Thing at work making a rapid prototype / additive layer manufactured model
“Thing, Thing…what is that Thing?”- Dr. Seuss
We’d like to introduce one of our latest design tools: Meet “Thing”, a desktop 3D printer from Makerbot, that lets us take our designs from the virtual realm of the computer screen and into the real world. We’ve been using Thing for a few months now. It’s a great tool for generating and exploring design options: we can mock-up building massing, look at roof line concepts, or study window and door sizes + locations- at a faster pace than making paper or wood models by hand.
Even better, our Thing models have been great for our clients! The physical models really help them engage in the project and understand the options in three dimensions, as opposed to line drawings or rendered images on paper. They models have really dialed up our clients’ enthusiasm and their confidence in making decisions.
We’ve just started scratching the surface of this amazing technology and its potential for helping visualize and execute our designs.