Models
An architect usually makes a model. This is a smaller copy of the larger-scale piece. The material might not be the same. Most architecture models are made in card or thin wood.
A model has to be exact and the proportions correct.
Click through the slideshow for examples of architectural models:
Image caption, A model of a football stadium
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Many models are now generated on a computer. These are called Creating an idea in a visual format. They can be viewed from many angles and from inside the structure.