But what we’ve designed is only a plan. It tells us about sequential relationships on the ground plane, and where people will do things, move around and gather; also where our movement and vision is bounded. Little more. It says nothing of the experience of any building, nor of the places that it will bound and influence. We need to three- dimensionalize this plan to spatially understand how the whole place will be. We there- fore make a tracing (or photocopy) of our sketch plan on which to build a model.
We start by making clay room volumes and placing these on the traced plan. These, like the room footprints, are rectanguloid, though unlikely to stay that way for long. At this stage, I work at a scale that keeps each building around 12 inches (300 mm) in plan size. Four pairs of hands can work on this and it’s quick to alter form. Spread-out buildings (or groups of buildings) can cover a larger area. I try to get everyone to make at least one room. This overcomes the first inhibition to modelling with clay.
First, of course, the clay has to be squeezed to fit the plan. But it also has to be coordinated as form. And this brings up questions as to what vertical and three- dimensional gestures are appropriate. This isn’t about ‘I like’, or even what we like. Always we must ask, what is appropriate? What supports the mood appropriate to
activity, situation and place? How can we strengthen those moods upon which what the place says depends?
Even in simple and conventional buildings there are many choices: which way round should roofs be, what slopes, where should the ridges be? But this soon progresses to other questions. Should eaves and ridge be level, or even straight? Should level changes, dormers and abutments be stepped, sloped or curvilinear? These three- dimensional questions can only be fully visualized in three dimensions. As they’re still questions, not fixed answers, they need a fluidly manipulable medium: clay.
By asking questions – and following them up with ‘show me …’ – I can get most people to put their hands to the model. Otherwise, there’s a risk that they tell me, I interpret, and – because it’s impressive to see anything given form – they are con- tent. If I do it, however, they won’t stay content. This is another reason I want it to be ‘our’, not ‘my’ model, and eventually, design.
Building form is bound up with construction and materials. We can’t decide on one without the others. What materials are appropriate to the moods we’re seeking to establish? What construction does this imply? And, therefore, what building forms?
Once we see things in three dimensions, all sorts of possibilities become apparent. So also do limitations, like one building blocking another’s view. Just squeeze and cut the clay and we can open up a window of view. These sort of changes require us to check their implications on the drawn plans – and on the ground.
Not uncommonly, clay modelling has led us to new forms, superseding the origi- nal plans. So it’s the model we need to record. An organic or fluidly formed model can be easy to see and understand, but not to accurately record! There are, however, some techniques that don’t depend on expensive cameras or software. If it’s on a glass base-plate, you can lay it over the site-plan and, using dividers, measure and triangulate from site-plan features. Additionally, you can place it over a grid and measure off this. Or you can span the glass between two tables, stick tracing-paper underneath and draw from below. Awkward and uncomfortable, but effective – espe- cially if someone above can point out what is what. Or even put it on the photo- copier. This, however, won’t distinguish between clay model and clay mess around the edges. If you have more glass, lay this (on spacing blocks) over the model, draw on it in felt-tip pen and then trace or photo-copy this onto paper. You can also pho- tograph from a distance above (like from an upstairs window) and project the slide (or mounted negative) onto paper, adjusting distance until the scale is right (assum- ing you remembered to lay a scale beside the model!). This, however, means delays while photos are developed, so often isn’t practical.
Additionally, of course, I sketch from several angles and take photographs. It’s important to photograph the same day you make the model as, when clay dries, the thinner bits dry first. Being paler, in photographs these look like they’re catching light, so confuse three-dimensional modelling. Photographs, therefore, always need to be backed up with sketches.
Using the model
Developing clay model and drawn plans now go hand in hand. At this stage, the plans need section drawings to show vertical relationships across buildings and
places. When more or less finalized, we can hold up the model against its back- ground to see – and sketch – how the building will appear.
With clay models we can also simulate sun and shade, using a desk-lamp. Before these solar checks, what are the critical places and times of day and year? Spring sun in playgrounds for morning break and gardens after school? Shade in the summer? Are windows and conservatories for solar heating still unshaded in winter? In hot climates, what about shading and reflection? Often we only have to adjust the angle of small parts of buildings, or their roof shapes, to gain sun or shade at the times of day and year needed. The flexibility of clay models makes this so easy. View lines are likewise easy to check. Just lay a straight-edge along the view you’re checking. If it
84 Consensus Design: How?
Holding a clay model (a future building) against its background (present landscape). From this, we can draw the building in its setting.
has to bend over an obstruction, there isn’t a view! We can also more easily see noise paths and wind channelling risks – and how to shield against these – than if we’re just looking at plans. Also frost pockets, and how to divert cold-air rivers and drain ‘lakes’. We can even, to some extent, visualize – and therefore avoid – potential wind turbulence. Blown candle smoke shows this better. Once again, we revise the clay model, paper plans and site strings and, if much has changed, again do a walk- through and cost check.