Seasoned architectural professionals will tell you there’s nothing better than a model to convey a design. In recent years the field began shifting with the addition of 3-D computer modeling and rendering. Since the development of CAD (Computer Aided Drafting), laser-cutting, and 3-D printers; architects have incorporated the technologies along with model building to enhance the visual impact of their designs.
Architectural modelmaker Ryerson Studio recently completed two models for Eden Park, a 34-unit luxury townhouse community located in West Nyack. The models of the Energy Star efficient cottage style homes was constructed at 1" = 30’ scale and the two-floor take apart townhouse unit was constructed at ¼" scale.
"I’m an architect and my production director is also trained as an architect. Essentially, we’re architects with our main stake in creation of architectural models," explained Ryerson Studio President Michael DelPriore.
Since 1985, DelPriore has been creating architectural models, from simple foam core sketch visuals to museum quality lasered scale model creations, for clients such as Coca-Cola, Texaco, Abercrombie & Fitch, The LeFrak Organization, and Amerada Hess Corporation and have weathered some economic storms in the process.
Ryerson Studio has taken the best out of what the recent downturn has offered the housing and construction market and have been reaching out to architects and real estate developers and brokers to offer their firms additional services for offshoots of what they do.
"In the 24 years that we’ve been in business we’ve dealt with real estate brokers, we’ve dealt with industry, healthcare facilities, retail, and sales offices," said DelPriore.
Besides creating detailed miniature versions of housing developments, the modelmaker has been developing custom furniture work for a sales office.
"We’ll come in many times with large 4’ x 6’ models and we’ll create custom cabinet works for the basis of the architectural models, themselves," DelPriore noted. "Now I’m contacting brokers and such to say we’re available to design the whole showroom and sales offices, if need be, to provide a one-stop shopping for a lot of our clients."
The Ryerson Studio founder has, essentially, been a word-of-mouth type of business for nearly a quarter century. Not many in the architectural modelmaking industry survive based solely on references from satisfied clients, it’s a feat that impresses his peers.
"But what we’re doing is reaching out to some of the brokers, now," expressed DelPriore. "If real estate brokers want to pass our services along to their clients, we’re offer the brokers, themselves, a commission for making the connection or a savings they could pass directly to their clients."
With all sectors of business taking a hit due to a staggering economy, especially those anything to do with the housing market, DelPriore is optimistic, staying in touch with all his clients and is ready to hit the ground running, quickly.
"Through all these years, we are a deadline driven business," he explained. "We take the work from our clients from their deadline backwards."
Meeting deadline after deadline has prevented Ryerson Studio from expanding into different client bases. Now, for instance, DelPriore’s production director is taking additional CAD classes, noting the firm is CAD and laser driven.
Much of the work that Ryerson Studio produces goes through the CAD process to be cut into laser components.
"90 percent of our work comes in as a CAD drawing. So we have to take those components and break them down into elements in order to build three-dimensional models," DelPriore said.
The architectural modelmakers are taking advantage of the current condition of the market to upgrade much of their CAD and laser capabilities and to experiment with additional work that could be performed with computer generated renderings.
Ryerson Studio is also taking some of the downtime to upgrade their CAD and laser capabilities to explore computer programs such as CorelDRAW. The studio is looking to be a possible benefit for sign companies or engraving different sales offices’ logos with their laser.
Eden Park’s developer, which is currently under construction, contacted DelPriore’s studio, to create the entire scaled down version of the site complex and one of its typical interior units so they could open their sales office.
"We could save developers large amounts of money, in that a lot of times when a sales office wants to open a new development they need to create a full-sized walk-through unit," he said. "With budgets being tight and what they are, what we could do is create a full-dimensional scale model so that they could still open their sales office."
DelPriore noted the scale models include take apart floors to display every option each floor provides that the full-size building would have at a fraction of the price at building a full-size walk-through unit.
"A lot of what we do with residential and site development is for sales offices. Another large project we did, Sarosca Farms in Purchase, was built for their sales office," he explained. "In the past, also working with sales forces, we’ve helped them build additional items to take to trade shows. Models are very effective at getting people interested and coming over to your booth. It generates a lot of excitement and gets a lot of press and attention, which is what you want to do."
Regionally, Ryerson Studio has built models for The Culinary Institute of America, Bard College, Mills Mansion, The Omega Institute, and the Woodstock Jewish Congregation. On April 22, DelPriore and company was approved to build a large college campus model construction project in New York City.
"It looks like there is some life blooming again," DelPriore stated in regards to the slumping economy that slowed his market.
As part of their service, Ryerson Studio is exploring the possibility of offering architectural renderings and 3-D animations.
"Since we’re in touch with real estate developers, corporates, institutions, healthcare, and all these schools, not only could we build the models, we have a talented assemblage of people that could create that sort of thing."
