Most of what I share on this website is photography but my interest has at times gone beyond making photographs. I am equally drawn to the buildings, their architectural details, their history, and the challenge of interpreting them in different forms.
I have made framed architectural miniatures before for my wife’s Craftylocks page, but this one felt more personal. Aitchison was my school, and the ‘Old Building’ remains one of its most recognisable and memorable structures. It therefore seemed like a natural subject for the first miniature I would share here on fabpx.com
The building was modelled using various 3d modelling software based on photographs gathered from different angles. Since no proper architectural drawings were available to me, reconstructing its proportions and less visible details required a fair amount of interpretation so accuracy of details is not there. Reference photographs rarely show every side clearly, and details that appear straightforward from the front can become much more difficult to understand when translated into a complete three dimensional model.
The miniature was printed in house using Marble PLA on a Bambulab 3d printer. I chose the material because its slightly textured appearance works well with architectural forms and gives the model a softer, stone like character rather than the appearance of a conventional plastic print.
The miniature is placed against a pen and ink backdrop that I designed to resemble a period architectural illustration. The outer frame was made by a local framer, while I designed and printed the internal attachment required to position the miniature securely at the correct depth. Much of the work is hidden once the frame is assembled, but getting the spacing, alignment, and attachment right was essential to making the finished piece feel complete.
This short video shows the frame, packaging, and the experience of opening the finished piece.
The first batch will be available soon in limited quantities while I work out how best to scale the production process. Send me a message on WhatsApp or DM me on Instagram to reserve one.