Periscope Landscape & Architecture Ltd

Practice Statement

Models are a testing ground, a communication tool and sometimes a co-design mechanism. We incorporate modelmaking into the design process. We see it as a tool to enable design testing and design development. Models are made by the design team and all members of staff (architects, architectural assistants, etc. ) as part of the internal design process, Hence why there are no specific employees who only do modelmaking.

Physical models form an important part of the practice’s design process. When time and fee allow, we incorporate physical modelmaking into the design. The chosen scale and materiality vary based on how best to communicate the project’s design approach or core narrative. ‘What does the design need?’ is the key question that helps the decision-making on materials and processes. It is worth acknowledging that for large-scale projects modelmaking can be a time-consuming process. What is important for the practice’s approach is that models are made from an early design stage and can be used as a testing ground. We have a coherent way of making model bases so that they can be reused later on. Model making is a design process itself, it allows the designer/architect to reflect upon the spatial qualities of a proposal, the interface of materials, the experience of the space, and the technical complexities and enables seeing the proposal from multiple viewpoints by the use of a camera. 

As mentioned earlier, physical models are not only used as a testing and design ground but also as a communication tool during design team meetings and workshops with other disciplines. It is a tangible object that fosters a ‘workshop-like’ dialogue internally and externally, including engagement events. All models are photographed either for options appraisal purposes or to be included in final submissions.