Interesting...

It's surprising how much business they have. Model-making has largely gone away from the profession with incredible 3D rendering software. Clients don't want to foot the bill for a lobby model even at a fraction of that price anymore. 

The technology has been around a while too. Me and my fellow architecture students were making comparable models, "although less detailed" almost 10 years ago just to get an A in our studio classes at cost to ourselves!

Nonetheless, lots of those skills spill over into my model railroading these days.

My roots

My first professional model making job was at an architectural model shop about 17 years ago.  I got that job based on the fact I could use a table saw and understood scale from doing model trains.  I started building the simple massing (background) models.  Later, I helped design and built the large acrylic/plexiglas models the same way as in the video but without individual unit lighting.  Once, on a Tuesday morning I was told we needed 10,000 trees by Thursday night.  It was for a large site model at about 1" = 200' so the trees were painted and flocked pins. In the end, the model had nearly 50,000 trees on it.

The shop also did fiberglass display models for parks.  I know there is one I worked on at Mt Rainier, one at the Canyon Visitor Center in Yellowstone and another at Cape Disappointment in Washington.

At its peak that shop ran two shifts and about 50 people.  When I was there it was about 20 and now it is less than 10.

Paul

With multi billon dollar

With multi billon dollar projects common place I'm sure the price tag of these is attractive to many investor groups funding the projects.

Very cool model making shop. would love to get into the mould room and run some detail parts!!!!

WOW Benny!!!

Thank You for the share!!!

Nick

I wonder

I wonder if they would do small projects for guys like us as well. 

My father encouraged my model building when I was only about 9 years old and by the time I was in high school, like Paul, I was doing scale models for my architect father and then his colleges. In college I built models for architects as a “one-man” shop. Model railroading led me to architectural model building, later drafting and design, then classes in structures, arch history, design until eligible for licensing. Without a degree it was a longer route but, in retrospect, the experience served me well. 

Thanks for sharing this video. Brings back a lot of memories. 

...

That's what is confusing.  This was filmed in December of 2019.

We say clients don't want to foot the bill anymore and yet...Clients are clearly still footing the bill.

Location

Great video.  Thank you for

Great video.  Thank you for sharing, I really enjoyed it.

Wire Trees

Okay, I'll ask the tough question... what gauge wire were they using for the trees, and what metal is said wire? I'm guessing it was bare aluminum and not copper, but I'm not versed enough to guess at the gauge.

Yeah, that wire was interesting

I make my trees with wire armatures and the smallest floral wire I can find is 30 ga. What they were using was definitely smaller. I'm just guessing here, but I'd say it's in the 34-36 ga range. Sure would like to get a source for that. I agree that it didn't seem to be copper.

Wire source

Rick, a quick search turned up spools of wire in the 30s and even 40 gauge "resistance" wire on Amazon, and 44 awg magnet wire. And Walmart's online marketplace lists a 750-foot spool of 42 gauge magnet wire. No joy with Home Depot or Lowes, and Joann only offers cloth coated wire in the 30s. 

AJKleipass

Thanks, I'll check it out. I've always used straight sections of floral wire and when in a bind stripped insulation off of stranded wire to get smaller ga. but it really is a pain.

 I appreciate your help.

EDIT: ordered a roll of 36 gauge resistance wire from Amazon. I'll post results when I give it a try.