Buitenplaats Sparrendaal, Scaldis, 1:200 [FERTIG]

Model: Sparrendaal
Publisher: Scaldis Cardbord Modelclub
Scale: 1:200
Sheets: 6 +base
Instructions: Diagram (+brief annotation)

This model is dedicated to members of the administration of kartonbau.de responsible for running the 5. Kartonbau.de Wettbewerb - "Architektur". Thank you for acquiring and sending me this prize model.

This model is also dedicated to all members of the team responsible for running this Forum. Your dedication to providing a venue for good card modelling fun and fellowship is very much appreciated.

Sparrendaal

This stately house is dwarfed by the size of the printed footprint. The house will fit in the palm of your hand at 9 x 8cm, while the base measures 55 x 41cm. I would assume the vast area around the house is included to represent the extent of the estate grounds. When you look at the cover photo on the left through the gates, you think the house will be the principal part of the model. On the right, my glasses are much wider than the house. My interest in this model is already piqued.

Dieses Modell ist den Organisatoren bei kartonbau.de gewidmet, welche den 5. KBW "Architektur" organisiert haben. Vielen Dank für die Zusendung dieses Modellpreises.

Dieses Modell ist auch den Mitglieder des Teams gewidmet, welche für den Betrieb des Forums verantwortlich sind. Eure Hingabe bietet einen Platz für guten Kartonmodell-Spaß und ich schätze die Mitgliedschaft sehr.

Sparrendaal

Dieses herrschaftliche Haus ist zwergenhaft bezogen auf die Größe seines Grundrisses. Das Haus selbst paßt mit seinen 9 x 8cm auf eine Handfläche, während die Fundamentplatte 55 x 41 cm misst. Ich vermute mal, das große Areal um das Haus ist dargestellt, um die Ausdehnung des Grundbesitzes zu verdeutlichen. Links im Coverbild meint man beim Blick durch das Tor, dieses Haus wäre der Hauptteil des Modells. Auf dem rechten Bild sieht man jedoch, daß meine Brille schon breiter als das Haus ist. Mein Interesse an diesem Modell ist bereits geweckt.

Well Günter, I don't think I will be tending to that much real estate. I see a reduced version of this model concentrating on the buildings and the gate.

The first step of construction involves building up the cornice mouldings. Two layers of mouldings are applied. I have never been a real fan of tweezers. In the last photo you will see a moulding pierced with the sharp tip of a #11 x-acto knife. A mere touch of a part with a new blade will cause the part to adhere. The glued part can then be easily manipulated and lightly touched into place.

Thanks Jan.

There are quite a number of overlay parts on this model. Doors, windows, shutters, etc. are built up in two or three layers. For the really thin pieces such as the mouldings, the syringe really helps for glue application. However, it lays down a bead of glue which can 'squish' out when pressed down onto the receiving part. This is where a little glue brush really comes into its own. It evenly spreads the bead.

This model by Scaldis is very finely detailed. It reminds me of works published by Merino. The paper is of excellent weight and the fit of parts is superb.

The layers of moulding tend to bow the walls of the building inward. This can be seen in the first photo.

The walls therefore are reinforced, but the card can not extend up to the eaves. Flanges on the soffits extend down into the inside of the walls. They will prevent the roof from slipping down too far into the building. In the second photo this allowance is being drawn on the inside of the wall.

The third photo shows the main building closed with the cornices applied. The bump out will be at the back of the building.

In the fourth photo you can see the soffits sitting on top of the walls. They are unusual in that the top of the soffits are exposed.

The main roof went on very well. However, I don't know what I did wrong with the bump out section of the building at the back. There really wasn't much that could have gone wrong with it. But when the little hip roof section was dry fitted in place, it left quite a gap at the front edge of the wall.

In order to correct my error (?) one side of the bump out had to be shortened. That was a challenge since the wall was already glued in place.

With the correction made, you don't notice the shorter wall when looking down on the roof.

The main corners of the building are built out with a row of brick quions.
1. The Plan
2. The cover strip is being applied.
3. The Quoins
4. The building with 14 quoins attached to each corner.

Thank you Herbert and Iriera.
The dormers on this building interest me. It is the first time I have been able to apply a dormer constructed in three pieces. Usually it's one or two pieces. This time, the face of the dormer is applied last. And also this time, the roof angles are correct!

Hello Simon.
I ran your comments through the translator and if I get your drift, (the translation is not that great) you are commenting about the size of the base compared to the size of the house? Yes, it seems to be a very large piece of landscape. I plan to address this when the house is finished.

Thanks for showing the interest.

John

Yes Jan, translations can really lead to problems when there is a misinterpretation. I'm glad Simon gave me the heads-up on this one! However, I will thank you again for all the translaion you have done for me so graciously.

The word pique has two meanings - exactly opposite from each other! Forgive me if I slip into the teacher mode here. Here's a dictionary definition:
pique |pk|
noun
a feeling of irritation or resentment resulting from a slight, esp. to one's pride : he left in a fit of pique.
verb ( piques |pks|, piqued |pkt|, piquing |Èpki ng |)
1 [ trans. ] stimulate (interest or curiosity) : you have piqued my curiosity about the man.
2 ( be piqued) feel irritated or resentful : she was piqued by his curtness.
3 ( pique oneself) archaic pride oneself.
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.(denoting animosity between two or more people): from French piquer prick, irritate.

