![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F06%2FRopemaker-model-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=315&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=eb34608dbb6968f4a7ebccfff9fd3aa4 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F06%2FRopemaker-model-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=630&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=45884093257a15c538392ba1ecef97de 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F06%2FRopemaker-model-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1152&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=2c372c6db348fcd603fbaa94dff16f2a 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F06%2FRopemaker-model-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1536&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=fadb0cc1e8785fb17a64774cb00a2e0a 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F06%2FRopemaker-model-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2100&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=aa23c595847903de616f8c3aceb80a9e 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F06%2FRopemaker-model-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2400&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=5110404728d2caa54e8ce490fcbaf680 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F06%2FRopemaker-model-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2880&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=2a89b65a23f92c16f8af7ea91aede981 1920w)
Each individual extrusion is made of 3D-printed components glued together and clad in a glossy paper card sprayed with the same paint as the 1:10 ceramic joint models featured in part 2 of the Ropemaker Model Monday series. We sprayed the inside edges of the panels black to reflect the building’s actual sub-frame, while clear acrylic at the top represents the window. This kind of model can take months if done externally, but we made it in-house within about a week.
The way we 3D printed the components can be thought of as a form of extrusion, as they each have the same linearity as the ceramic extrusion of the actual spandrel panels. In this way, the model does more than just represent the external appearance – it also reflects the form of manufacture.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F06%2FRopemaker-model-3.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=315&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=27bd235474e9c7117f6a8e6dee1f9af5 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F06%2FRopemaker-model-3.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=630&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=f6e34b82ddd06102101259e81d59d04e 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F06%2FRopemaker-model-3.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1152&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=2e1f5608231421c55442116d52632768 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F06%2FRopemaker-model-3.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1536&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=af097881877dda474bb263ba96345caa 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F06%2FRopemaker-model-3.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2100&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=665a3a34c8b6612a5688643d1bcccbcd 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F06%2FRopemaker-model-3.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2400&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=cca725acf2c446f9cc84e0dfdb2edb7b 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F06%2FRopemaker-model-3.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=2880&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=47db2dad6bdd7f14356feb7cbcdf0754 1920w)
Now hanging proudly on the wall in our London studio, this 1:1 visual mock-up (VMU) has become instrumental in our discussions with the client, suppliers and design team – not to mention impressing our fellow Makers! Normally this kind of big mock-up is produced by suppliers and contractors post-tender, but we were one step ahead, allowing us to informally test the implications of the design, and allows for design developments prior to the official contractors VMU proposal. This is the kind of work that underscores the important role a full-service, in-house modelshop can play.