Preserving 3D printed architectural models - the heritage and conservation of architectural design process

Architectural models are an important part of architectural practice and culture, recording and communicating design process. Evidence of historic architectural models such as that held by the Thorp Modelmaking Archive and the internal archives of architectural practices such as Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), Foster + Partners, Make, and others provide valuable insights into the practices and processes that enable the development and communication of design concepts1. These models provide a tangible record of the social, political and technological concepts that have shaped the built environment, and the craftsmanship and creativity of the architectural modelmakers who make them2.
With the adoption of digital technology from the 1990s onwards, the tools and processes involved in creating architectural models rapidly developed3, with models made during the design process today heavily using 3D printing (3DP)4. As architectural models are increasingly archived these soon-to-be historic 3DP artefacts create new challenges for conservators.
This paper investigates the growing challenge of caring for culturally significant 3DP architectural models made by Zaha Hadid Architects, now in the collection of the Zaha Hadid Foundation (ZHF).