archetype3d.com

Wow, my Hawthorne tree out front has a few yellow leaves on it. It is getting close to the time to watch the Elk bugling and rutting in Rocky Mountain National Park. The local stores have isles of costumes and scary decorations. It must be fall and time to start marketing to the passionate skiing community. I am amazed at the fervor and dedication some people express about skiing.

The first year I came to Colorado I hiked up to St Mary’s Glacier in the middle of July. I was shocked to see hikers, carrying skis, coming down the trail. When I got to the glacier in 80 degree weather, I watched people herringbone up the snow for half an hour in order to experience about 30 seconds of heart jumping skiing.

Passionate skiers going to winter resorts are still going to want to see marketing models this year. I recommend that 3D model requests get sent in as early as possible. I look forward to hearing from our stalwart clients and I am excited about the possibility of attracting some new resort communities to our architectural scale models.

Any resort developers and sales people please comment and let me know how the season is shaping up. There is good news in some sectors and it would be great to hear if you are seeing some heated up activity on the horizon.

Also, if you have any fun ski related stories to share, either contact us or use the comment section at the bottom of this post!  We’d love to trade stories with you.

Below are just a few samples of 3D models we have created for ski resort developers:

Sell the sizzle not the steak. Our 3d modeling work is realistic in its presentation, because we have talked to the developer’s sales staff to find out what attracts their audience. When looking for a property a family will first key in on value and location. After that the amenities kick in. Pools, hot tubs, landscaping, paver patterns, it all matters to a perspective client.

But if you are selling a lot of real estate without a building, one of  the big draws is golf. I suspect the best place to live is near the water hazard. You have the pleasure of watching migratory birds, seeing fish jump and laughing at your neighbors who shank their drives when you hear that satisfying plop. Many of the master plan 3D models we build include a golf course with very precise locations of fairways, greens and traps.

Even after the sale, these 3D models are used to help tell the clubhouse stories and describe the best days on the links.

Below are some of Archetype 3D’s architectural scale models of golf courses we have created for our clients.  If you’d like to see others, just let us know:

Craig Martin - President

Now is the time to get a deal on a 3d model!

Is your project the one that can use this opportunity?

Banks are still reluctant to provide financing.  Developers are waiting out this current crisis. All over the country model making is slowing down, even for us. We have chosen to help our clients, by coming up with dramatically reduced pricing for their architectural scale model projects.

Once the market and money begin to flow again, there will be a backlog of projects ready for marketing 3d models.  Established model shops will be overwhelmed with projects that need good marketing materials. There may be fewer reliable shops available and with demand, prices for 3d models will invariably rise.

For the few people that have the money and commitment now, your marketing model could be in place before the rush at a much reduced cost to you. Your project could be placed in your office, enticing investors, bankers and the general public to join your vision right now.

I am working hard to accommodate tight budgets for the projects we have going on right now and I will continue to work with my clients in order to help you with your projects, as well as keep my talented craftsmen busy and keep Archetype 3D productive throughout these difficult times.

Are your plans ready?

Are you committed to your project?

Do you have some marketing capital?

Call and let us help you beat the development rush!  And, enjoy substantial price reductions, too.

I recently posted photos of a 3D scoreboard model we created. Well, my client James Keppel of 33 Thousand Feet has just provided me with photos of the real thing. It’s an impressive structure and the dominant feature of the arena. It is also a reminder that model making isn’t just for fun. We help designers, engineers and developers create and sell actual projects.

The real scoreboard is located at the HP Pavillion at San Jose – home of the San Jose Sharks.

Who out there had a tree house as a child?  Raise your hands!  I know I sure did.  My dad built one for me that I am sure is still standing today, some 20 years later.  It was amazing: built- in ladder, trap door,  screened- in windows all the way around, vaulted ceiling, the list goes on.  It was just what a boy needed to feel like the master of his domain.  My friends and I even had camp-outs in it during the summer (although I remember running inside in the middle of the night more than once, scared someone was going to get me!).  I Just read this article on treehugger.com about tree houses and it brought back a flood of memories and desires to live like the Swiss Family Robinson for the rest of my life.  Treehugger has a slideshow titled 8 Tree Houses Fit for Treehuggers that you should check out.  These are amazing homes and getaways that, I’m sure, would do us all some good!

Archetype 3D did a 3D model for the Children’s Botanical Garden in Kansas recently, designed by EDAW, Inc. (www.edaw.com).  It was such a fun project that really turned out well!  It’s great to know that designers are still staying in touch with the child inside and are designing around the beautiful environment we live in!  – Howard Williams, Director Sales/Marketing

Check out some pictures of our model:

[View with PicLens]

Craig Martin – President – Archetype 3D

Most detailed architectural projects take four to six weeks to construct. More complicated model can take a bit longer. Then came the day that I got a call from a very good client requesting we build a model of their lodge for the opening of their sales office in two weeks. The timing worked out very well as the other projects we had been working in the shop did not have immediate deadlines. The client also had their act together with a full set of plans. Experience has taught me that no matter how complete the plans, there are always surprises on these complicated buildings. So I requested a charrette (a collaborative session in which a group of designers drafts a solution to a problem) for the next day. We had the architects, landscape architects, color designer, and developers all come to our shop for a one day decision making session. The rule was that all choices must be made that day with no changes allowed later. It was an intense meeting with some great collaboration. We created color and material samples on the spot and had them approved. All the plans were gone over and accepted. Only because we all had the same goal and were willing to support each other, exactly two weeks later we delivered the “Cirque” to the sales office at Copper Mountain Colorado. Now that was intense.

East West Partners Denver model. Built by Archetype 3D

In 2006 the Denver Business Journal wrote an article titled “Image Makers – small models fuel big real estate dreams.” The article talks about how important 3D architectural physical models have become to developers and architects as a way to get their ideas across to the general public.

I believer that now more than ever models are a great, and necessary, sales tool for these developments. As the public becomes more and more concerned with investing and putting up their hard earned money it is important to show those potential investors what they can expect. A well built 3d model that really showcases what the public will be buying can ease some of the initial concerns regarding style, quality and location.

In this environment a sales professional needs all the tools he can get to connect with his customer. Are the upfront costs worth the effort?  Ask the developers who use our models consistently to understand the remarkable value that 3D models bring to a project. Please visit the Denver Business Journal article written by Michael Perrault at: http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2006/05/08/story5.html.

-Howard Williams, Director Sales/Marketing