Telling Stories Through Material: How Models Communicate Beyond Form

In architectural education, models are often treated as neutral tools — just a way to represent geometry in three dimensions. But in practice, every material choice communicates something. A basswood base feels different from a black acrylic one. A chipboard massing set tells a different story than a resin-printed façade with crisp mullions.

At BDR DSG LAB, we see material selection as one of the most powerful ways to shape the narrative of a project. The right material doesn’t just hold the model together — it reinforces the concept.

Material as Message

Think about how the following choices shift perception:

• Chipboard – Quick, iterative, temporary. A study model that communicates process.

• Baltic Birch Plywood – Stable, professional, grounded. Suggests seriousness and durability.

• Clear Acrylic – Transparency communicates lightness, or can suggest a focus on structure over mass.

• Resin 3D Prints – Crisp, precise, almost jewel-like. Communicate control and detail at fine scales.

• Solid Oak or Walnut – Rich, tactile, material weight. Evokes craft and permanence.

None of these are “neutral.” Each brings its own tone — and professors, jurors, or clients will pick up on it, consciously or not.

A Student Example

During my architecture studies, I designed an artist residence in Red Hook, Brooklyn and set out to build a quarter-inch scale model that could carry the full weight of the project. My goal wasn’t just representation — it was to make the model itself a narrative tool, telling the story of site, structure, and atmosphere through material choices.

• Baltic Birch Base – I built the base from Baltic birch plywood, chosen for its stability and grain. It anchored the piece with a sense of weight and permanence, grounding the project in the urban fabric.

• Resin Ocean with Water Effects – Since the residence faced the waterfront, I poured a resin “ocean” into the base. With subtle surface effects, it gave the model context and atmosphere — reminding viewers that this project lived on the edge of water.

• SLA-Printed Façade Panels – The residence’s envelope featured a lightweight façade system, which I captured with resin-printed panels. SLA printing preserved the fine mullions and light-catching details, making the skin feel architectural instead of abstract.

• FDM Structural and Enclosure Parts – For the larger pieces — framing, enclosures, core elements — I used FDM printing. Once assembled and spray-painted, these parts conveyed the building’s structure clearly while tying into the façade system.

The result was a layered, hybrid model: the plywood grounding the site, resin creating atmosphere, SLA façades telling the story of detail, and FDM parts expressing structure. At critique, the professors immediately read the hierarchy. Instead of seeing just form, they engaged with the project as a complete system — site, structure, and skin in dialogue.

That build was when it clicked for me: models don’t just represent design, they communicate it. Material choice is as much narrative as it is technical.

Material as Design Language

Choosing the right material is like editing a drawing. You don’t show every line; you emphasize the ones that matter.

• Want to emphasize structure? Use acrylic to reveal it.

• Want to emphasize form? Use opaque materials and focus on silhouette.

• Want to emphasize craft? Choose wood and let the grain speak.

In the end, the material you choose is part of the argument your model makes.

Looking Ahead

As fabrication tools expand, the palette of materials students and designers can access is growing — engineered woods, composites, bio-plastics, even concrete. Each brings new opportunities for storytelling.

At BDR DSG LAB, we see our role not just as fabricators, but as guides in this process: helping students, professors, and professionals choose the material that makes their model not just buildable, but meaningful.

👉 Need advice on which material best tells your project’s story? We’ll help you find the right balance of durability, clarity, and narrative power.