Architectural Sculpture

Students will create a small scale architectural sculpture.  

This unit has four parts: research and design (researching architectural styles, designing a project), prototype (practicing architectural details), final design in air-dry clay, paper pulp, chipboard, paint, and natural materials, and documentation of the finished work (photos, email, reflection, and critique).

Overview Unit Goal

Composition Concepts

  • Dimension
  • Color
  • Architectural Details
  • Repetition
  • Scale

Technical Skills

  • X-acto knife cutting skills
  • Glue technique
  • Air-dry clay texturing
  • Background Painting
  • Detail Painting

Tools & Supplies

  • Paper, Chipboard, Cardboard
  • Coffee Stir Sticks, Popsicle Sticks, Toothpicks, BBQ Sticks
  • Air-dry clay
  • Glue (white & hot)
  • Paint & Brushes

Technical Skill Videos

Resource Book Notes

Order of Work

Prototype: Detail Practice
  • Using a matchbox as a base, you will make a shop facade.
     FACADE DETAILS
  • Cut out a window-shaped hole. In cardstock, cut out a window frame with panes and glue it over the hole.
  • Underneath the window, make a cardstock flower box or window ledge with a flower pot.
  • On the wall around the window, create clapboard siding and a baseboard.
  • Use air dry clay to add a brick wall facade to the back of the box.
  • Paint any details needed to create specificity and visual cohesion (wear and tear, small visual details, etc.)
     EXTERIOR DETAILS
  • Above the window, make a cardstock and/or construction paper awning.
  • Practice scalloping the front edge, using tabs to hold the form in an arc, and securing the awning away from the facade with a side piece.
     INTERIOR DETAILS
  • Pull out the matchbox, and make a dimensional detail inside the box (chair, lamp, picture frame hanging on the wall, etc.)
  • Take a photo of your sculpture in the photo cube.
Determine Your Design
  • RESEARCH at least 5 architectural styles and save photos of aspects you like
  • DESIGN your architectural model 
    • Include INTERIOR DETAILS, FACADE DETAILS, and EXTERIOR DETAILS
Project: Architectural Model
  • Create the base structure with one or more of the following: bottle, cardboard, sticks/wood, cardstock, chipboard/cereal box, paper
  • Your base structure should have a hollow interior, at minimum walls for the building, and at least a small amount of exterior space
  • ​Create at least 3 details for the interior, 3+ details for the facade, and 3+ details for the exterior of your building
  • You can use air-dry clay as a detail material, but not a structure material. 
  • You can use resin to create clear elements, like light fixtures.
  • You have one LED light to include in your design
Documenting

Sculpture Criteria

Architectural Sculpture should have an average size of  6 x 6 x 6 inches.
Create 3+ details for the interior, 3+ details for the facade, and 3+ details for the exterior of your building.
Your structure should be started with one or more of the structural materials (bottle, cardboard, sticks/wood, cardstock, chipboard/cereal box, paper).
Your structure should use at least one detail materials (air-dry clay, resin, paper, wood).
STRUCTURE MATERIALS
  • Bottle
  • Cardboard
  • Sticks/wood
  • Cardstock/paper
  • Chipboard/cereal box
DETAIL MATERIALS
  • Air-dry clay
  • Resin
  • Cardstock/paper
  • Wood
EXTERIOR DETAILS
  • Porch, Columns
  • Awning, Carport
  • Mailbox, Lighting
  • Fencing, Walls, Landscaping
  • Water Tank, Satellite dish, Electrical Wires, Roof Vent
  • Plants, animals
  • Pool, fountain
  • Light fixtures
  • Flower Box
  • Flag, Fire Pit
FACADE DETAILS
  • Siding (bricks, wood paneling, plaster, etc.)
  • Roof shingles, eaves & gutters
  • Window frames, door frames, Attic Vent, Crawl space vents
  • Gas meter, Breaker box, Electrical Outlet
  • Hose Spigot
  • Foundation supports, stilts, stone, cement
INTERIOR DETAILS
  • ​Picture frames/artwork
  • Furniture (table, chairs, etc.)
  • Wall treatments (wallpaper, paneling, etc.)
  • Objects (books, indoor plants, toys, games, etc.)
  • Lighting (ceiling lights, lamps, fireplace, etc.)

Glue Technique

USE A GLUE SPREADER TO SPREAD A THIN EVEN LAYER OF GLUE ON THE TWO PARTS THAT WILL BE JOINED

HOLD THE TWO PARTS TOGETHER FOR TEN SECONDS. THE GLUE SHOULD BE DRY AFTER TEN SECONDS IF YOUR GLUE LAYER WAS THIN ENOUGH.

