2023 The Architectural Model as a Democratic tool Dissertation 

2023 Over the Board Design Research

This research questions the role that physical model making plays in the design process. Through Archival and interview based research, my dissertation aimed to understand what is achievable through the model in terms of democratization and sharing of knowledge, and answer the research question, how do models engage with the imagination to encourage genuine critical discussion rather than simply as a persuasive tool?

In response to the findings of this work, the design project ‘Over the Board’  aimed to take advantage of the unique qualities of the physical model, to re-learn the craft of model making through the lens of tactility, scale, and collaboration. Thereby providing an alternative to the common-practice architectural model which does not utilise the full range of possibility afforded by its physicality. 

The work aims to create an architectural model in a fundamental sense, a kit of parts which can be rearranged and assembled by various participants. It will aim to act as a discursive tool, which necessitates collaboration and imagination. The model uses the tactile and dynamic qualities of unfired clay to produce a series of prototype “building blocks”, the success of which is determined by a series of collaborative building-games. 

The building blocks for the model continuously evolved over time. They have been broken down and re-made, until the final set were created at the end of the module and were fired, freezing the fluidity of the process.