Announcing AiM: The Architects Index of Modelmaking Exhibition Launch, Venice, May-November 2025

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We’re very pleased to announce both our long-term index project and, to mark the occasion, an exhibition on its themes that will take place from May 10th – November 23rd at the European Cultural Centre throughout the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale.

What is AiM?

A global platform for architects, students & modelmakers. Celebrating process, experimentation and the craft of making in professional architectural practice.

The AiM Manifesto

  • Process over perfection
  • Show how its made
  • Learn by making
  • Celebrate the importance of the unknowns discovered through physical creativity
  • Shine a light on the often-overlooked value of making in architectural practice
  • Collaborate, connect and grow

Why AiM?

In a digital world, physical models exist merely as an object on screen. An image, video or digital copy. This overlooks an irreplaceable connection between the maker and the object and, the intrigue that follows for others. The experience of making can tell deeper, practical and questioning stories, reveal ideas and spark innovation.

We’re building a space that honours that craft.

Our Ambition

To build an open evolving index of global architectural modelmaking practice & professional practices. A living archive for experimentation, learning and leadership. A platform for students, Architects and Practicing Studios to see how and where they can make in practice.

All are welcome!

Join the index!

We’re looking for Architectural practitioners and offices. Share your models, Showcase your process. Join the conversation.

E-mail aim@the-aim.co.uk to get in touch and be added to our mailing list for updates. In the near future we will launch the full index site with links to complete our survey and allow the index contents to grow as more companies get on board. Follow us on Instagram @aimodelmaking for other updates.

The Exhibition

The AiM exhibition taking place at the European Cultural Centre’s Palazzo Bembo during the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 will present a sample of the index through practice contributors. The work of 15 practices and professionals will be shown alongside video content at the ECC’s Time Space Existence exhibition.

The exhibition is free to attend and opens 6 Days a week (Closed Tuesdays) and runs from May 10th-November 23rd 2025.

The Event

We’ll be hosting a panel event over the weekend of 28/29th June at Biennale sessions and the ECC. MSA students will be able to join and secure free 3-day passes to access all Biennale sites.

More on this and how students can sign up to be announced very soon.

We look forward to building this resource up over the coming years with your help.

Thanks for everyone who has supported our efforts thus far. We hope to hear from you and see you in Venice in late June.

Scott & Team

Easter Break and Late opening hours 2025

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Hi All, Hope you’re well!

A quick update about upcoming opening times:

Easter Break

B.15 will remain open as normal for the first and third week of the break. Specific dates as follows:

Monday 14th April – Thursday 17th April Open as normal

Friday 18th April Closed for Bank Holiday

Monday 21st April – Friday 25th April Closed

Monday 28th April – Friday 2nd May Open as normal

Monday 5th May – Closed for Bank Holiday

Tuesday 6th May onwards, Open as normal

Late opening

There will be a period of later opening hours where we’ll be open for an additional 3 hours at the end of the day. These dates will be:

Tuesday 29th April, Wednesday 30th April & Thursday 1st May

Tuesday 6th, Wednesday 7th & Thursday 8th May

Tuesday 13th, Wednesday 14th & Thursday 15th May

You must sign up to attend these additional hours. The building will be locked from 18.00 each day so you must be in by then.

IMPORTANT – YOU MUST SIGN UP TO ATTEND! 

Please sign up via the link on the Moodle MSA Student Announcements page (This will be sent soon) if you wish to attend and remember to remove your name if you no longer wish to attend as soon as you make that decision so others can use the space.

See you soon! B.15 team

MAKING in PRACTICE – Cassidy Wingrove, FCBS Guest Lecture Video

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Last but not least in out MAKING in PRACTICE guest lecture series is Cassidy Wingrove, Associate Modelmaker at Feilden Clegg Bradley Studio’s Bath office.

It was great to hear Cassidys story of how he became a professional Architectural Modelmaker and through a number of case studies, see how FCBS architects make use of models at multiple stages throughout any given project. The video Cassidy made reference to in his lecture can be viewed here.

Thank you to Cassidy, our previous speakers and too all who have attended and supported this series over the last few months.

Hope to see you all again soon

– B.15 Team

Catch up on all the previous lectures from this series here:

Ecaterina Stefanescu  /  Stanton Williams  /  Roger Stephenson OBE

MAKING in PRACTICE – Roger Stephenson OBE Guest Lecture Video

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Our Making in Practice lecture series continued on Monday 10th February with Professor Roger Stephenson OBE, founding partner of Stephenson Hamilton Risley Studio.

Roger kindly brought along two car loads of models to present some of his best known projects and tell stories of their role in the design process. Huge thanks to Roger and to Anna Gidman for assisting with this model delivery. Some great questions and participation from the crowd – thanks for coming along!

