So, the weather is getting cooler, the leaves are just a little less green, Bake Off is soon to be back on the telly, and the schools are back. Autumn is just about here. As my partner is a teacher, the start of term is significant in our household, and this week marks a year that our wee boy has been in nursery. So I’ve had a year of dropping him at nursery in the morning, heading on to work, and running my business around a (usually) 4 day week. It feels pretty nice to reflect at this point how much I’ve achieved over the last year, so I thought I’d do a quick recap…!

Modelling Paisley

September saw Modelling Paisley, the project I’d been running at Scottish War Blinded, come to a conclusion, with an exhibition at Paisley Museum. Over the course of four months, once a week, I worked with a group of visually impaired veterans creating four 1:12 dolls houses, based on listed buildings in Paisley. It was a really enjoyable project, and the outcomes exceeded everyone’s expectations!

Scotch Whisky Experience distillery model

Around this time, I started work on one of the largest project I’ve ever undertaken. This was the design, build and installation of an interactive model for the Scotch Whisky Experience. It was a complex project, with wires and LEDs running through the model, as well as a high level of detail throughout. I really loved doing it, though it did at times feel like a never ending project! It was installed at the start of April 2019. I particularly enjoyed using materials and techniques that I’d not normally use - for example, using a plaster mix to create a textured render, and the pipework throughout the model.

ADS Timber Awards models

In contrast to the SWE model, I spent a week during December to complete a set of 5 models of the shortlisted buildings for the ADS Use of Timber Awards, for exhibition at the Lighthouse. These simple models were in plywood and lime, on cork bases. It is really unusual for me to do something so pared back, but I really enjoyed making these models, and love the finished appearance. And by strange coincidence, one of the buildings was the Scottish War Blinded centre, where I’d been working to produce the doll’s houses!

Edinburgh Academy model

At the start of 2019, having completed the distillery, I got to work on this 1:50 model of an extension to the library at Edinburgh Academy, by LDN Architects. While the model has a relatively simple appearance, there was lots to consider in the construction. The existing parts of the building were modelled in grey (constructed in plastics and painted), with the new parts in plywood and white. The model was sectioned across the length of the new build, though not even in a straight line, and there was a void to be modelled beneath the new build. Phew!

St Andrew’s Halls and Mitchell Library

I have been working on an unusual project over the course of a number of months. I’ll write more on it at a future date, but in summary, it was a historical project, researching St Andrew’s Halls, a building that stood behind the Mitchell Library, until it was destroyed by fire in the 60s. The work has (thus far) culminated in a small 1:375 model of both buildings, using some of the original drawings of both buildings to represent the facades, as well as the buildings lifting up to reveal the floor plans.

It’s really fascinating doing this type of work. It has involved me spending time in the Mitchell Archives, as well as getting a behind the scenes tour at the Mitchell, and scrutinising photos and drawings to piece together the arrangement of the buildings.

Bespoke MONUmini

It’s been some time now since I last worked on the MONUmini series with Another Studio. However, I was contacted by a MONUmini fan asking me to create a bespoke model of their house. It was a lovely wee job, and the customers were absolutely delighted with the finished model!

Renfrewshire ELCC model

And finally, for now, the most recent completed model. Renfrewshire Council will be building four new Early Learning and Childcare Centres over the next year, and they wanted a model to communicate the new designs to parents and kids. The model has a clear roof showing the internal arrangement, but a large part of the focus is on the outdoor space, as playing and learning outside are considered so key. I think the outdoor provision looks amazing! The client asked that the model be populated with images of children in a nursery environment (and provided a selection of images to do so). But with a nursery age kid of my own, I just had to sneak him in too!