How to complete the Sectional Model Assignment for Advanced Architectural Design Development
Creating a sectional model that integrates skin, skeleton, void, and landform elements represents a major step in architectural education, especially when students move from abstract conceptual forms to more resolved architectural proposals. This assignment challenges students to rethink geometry, refine spatial relationships, and translate digital methodology into physical craftsmanship. The sectional model at 1:100 showcases both technical ability and architectural imagination, bringing together structure, landscape, volumetric interaction, fabrication techniques, and enclosure systems into one cohesive representation. Students who seek help with architectural design assignment often benefit greatly from understanding how each of these components contributes to a more comprehensive architectural outcome.
The assignment is designed to push students towards deeper architectural thinking by requiring a developed version of their earlier massing model. Through the introduction of a landscaped base, structural framework, core organization, façade design, an atrium, and a glazed roof structure, students learn to transform conceptual geometry into inhabitable architectural form.
Below, we present a detailed breakdown of the expectations and conceptual goals behind each component of the sectional model assignment. Understanding these elements can make it easier to do your Architecture assignment with greater clarity and confidence.
Landform Development within the Sectional Model Assignment
The development of landform for the sectional model serves as the foundational layer that frames the architecture. It not only provides a physical platform but also acts as a narrative device that grounds the building conceptually. A well-executed landform demonstrates how terrain, elevation, site manipulation, and architectural placement interact. Students are expected to design the landform in a way that enhances the sectional cut, reveals interior volumes, and supports the overall building form. This stage encourages exploration of topography, contour layering, and ground-plane transitions, helping students merge landscape thinking with building design.
Creating a Sculpted Base for the Model
The sectional model begins with a carefully developed landform measuring 25cm x 40cm, forming the platform upon which the architectural form sits. This base is typically constructed using plywood or MDF, providing the necessary stability for the rest of the model. Students are encouraged to treat the landform as more than a simple support; instead, it should be sculpted through techniques such as stacked cardboard, layered wood, faceted planar surfaces, or even CNC milling where available.
The base becomes a landscape condition that shapes how the building meets the ground. Whether the structure emerges from within carved terrain, rests flush with the ground plane, or appears elevated above a shaped topography, these decisions play an important role in defining architectural character. The minimum base thickness requirement ensures that the landform has sufficient depth to support carving and layering while maintaining the durability needed for handling.
Integrating Architectural Form with Landscape
The landform is not only physical but conceptual. It represents the site condition that influences circulation, entry, program distribution, and structural logic. Students must consider whether the ground floor aligns with the natural terrain or contrasts with it. This relationship affects how users perceive scale, approach sequences, and spatial hierarchy.
Through thoughtful landscape modelling, students can enhance the expression of the sectional cut. Terrain may reveal subsurface spaces, frame the atrium, or highlight structural systems. The landform also contributes to compositional balance, guiding the eye toward critical architectural components. The connection between building and landscape becomes a key feature of model narration and architectural clarity.
Structural Skeleton Requirements in the Sectional Model Assignment
The structural skeleton acts as the framework that holds the architectural idea together and expresses how loads are distributed across the height of the building. This part of the assignment requires students to consolidate earlier conceptual intentions while transitioning into a more technically grounded architectural form. By combining floor plates, a central core, and continuous columns, students demonstrate spatial logic, structural coherence, and vertical organization. The exposed sectional cut allows these internal systems to become visible, encouraging clarity in design decisions and assembly techniques that reflect real architectural construction principles.
Floor Plates and Central Core Organization
A strong structural framework is essential for this assignment. Students must model nine floor plates—no more and no fewer. This fixed number ensures consistency across all submissions and challenges students to refine vertical spacing and composition. Each floor plate should demonstrate deliberate alignment with the earlier conceptual geometry while converting massing into meaningful architectural levels.
In addition to floor plates, the model must incorporate a continuous vertical core. This central core symbolizes the organizational anchor of the building and could represent circulation shafts, mechanical risers, or a structural spine. It should extend through all levels, demonstrating continuity and coherence in both structure and spatial planning.
Continuous Structural Columns and Load Transfer
Columns are required to run continuously across all levels of the model, contributing to structural integrity and architectural rhythm. These columns may be vertical, angled, or organically curved, depending on the conceptual language of the building. Regardless of their form, they must express a clearly understood structural logic.
Where columns shift position or structural loads transition, students may incorporate transfer structures. Introducing such elements demonstrates an understanding of load distribution, adaptive geometry, and architectural problem-solving. Fabrication accuracy is essential, as continuous structure becomes a focal point within the sectional exposure. A coherent skeleton shows technical understanding, careful planning, and a thoughtful response to formal and spatial constraints.
Creating Void Space in the Sectional Model Assignment
The creation of void space plays a crucial role in shaping architectural character and spatial hierarchy within the sectional model. This void becomes a defining feature when viewed through the cut, highlighting volumes, relationships, and interactions between floors. Students are encouraged to treat the void not simply as an empty area but as an active design element that changes how light, structure, and internal circulation function. It should feel intentional, integrated, and complementary to the overall massing. The complexity of designing a void and resolving its structural intersections challenges students to combine creativity with architectural reasoning.
