Home Ground #12
Bozeman, Montana
2024
I designed our house back in 1981-1982, before personal computers and CAD programs were in common use. So I drew it all out on graph paper, and when it was mostly complete, I constructed this model out of used cardboard boxes to see if it looked like I thought it would in 3D. It mostly did. The roof of the model lifts of so the walls inside can be seen. The 3D model did not include the porches, although they were planned from the beginning. The model has been sitting in the attic since 1982, along with other artifacts, such as this collection of some of the deer antlers we’ve found over the years on our property.
I like that you still have this! Sadly I think all of my old physical architecture models now reside in the landfill. And while I’d like to make the excuse that they were made two decades ago, you clearly have me beat with a model that’s twice as old!
I’m sure your models were more accurate and built with better materials than my old cardboard box model. And if you had a model of a house you built to live in yourself, you’d still have if too. Hard to believe though, that you’ve been at the architechture business that long! As all the old folks say, it seems like just yesterday…
I certainly spent a small fortune in basswood over those 5 years of architecture school. I’m not sure if the kids these days even bother with physical models (who I am alarmed to say were just being born when I was in school!).
If I were to design and build my own house, I’d definitely build and keep a model of it. Unlikely to happen… aside from the cost of construction these days, I’d probably just keep tinkering and retinkering with the design for years and years and it would never leave the drawing board.
“Kids these days..”, makes you sound like the old man you aren’t! I get it about construction costs these days, we’ve put off even hiring anyone to do somewhat needed upkeep on our place because of the prices in Bozeman. You can rarely even find anyone who wants to do upkeep kind of work and when you do, it’s crazy expensive. I figure we’ll wait until the next recession. 🙂 You could make a lifetime hobby around building and revising a model of your ideal home though.
I love this. When we built our cabin Kurt did the same thing out of popsicle sticks. We still have it proudly on display along with plenty of antlers!
Popsickle sticks, a great model building material; longer lasting that cardboard too. And how funny that yours is displayed along with antlers much like ours is in the photo. (I have no idea how our model and antlers ended up together. Just kind of where they all landed at some point I guess.)