Centro de Colaboración Arquitectónica (CCA | Bernardo Quinzaños), modelmaking is a tactile expression of our collaborative ethos, an active method for testing spatial, material and artistic ideas, not just a final representation. Since our founding in 2008 by Bernardo Quinzaños, whose background spans visual arts and architecture, modelmaking has been integral to our design methodology.
The in-house modelmaking workshop, comprising Christian Nieves (Model Maker Specialist) and Sara de la Cabada (Junior Model Maker), is deeply embedded in the creative process and works closely with the design team. Physical models are conceived as tools for inquiry, emerging from ongoing conversations around each project’s conceptual direction. Often sparked by daily inspirations, collective references, and spatial questions raised by the team and Bernardo, the process continues through material tests, scale studies, and iterative refinement. Once the model’s purpose is defined—whether for internal design exploration, client dialogue, or site-specific experimentation—we determine its scale, techniques, and materials accordingly. These range from traditional cardboard and laser-cut sections to high-detail resin casts, full 3D-printed components, and colored concrete.
Each model amplifies dialogue. Internally, it helps refine geometry, structure, and proportion; externally, it becomes an instrument for client engagement—eliciting feedback and shaping design decisions collaboratively.
After fulfilling its purpose, each model is carefully photographed and preserved as part of CCA’s living archive. Some even transcend the studio context, standing on their own as objects that blur the line between architectural study and sculptural expression.
At CCA, modelmaking is a process-driven exploration, a convergence of creativity, technical rigor, and human interaction. Through this practice, we nurture curiosity, foster collaboration, and materialize the potential of architecture as an evolving, responsive, and artistic discipline.
Architects ask in-house professional modelmakers to make models for them.
Architects ask in-house professional modelmakers to make models for them, working in close dialogue with the design team to test spatial and material ideas. Models emerge through ongoing conversations, scale studies, and hands-on experimentation, tailored to their purpose, whether for design exploration, client engagement, or site-specific analysis.
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