Defining the Void as a Major Architectural Space
The void is one of the most expressive elements in this assignment. It may be located centrally, along the perimeter, or dispersed through the volume, but it must significantly shape the interior experience. Importantly, the sectional cut should intersect the void, making it a prominent feature when the model is viewed from the cut face.
Creating a void is an opportunity to explore architectural phenomena such as light, transparency, spatial layering, and vertical connections. Students are encouraged to experiment with scale, openness, and geometry while ensuring that the void interacts meaningfully with surrounding spaces. Because the model showcases only half of the building due to the sectional cut, the void becomes an essential tool for revealing internal structure, program organization, and spatial hierarchy.
Spanning Elements and Structural Solutions Across the Void
Where the void reaches the external façade, the building envelope must be resolved through structural bridging. This requirement invites students to use beams, trusses, or a more complex spaceframe system to span across the opening. Such elements demonstrate technical sensitivity and the ability to solve façade-void intersections with architectural clarity.
These components can be produced through laser cutting or 3D printing, allowing for precise and expressive structural detailing. Students must ensure that spanning structures appear logical, integrated, and visually coherent when viewed from both the sectional cut and the exterior. This expectation elevates the model from a simple representation of form to a detailed architectural study of structural relationships.
Skin, Enclosure, and Atrium Development in the Sectional Model Assignment
The skin and enclosure system form the visual identity of the architectural model. For this assignment, students explore panelization, parametric control, and façade geometry to create an envelope that interacts with structure and spatial flow. The inclusion of an atrium and glazed roof further enriches the sectional expression by introducing transparency, contrast, and light penetration. The building’s enclosure must respond coherently to its voids, curves, and structural lines, making this component vital for demonstrating digital design proficiency and material sensitivity. Together, the skin and atrium elements elevate the architectural storytelling of the model.
Panelized Skin and Façade Strategy
The envelope of the building must be designed as a continuous skin composed of discrete enclosure panels. Using Grasshopper to generate at least two panel types encourages students to explore parametric logic and pattern variation. These panels should reflect modular consistency while adapting to curvature or volumetric complexity in the form.
The skin is a critical communication tool—it conveys architectural language, responds to structural rhythm, and interacts with the void. It may be perforated, patterned, or layered depending on conceptual intentions. Precision in panel fabrication enhances the model’s maturity and demonstrates proficiency in digital-to-physical translation.
Atrium, Roof Enclosure, and Glazed Cover
The design must include an atrium that becomes one of the central internal spaces of the model. Above this atrium, a glazed structure must be developed to cover the opening. This element enhances light penetration, reveals structural detailing, and adds a visually compelling layer to the sectional exposure.
Glazing components can be fabricated using thin acrylic, clear plastic sheets, or laser-cut frames. Students must ensure that the roof enclosure aligns with the overall envelope logic and works cohesively with adjacent panels and structure. The interaction between transparency, enclosure, and structural continuity forms an important part of the model’s architectural expression.
Submission Components and Presentation Requirements
The submission phase consolidates all design work into models, drawings, and computational scripts that demonstrate both process and final output. Students must carefully document their digital workflow, physical fabrication techniques, and conceptual development. Through drawings, models, and files, the submission communicates design intent clearly and professionally. This stage emphasizes organization, precision, and visual clarity, highlighting the student's ability to present their work in a format aligned with architectural standards. Each component must be prepared thoughtfully to reflect the thoroughness and craftsmanship expected in advanced architectural coursework.
Grasshopper File Expectations and Workflow Presentation
Students must submit all Grasshopper files used to generate their model geometries. These files should include internalized geometry, enabling instructors to run the scripts without external references. Efficient organization, logical parameter grouping, and reasonable loading times are essential indicators of strong computational workflow.
If multiple scripts contribute to the final model, students should prepare a clear workflow document that explains how these scripts connect, what each component generates, and how the overall digital process supports the final physical model. This reflects academic professionalism and reinforces computational understanding.
Models and Required Architectural Drawings
The submission includes both the original conceptual model at 1:500 scale and the final sectional model at 1:100 scale. Presenting both models demonstrates progression from abstract geometry to more resolved architecture.
Students must also produce five specific architectural drawings using designated templates:
- Precedent Axonometric Drawing
- Exploded Axonometric
- Simplified Grasshopper Algorithm Diagram
- Blob-to-Design Geometry Method Statement
- Flat Pattern Cut Sheet
These drawings should be printed according to the required sizes and formatted with attention to lineweights, labels, scale notation, and visual clarity. High-quality presentation reflects a student’s care, effort, and understanding of architectural communication standards.
Final Thoughts
The sectional model assignment brings together multiple aspects of architectural thinking—from site interpretation and structural logic to façade detailing and computational modelling. By combining conceptual refinement, digital methodology, and fabrication precision, students produce models that reflect both architectural ambition and technical capability.
Our team supports students at every stage, whether in parametric façade generation, digital workflow organization, void and structural development, or model fabrication strategy. If you would like assistance in preparing a polished, high-quality submission aligned with academic expectations, we are always here to help.