Architects often praise the qualities of the model, mainly because it comes so close to reality. It is a much-loved tool for both designing and presenting architecture. The model can sometimes fulfil a different function as well. A few recent experiments demonstrate how the model can both represent a project and be a project in its own right.

During our architecture course a few years ago, on a cold December day, a man slipped into our classroom to warm up for a moment. He watched our small group huddled around a table in the studio for a while. During an urban planning exercise, we were taking turns moving small blue foam cubes on a large scale model of the Brussels Canal Zone. We were debating possible locations for a housing development.