Construction project

well would nt it be lovely to be back in good old wood work room!!

There’s loads of choice out there with regards builidngs which you could do a study of, i’d recommend you look at something which is free standing, ie. not like the GPO on O Connell Street in Dublin which has buildings attached to its rear. For example the Casino at Marino which is set in the landscape.

I remember a class mate of mine did a local church of interest in Cork when I was back in school, but this was set in the town and the immediate context of the surronding buildings complicated the project.

Rather than ream off a list of buildings for you to think about, i think you should start on your own doorstep, where ever that may be and give at look at the historic buildings in your area (or in the closet city) which in your opinion are the ‘nicest’ .
This way it will be a lot easier to visit the building to photograph, sketch and take details of it and also if you like something it will be easier to do it justice with your model.

Depending on the building you pick , you could be lucky with places like the Architectural Archive in Merrion Square, Dublin which might hold the orginial drawings of the building. They for example have much of the work of the architect Francis Johnston in archive, however don’t be put off by the lack of survey drawings, a keen eye and good observations will solve this problem.

Give me a shout when you pick a building and i ll see if i’ve any advice or information on it.

There’s also a great book i think you should buy, its only around 30 euro and would help you a lot with the research bit of the document you have to submit. Its called – Form, Space and Order by Franci D. K Ching. you ll buy it over the internet easily at Amazon books etc.

Just out of curisoty what scale and materials are you thinking of?
Are you going to do a model showing only finishes, or a model that shows the construction of the building?

Cormac – Hello there. You don’t say where you are from but I would whole heartedly recommend following MAMC advise and looking at a local building. In addition to pursuing the orignal drawings (Architectural Archive) and learning some architectural drawing I would also approach a local architectural practice with your project and get them to teach you some basic CAD (computer aided design) perhaps in exchange for work expereince. Also, the local library or history society may have historical records / photos relating to the planning, building and opening of the building which would be interesting. Finally, approach the people working / living / using the building at the mo and get their take on how well the design has stood the text of time or has been ammended (for good or ill) to meet current needs. Finally, don;t think there was construction studies in my day – what a great subject. Good luck and feep us all poseted with your progress! Shane

If you can pick up CAD quickly, or if your school does it as part of the sylabus then try it out,
but if it would take up of time it might be better to stick to tee square and pencil.
If you are doing a structural model, it is very worth will taking into account the construction method of the building you select. Concrete buildings models can look a bit plain. Because to get a good level of detail on the construction you have to use a scale of at least 1:20 or 1:50. And that might mean taking a only section of a buildong to keep the overall within the coffee table size limits. Timber buildings on the other hand, are generally smaller so you should be able to get the whole building done, thay have smaller members and also alot more of them. There are ways around every building type to make them work, its up to you.

Just out of curiosity how do you propose to get your model to comply with the brief. When I was at school (never did construction though) you had to use skills from 3 ( or maybe 4) different trades. Is that still the case.

If all other roads fail, would it be possible to survey the house yourself.
I am unfamilar with the house, what state is it in, is it well kept? Is there interior access.
Have the requirements for the projects changed over the last few years?