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It's a small world: exhibition marks 45 years of architectural modelmaking

26 Aug 2014

Manchester School of Architecture's Modelmaking Workshop will celebrate its 45th anniversary next year with a retrospective exhibition, which opens in September 2014 in Humanities Bridgeford Street

Plaster model of Kantorowicz Building

The exhibition has been just over a year in the making and contains exhibits dating back to 1968, before the existence of the current workshop, which opened in 1970.

Based in Room B.15, Humanities Bridgeford Street, the Modelmaking Workshop has a staff of just two: Manager Jim Backhouse, whose background is in 3D design, and Technician Scott Miller, a former freelance modelmaker.

The Workshop caters for students from the Manchester School of Architecture (MSA) – a shared school across the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University.

It offers them facilities (including state-of-the-art digital fabrication technology) and advice while they produce scale development and presentation models for use in projects.

Scott explains: “In making models, our students not only learn a greater understanding of the forms they are studying or creating, but also gain invaluable insight into time management and honing their skills to achieve a desired outcome. Development models can play an important, but often overlooked, part in directly informing a design and helping it evolve.”

Another of Scott’s talents – photography – has been put into service for the exhibition: he has recorded all of the exhibits for inclusion in a book which will form the exhibition guide.

Further information

Find out more about the role of the Modelmaking Workshop and the exhibition online at:

You can also register there to attend the private view of the exhibition on 12 September.