3D Printable Large UK House Collection Features 18th Century Architectural Details

Thingiverse is filled with all kinds of amazing 3D printable models. For example, if you are a British history or architecture buff, you’ll appreciate the Large UK  House Collection from Will Faulkner, who goes by user name EarlPrinter. So far the collection features Heveningham Hall, built in 1778, and Wentworth Woodhouse, begun in 1723. Both models show accurate detail based on the current structures, and Faulkner also contributes interesting historical facts about the homes’ histories to further entice you into his world of old British homes.

An avid fan of large country homes, 20-year-old law student and 3D model designer Faulkner had the opportunity to visit the first home he modeled and printed, Wentworth Woodhouse, several times. The house is located outside Rotherham, UK, and the east and west wings were built during different time periods for British architecture — resulting in “two homes” in one. The west wing followed the Baroque period style popular when it was first being built in 1723. The east wing, however, was built in the newer Palladian style popular in 1734. This model is the eastern Palladian front only.

In an email to 3DPrint.com, Faulkner explained his design process for this model, which took three days to create using ProDesktop:

“For the model to be a decent size with a large amount of detail it would have to been made in a number of parts. Luckily Wentworth Woodhouse lends itself to being split up into three sections (south wing, centre and north wing)…To ensure that the model was accurate I used a floor plan of the house to take measurements from and many photos of the house to place windows and columns etc. My initial plan was to model the whole of the house, however, this would have taken substantially more time and the rear of the house is less well documented so it would be less detailed.”

Faulkner also explains that Wentworth Woodhouse’s “columns and the section of roof that juts out over the columns” were the most difficult to print. He plans to finish the rest of the house in late 2015 or early 2016. Currently, the real Wentworth Woodhouse is on the market for £8 million, supposedly needing over £50 million worth of repairs (!)

The next house, Heveningham Hall, was built by Sir Robert Taylor in 1778 in Suffolk, England. This home, which is an excellent model of late-style English Palladianism, is one of the largest in the country, and it is surrounded by well-groomed British countryside. Faulkner reported to 3DPrint.com that he has not had the opportunity to visit this home yet, but it appears his creativity and imagination serves his purpose well for this home’s model design.

“Heveningham Hall was easier in the sense that I could keep it as a one-piece model but was harder as the house is less documented,” Faulkner told us. “Luckily I managed to find a floor plan on the internet meaning my model is very accurate. All of the lessons I learnt from printing Wentworth Woodhouse helped me no-end with the design and printing of Heveningham Hall meaning the model was designed and finished in roughly one and a half days.”

Faulkner also exclusively notified 3DPrint.com that his next project in the collection will be Rochester Castle — “This is a slight departure from Wentworth and Heveningham as it is not a house as such,” he tells us, “but still a very impressive building.”

Faulkner has only recently started using 3D printing. He explains:

“I have a Turnigy Fabrikator from Hobbyking which, in my opinion, works incredibly well and gave me a good understanding of how 3D printing and printers work. I managed to learn quickly. I learned how to do CAD at school but never used CAD out of school as I never had a need for it. As soon as I got a 3D printer though, I thought it would be a good idea to get back in the swing of using CAD. After refreshing my abilities with some random shapes and designs that I never bothered to print I set about designing these large houses.”

Although young and new to 3D printing, Faulkner has already made quite a splash with his Large UK House Collection, and we look forward to seeing his future designs on Thingiverse — and maybe printed too!

As for what’s next, he tells us:

” I have finished the designing of Rochester and so I am now about to start designing something else. I am looking for more of a challenge but still a large country house. I think Ickworth House will give me a challenge as it is made up of a large dome and some curved corridors which is going to make modelling it in CAD slightly more difficult.”

Be sure to discuss this story in the 3D Printed UK House Forum thread on 3DPB.com.