Catch up on the previous lectures from Ecaterina Stefanescu here and Stanton Williams here.

MAKING in PRACTICE – StantonWilliams – Stephen Setford & Maz Weineck Guest Lecture Video

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Continuing our Making in Practice lecture series on Monday 27th January we were joined by Stanton Williams Modelmakers Stephen Setford & Maz Weineck presented a wide range of past and present projects and insights into their process. We’re pleased to share the full presentation below which was recorded via zoom.

Thanks to Stephen and Maz for their time and excellent contribution and to Dr. Matthew Wells for his assistance in coordinating our speakers. The full presentation from Stephen and Maz can be watched here:

We hope to see you all again at the next one; Roger Stephenson OBE, Founding Partner of Stephenson Hamilton Risley Studios who will be joining up on Monday 10th February at 17.30 in the Hanson Room of HBS.

Catch up on the previous lecture from Ecaterina Stefanescu here. 

MAKING in PRACTICE – Ecaterina Stefanescu Guest Lecture Video

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In the first of our Making in Practice lecture series we were joined Ecaterina Stefanescu who presented her varied community project work and use of models throughout. We’re pleased to share with you her full presentation (almost! We had an audio issue at the start!) which was recorded via zoom.

Thanks to Ecaterina for her time and contribution and to Dr. Matthew Wells for his assistance in coordinating our speakers. We hope to see you all again at the next one; Stephen Setford & Maz Weineck of StantonWilliams who join us on Monday January 27th 2025.

Enjoy!

B.15 Winter Break Closure Dates 24/25

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Hi All,
B.15 will be closed for the winter break from Friday December 13th.
Following the break we will reopen to students Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th January, Closed Friday 10th. 
Normal opening resumes from 09.30 Monday 13th January.
Have a good break and we’ll see you on the other side!
Scott, Lara, Paulina, Teagan and Ken @ B.15

MAKING in PRACTICE – Guest lecture series

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Following on from the themes presented and discussed at MAKING SCALE last year we’re pleased to announce a series of guest lectures on the subject of Modelmaking in practice.

‘MAKING in PRACTICE’ will feature four guest speakers from four varied UK Architecture practices.

Each lecture will begin at 17.30 and take place in the Humanities Bridgeford Street Building where we are based. The lectures are free to attend and open to anyone interested in joining, students, practitioners or public.

Monday 18th November 2024, Room G33                                                                      Ecaterina Stefenescu – Founding Partner of Estudio ESSE and Lecturer at UCLAN Recording now available here

Monday 27th January 2025, Room G33                                                                      Stephen Setford & Maz Weineck – Associate/Modelmakers at Stanton Williams

Monday 10th February 2025, Hanson Room                                                                  Roger Stephenson OBE – Founding partner of Stephenson Hamilton Risley Studio

Monday 24th February 2025, Room G33                                                                          Cassidy Wingrove – Associate/Modelmaker at Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios

We hope to see you there!

New 3D printer: Fuse+30W SLS powder printer

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We’re pleased to announce that after a successful bidding process last academic year we now have an exciting new type 3D Printer that uses selective laser sintering or SLS printing technology: The Fuse+ 30W.  

This type of 3D printing is a leading additive manufacturing technology that uses a high-powered laser to fuse small particles of powdered material together. The resulting fused powder forms your 3d print whilst the surrounding unfused powder is recycled back into the system. This circulation process is managed by the Fuse Sift station where excess powder is mixed with new before being added back into the printer as part of its own ecosystem. 

Our machine will exclusively use a grey powdered material called ‘Nylon 12’ which is known for its strength and durability, making it suitable for various applications in your model making projects.

The printable build area is 155mm(L) x 155mm(W) x 300mm(H).  

The process of creating SLS 3D parts first involves creating a suitable STL digital file that you will need to discuss with a member of B.15 staff. If accepted, your job will be priced up and added to the queue. Once your print has completed, the process requires a cool down period of around 6 hours before we can manually post-process it by removing all of the unfused powder.

Post-Processing – Cleaning excess powder from prints.

Depending on your design, you may have to contribute to this process. If this is the case or you would like to learn how it’s done, then we will provide instruction on how to do it.  

With this type of technology, it is more efficient and sustainable to group files together and because of this we will be trialling a workflow by running the machine once a week. This will initially be on a Thursday to run overnight and be ready to postprocess from Friday. If demand increases this will be extended to also include another day earlier in the week. Files need to be approved for this process no later than 1pm on Thursdays to have a chance of going on later that day. Post processing can be completed from Friday. 

Should you wish to find out more about this printer or about how it might be used as part of your project, drop in and speak to a member of B15 staff and we’ll happily discuss your project requirements.  

See you soon – Lara