Architectural Design Ideas

BUILDING TYPES
ROOF STYLES
EXTERIOR DETAILS
FACADE DETAILS
INTERIOR DETAILS

Prototype Steps
FACADE DETAILS:
WINDOW
  • Remove the box from the cover and open the cover so that it lies flat
  • Cut the window opening in the cover
  • Draw that opening on chipboard or paper
  • Cut the window pane style of your choosing so that the pane openings are slightly smaller than the rectangle you drew
  • Cut the exterior of the window pane so that it is slightly larger than the window opening
  • Glue the window pane onto the window opening - consider using the interior of the box to have less visual distraction
FACADE PANELING
  • Choose a wall panel style and cut out small pieces to create your siding 
  • Cut your siding to fit around the window
  • Glue all of your siding pieces onto the wall
EXTERIOR DETAILS:
WINDOW BOX
  • Measure the width of the window and make a box as wide as the window - score the lines you want to fold - include attached glue tabs for ease of construction
  • If using recycled materials, remove shiny material before gluing
  • Glue your window box onto the wall siding - add a spacer underneath, if needed
AWNING
  • Glue the matchbox cover back together
  • Cut out a piece wider than the width of the box and about as long as the box
  • Score the folds for the top of the matchbox - you'll have a flap on the back, a cover on the top, and an awning that extends in the font
  • Cut a decorative edge on the end of the awning
  • Score lines to allow the awning to curve (you can create a convex curve [score on topside] or concave curve [score on backside])
  • Cut flaps on both sides beyond the width of the box
  • Cut and glue a curved piece onto the tabs so that it matches the curve you want your awning to hold
  • Attach a side piece that connects the back flap to the side curves on both sides
INTERIOR DETAILS:
  • Cut out and collage photos from a magazine to create an interior scene. In your final project, you'll need to sculpt at least one interior detail - for this prototype, all your interior details can be flat.
  • Ideas: Framed Artwork, Lamp, Furniture, (very tiny) People

Design

Determine Your Design
  • RESEARCH at least 5 architectural styles / building types and save photos of aspects you like
  • The 5 types should be really different from each other
  • Consider weird and interesting architectural types: haunted house, swamp house, fairy house, castle with turrets, etc.
  • DESIGN your architectural model 
    • Include 3+ INTERIOR DETAILS, 3+ FACADE DETAILS, and 3+ EXTERIOR DETAILS
    • Label the three types of details
    • Draw both a front view and a side view, top view is optional

Constructing the Structure Base

Picture
STICK CONSTRUCTION
Picture
PLASTIC / AIRDRY CLAY CONSTRUCTION
Picture
CARDBOARD CONSTRUCTION
Picture
PAPER CONSTRUCTION
  • You can use CARDBOARD, CEREAL BOX, PLASTIC CONTAINERS, STICKS, TWIGS, PAPER, etc. to make your structure. 
  • Your structure should have a hollow interior, at minimum walls, and a visible exterior
  • You can use glue, hot glue, or tape to help with construction, but WHITE GLUE is best for paper, cardboard, and natural materials, hot glue is best for plastic. If hot glue or tape is used, it cannot be visible at the end of the project, so you'll want to minimize the use of hot glue and tape to only what you can cover up with other materials later.

Constructing Details
  • You have access to air-dry clay as a detail material (not a structural building material) which is great for creating textured surfaces, like brickwork, stones, etc.
  • You also have access to resin for creating clear windows, etc. so that light can shine through your architecture
  • You can use cardboard, cereal box, plastic, sticks, twigs, paper, and more to make your details. 
  • Be careful to cover up any glues, especially hot glue or tape, as they will be visually distracting.
  • You also have access to flocking and sand to coat surfaces with a texture. 

Interior Details
  • You need a minimum of 3+ interior design element types
  • WALL/FLOOR TREATMENT: wall paper, paneling, molding, baseboards, carpet, rug, wood paneling, brick
  • WALL DECOR: Art, framed photos, paintings, mirrors, things you hang on a wall for decoration
  • BUILT-IN ROOM ELEMENTS: fireplace, sink, stove, closet, washer/dryer, bathtub, toilet, stairs
  • FURNITURE: sofa, table, chair, media console, side table, bed, couch, desk, stool, shoe rack
  • OBJECTS: books, plants, shoes, pots, pans, cups, plates, food, toilet paper, toothbrush

Lighting

9v Battery

3v Battery

AA Battery

Switch
  • You have one LED light you need to incorporate into your project
  • You can use a 9V, 3V, or 1V battery to power a matching led light bulb
  • You can use a switch to make turning your sculpture on and off convenient
  • You should incorporate your light into your architecture, so that the wiring and the battery are hidden

Facade Details
  • You need 3+ facade detail types
  • SIDING: brick, wood panel, stucco, stone, log
  • ROOFING: eaves, gutter, roof tiles, chimney, vents
  • WINDOWS / DOORS: door frame, window frame, window panes
  • WALL DETAILS: gas meter, breaker box, electrical outlets, water spigot, attic vent
  • ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS: crawl space, stilts, attic, spire, tower

Exterior Details

  • You need 3+ exterior detail types
  • BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS: porch, columns, awning, carport, deck, balcony
  • RESIDENCE DETAILS: mailbox, lighting, fencing, foundation, sidewalk / paths, landscaping, fire pit, swing
  • YARD STUFF: plants, animals, pool, fountain, patio, trees
  • CITY DETAILS: water tower, satellite dish, electrical pole with wires connecting to building, fire escape

Documenting your Architectural Sculpture

  • Use a solid background (no distracting lines, shadows, table, or other stuff) like the photo cube
  • Use quality lighting (soft shadow from artwork only)
  • Photo should be in focus, with artwork centered
  • One photo of each side of your sculpture
  • One looping GIF of your sculpture rotating in place
  • Three photos and one looping GIF in total

Email an Image of Your Project

Grading Criteria