So you see, being irritated is a possible interpretation - but far from the intended one. Ouch!

I used the word as a verb which means to stimulate interest or curiosity. I must confess, I've never heard it used in the negative as its French origin denotes. (And I taught English in Elementary School!)

So to clarify, my curiosity and interest was greatly heightened (1 [trans.] )when I began this project. I could see possibilities for the model that did not include the use of the base at all. I still want to keep it as a surprise once the main house is built.

If you have been following the thread closely, you will see that Scaldis has employed many unique construction features not found on other small buildings.

The model continues with interest and pleasure.

Again, thanks Simon for bringing this to my attention.

John

P.S. Now I can hardly wait until the house is finished...so I can try something different with it.

Optional parts are provided with this Scaldis publication. The house walls are quite suitable without added layers of material. They are printed finished. However, the extra layers, although thin, really do add a nice touch. You wouldn't think that one or two layers of paper would make that much difference. They do. The light striking them at an angle, no matter how thin they are, creates shadow lines and add depth.

The front portico...

The chimney construction is an example of the optional parts provided.
I am very impressed with the way the first corner chimney went into place on the hip roof. It looks as plumb as if it were sitting on the ground. Its angle determination must have been tricky for the designer.

I am learning a lot by constructing this model.

Hello Simon,
Thank you very much for posting the lovely photograph of the estate. The evening shot of the illuminated building is outstanding. The lighting gives the house an elegant, stately presence.

What you see in this photograph Simon will be a hint to what I hope to achieve with this model.

Cheers...John

The four chimneys are now fastened to the roof. The cupola on the ridge of the roof has a vertical sundial on each of its four faces. You will notice that the gnomon (rod or style) is located at the bottom of the circle along the axis of the ridge and at the top of the circle facing toward the front and back of the building. Haven't taken the time to figure that one out yet ...

Edit: No, I was wrong. The gnomon is at the top on one side and at the bottom on the other side. Now that could be significant.

Hi Hajo,
Thank you! Much appreciated. The series of photos really give a good overview of the grounds as well as the buildings. This building sits on a very beautiful site. There is a stately calm about the place I would think.
Good of you to search out this website. It motivates the build.
Thanks again.
John

Sparrendaal has two beautiful outbuildings on the grounds. Hans-Joachim Zimmer has provided a website above for Sparrendaal at: http://www.kasteleninutrecht.nl/Sparrendaal.htm

Navigate to Foto3: Foto van toegangshek and Foto 4: Foto van de dienstwoning to see them.

I am only guessing here, but I would imagine one as being the stable building and the other as the coach house. I know that at that time, as much care was taken with their architecture and furnishings as the main house. From the photos, it looks as though they may have been converted to residences.

The lovely hunger green shutters on these two outbuildings are an option.

The buildings look very similar. However, close inspection of the windows at the back will tell the tale.

Hello Gert!
So good to hear from you!

I still recall your kindness when you placed the Liszt tracks played at "the Bavo" on the construction build when I was working on the cathedral.

And here you kindly offer to take a run around the corner to get a few shots of Sparrendaal. Thank you Gert. Living in Canada, these places are so far away from me that they are dreamstuff. It means a great deal to me to have this connection.

Gert, if you are in the area...

It is the little architectural details that really interest me. For me, it's all in the details. So, a shot of a coach lamp beside the front door..., the metal scrollwork of the balcony over the front door... a shot up at one of the lovely ornamental dormers... or a forged hinge on a stable door... all these little things would focus my camera.

Greetings from Canada,
John

I have never enjoyed installing dormers as much as I have on these roofs. They are beautifully designed. A Dutch dormer traditionally has a horizontal roof, either flat or sloping, and vertical side walls. These dormers have ornamental side boards on each side of the window.

The windows in the dormers are double hung. The upper mullioned window is fixed in the sash with the lower one being operable. Notice the three windows ganged together in the centre dormer.

Well said Simon.

The outbuildings are assembled.

Thanks for the link Helmut.

Sparrendaal is nearing completion. At this time I would like to share an emotional experience I have had with this build.

An art lesson I taught at Halloween in Grade Six and Seven, was called "The Haunted House". The medium for the lesson was charcoal. It's black, dark texture appealed to the children. For many of them, the charcoal stick was a new and exciting material for them. The sketching lesson involved an understanding of proportion and how to create depth perception.

An estate or mansion was first drawn in the background. Then trees were added in front of the house. To really add depth perception, an iron gate was placed in the foreground. The lesson was easy to teach because the children could focus on one layer at at time. One week was spent on the house, then the trees and so on.

The pictures were framed in black and displayed.

Imagine what was going through my mind when I opened the overseas packet from Jan Müller. There was the house and the gate - the exact mind's eye creation I had drawn on my classroom blackboard for over twenty-five years!

So now the fun can begin photographing the mansion through the gates and around the grounds. A lot of memories will be flooding back to that art lesson.
John

Here are the gates...

... in place.