Models appear to be an invention of the modern world. Especially when we talk about interactive models and technologies such as laser cutting or 3D renders. But models are as old as architecture itself. As far back as Ancient Egypt they were making miniatures of buildings. And they were improved by the Greeks, who included them in architectural work. Would you like to know more about the origin of models? Then read on.
The first models in recorded history had nothing to do with architecture. They were a funeral symbol. In the Ancient Egyptian culture (3000 B.C.), they built small houses that copied the structure of the home of the deceased (“Soul Houses”). The Greeks were responsible for giving models their current use. Above all, they used them to explain how the buildings of that period were going to be built. New architectural projects came with a model, to be used as a guide during construction. They even made standard models, which could be used for several construction projects, since the temples and palaces all followed the same construction line.