---
title: How Architectural Models Are Made — Our 6-Step Process
url: https://www.shsztmodel.com/process/
description: From drawings to installed model: brief, 3D modelling, 3D printing and CNC, colour and assembly, landscape and lighting, inspection, crating and worldwide shipping.
updated: 2026-11-06
---

Process
# How an architectural model is *made*

Six stages, twelve departments, one 3D master file. Here is exactly what happens between your drawings and the opening of your gallery.

An architectural model is made in six stages: brief and quotation; production 3D modelling; 3D printing, CNC engraving, laser cutting and UV printing; colour finishing and assembly; landscape, lighting and motion; and finally inspection, crating, shipping and on-site installation.

- 01

## Brief & quotation

Send drawings (CAD, Revit, SketchUp, PDF) and your target scale, size and deadline. A project manager replies within 24 hours with questions, a recommended scale and a quotation.
- 02

## 3D modelling & design

Our architectural and landscape design departments rebuild the project as a production-ready 3D master file. You approve the model build-up, colour samples and lighting plan before production.
- 03

## Printing & machining

Facades and complex forms are 3D-printed; structural parts are CNC-engraved and laser-cut; site bases are UV-printed. Departments work in parallel from the same master file.
- 04

## Colour & assembly

Senior colourists finish every surface to the approved samples. The carpentry and architecture teams assemble buildings onto the base.
- 05

## Landscape, lighting & motion

In-house foliage, water and terrain are added. The lighting and mechanics departments install LED zones, control systems and any moving parts.
- 06

## QA, crating & installation

Every model passes a multi-department inspection, then is packed in custom foam-lined wooden crates. We ship by air or sea and can send technicians to assemble on site.

Inside each stage
## The *departments* behind a model

Architectural design · landscape design · 3D modelling · 3D printing · CNC engraving · laser cutting · UV printing · colour · building fabrication · landscape workshop · lighting & mechanics · logistics & after-sales.

Architectural design department3D printing labCNC engraving workshopLaser cutting

Illustration · packing a model section
Shipping & installation
## Built to *travel*

Section joints are planned during 3D modelling, along roads and rivers where they disappear. [Read the shipping guide](https://www.shsztmodel.com/insights/shipping-architectural-models-internationally/)

### How long does it take to make an architectural model?

It depends on size, scale, detail, lighting and motion, so every quotation comes with a dated production schedule. Because our departments work in parallel from one 3D master file, and our 100+ core technical staff are permanent employees, we can commit to fixed delivery dates — tell us your launch date in the brief.
### Do you ship architectural models internationally?

Yes. We have delivered models to 22 countries across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Australia and the Americas. Models are packed in custom wooden crates with foam lining, shipped door-to-door by air or sea freight, and our technicians can travel to assemble and commission the model on site.
### What files do you need to start a model?

CAD plans and elevations (DWG), a 3D model if available (Revit, Rhino, SketchUp, 3ds Max or IFC), the landscape plan, and material or colour references. PDFs and renderings are enough to prepare a quotation; production needs the source drawings.
### Do you provide after-sales service?

Yes. A nine-person after-sales team stationed in several cities handles maintenance, lighting repairs and relocation of delivered models. For overseas projects we provide spare parts, remote support and, when needed, on-site visits.

Start a project
## Have drawings?
Get a quote in *24 hours*.

Send plans, a 3D model or just a rendering. A project manager replies within one working day with a recommended scale, an itemised quotation and a dated schedule.
[Request a quote](https://www.shsztmodel.com/contact/)[WhatsApp David Wang](https://wa.me/8613588680098)