, what have the makers done to satisfy the law ? Their example(s) could be useful.
S
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