![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FRopemaker-gift-model-Make-4-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=ae889ebc35b9876e31e583b6ca5dc14a 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FRopemaker-gift-model-Make-4-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=ab2a1ca48838c4d294ec8146e1eebe91 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FRopemaker-gift-model-Make-4-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=512&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=a0f280ac962836a293ae662a6b3a055c 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FRopemaker-gift-model-Make-4-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=682&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=02efe92045b24d8f77eb35a1fd1b1f67 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FRopemaker-gift-model-Make-4-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=933&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=9dd98d576cabf7f027d38323e8733514 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FRopemaker-gift-model-Make-4-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1066&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=64aea1d174c95f1ce0cb0a4e5bcac8a0 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FRopemaker-gift-model-Make-4-scaled.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=2cb9186a297ed410369d8e4d55849e5d 1920w)
The model
This set of gift models was commissioned by Skanska to commemorate the topping out ceremony of Ropemaker in October 2022.
We first took the CAD (computer-aided design) model of 20 Ropemaker Street and made a simplified version that would work for moulding and casting. We 3D-printed a prototype on our Formlabs 3D printer using SLA resin, then, once the print was cleaned and cured, we lightly sanded the models to remove the build lines. After applying a coat of primer paint, our mould was ready to cast. We made an acrylic box slightly large than our 3D-printed model and filled it with silicone. Once it had set, we removed our master print and were left with a hollow mould we could cast into.