A maquete: a história da sua aplicabilidade

Abstract

What is a maquette? What is it used for? How is it produced? What does its evolution indicate about the future of three-dimensionality? What is tangibility useful for? This dissertation seeks to analyse and reflect on these and many other questions about the maquette and its history, both in architecture and in any other discipline that depends on three-dimensional creativity for a given project. Following a chronological timeline of the maquette, from the techniques of Neolithic culture to the current and growing fascination with the digital world, its evolution is transmitted through a journey of the various types and forms of model-making, with the aim of establishing a hypothesis about its future. Based on theoretical references and the experience acquired over the course of five years at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto, FAUP, this study presents conclusions that are not only based on theory, but also strongly associated with personal three-dimensional practice. Thus, it is through a more direct and human contact with any reader in any circumstance that it is intended to provide a relevant contribution to the academic and practical debate on the importance of the maquette, particularly in the context of the design process and in stimulating organisation as the central element for effectiveness and efficiency.