When the land is part of the story
At The Amble in Steamboat Springs, the slope around the buildings is central to the development, so the terrain had to read as clearly as the architecture. The Powder Mountain brief called for ski runs, roads, parking, homes, lodges and lot lines across a mountainside. When buyers, boards or planners need to understand how a project sits on its land, a topographic model is often the clearest way to show it.
Topography model or site model?
A site model shows how a building fits its surroundings, with the building leading. A topography model puts the land first. Most projects fall in between, with terrain, roads and buildings in one view. We'll help you decide which should lead.
Choosing the area and the scale
The same land looks very different at different scales. Daybreak covers a development phase at 1 inch = 167 feet, so lots, roads and paths are all visible. The Amble is 1 inch = 36 feet, so slopes and buildings read up close. For Exercise Northern Strike, the Michigan National Guard used two 8 × 8 foot models, a regional view and a close view of Camp Grayling, rather than forcing both onto one model.
Making hills readable
Over a large area, real hills can look flat at model scale, so some models exaggerate the vertical scale. The Petit Jean State Park model raises relief 1.5 times; the St. Charles Heritage Museum model raises it three times. We'll recommend whether exaggeration suits your subject, and how much.
What we need to begin
A survey, elevation data or site drawings. For City Park Golf Course, we worked from drone elevation data, satellite imagery and course information. For Mount St. Helens, we built a 3D file from elevation data and cut the terrain on a CNC machine. Not sure what exists for your site? Tell us about the place and we'll help find it.
Finish, display and travel
The finish decides what people notice. A grayscale surface keeps attention on landforms; a spring landscape gives a development a sense of place, as at Marcella Club; small trees on the slopes did the same for the Salida model. Large models can be built in sections, as Powder Mountain was, and a display table can be designed with the model, as at Big Sky and Daybreak. Golf course models apply the same ideas to a course and its terrain.
What it costs
Each project receives a fixed-cost proposal after we understand its scope. Cost factors include model size and scale, terrain complexity, landscaping, water features, buildings and course detail. We also account for the schedule, shipping and installation where applicable. See what a custom scale model costs.
Common questions
What is a topographic model?
A physical model of the land, its slopes, valleys and water, usually with roads, buildings or other features placed on top.
What's the difference between a topographic model and a site model?
A site model leads with a building and its surroundings; a topographic model leads with the land. Many models combine both.
What is vertical exaggeration?
Raising the height of the terrain relative to its horizontal scale, typically 1.5 to 3 times, so hills that would look flat at model scale are easy to read.
What data do you need to build a terrain model?
A survey, elevation data or site drawings. Drone elevation data and satellite imagery also work well.
Planning the terrain itself? Our guides explain horizontal scale and vertical exaggeration and the elevation data and source information to prepare.