How are miniature houses built?
Ouroboros Arq has published several videos about the construction of a rather different type of miniature houses, and these clips from Bogota (Colombia) have gone viral. These 1:10 scale structures are similar to dollhouses and architectural models. But the main difference is that they aren’t prefabricated models – plastic and cardboard put together by following a manual. Its step-by-step construction uses “real” materials and techniques: from the foundational trenches to miniature bricks, formwork… Many of the tools used are also to scale, as are the concrete, custom-made windows, and doors.
What is the most viral video of miniature house construction?
You can watch the result in a fascinating 15-minute time-lapse video, primarily recorded using the stop-motion technique – one frame every few seconds – with some detailed scenes played at normal speed. The recreation is perfectly orchestrated to enjoy with the bricklaying.
Whoever sees it is strangely fascinated, perhaps because it is just as enchanting as the videos of industrial machinery at factories: seeing how order arises from raw materials little by little. This is also because it has the charm of artisanal work and infinite patience for building brick walls and adding frames, wooden beams, tiles, and cobblestones.
The people behind this project have a YouTube channel: Ouroboros Arq, where you can watch many more videos, as well as an Instagram account and a Facebook page where fans share messages. As is often the case with these things on the Internet, half of viewers express their amazement at and enjoyment of these images and videos… though the other half finds it to be little more than a waste of time.
Where can you buy materials to build miniature houses?
Recurring issues include questions about how to work with the building material and where to buy it. Apparently, there are several ways, but buying it in bulk on eBay or at modeling or toy stores is the best solution (50 to 100 bricks for about €10). On YouTube, you can also find the “most difficult ways of all:” methods to build the bricks by using molds, liquid silicone, petroleum, cardboard, and other materials. Another interesting formula for bricks is to use clay and a mini brick-making machine that spits them out, shaped and ready to trim and dry.
The video shows many traditional building tools that are also to scale, like trowels. Corrugated steel rods are also used to mark and support the structure. In the final phase, cobblestones arranged in different ways are used for flooring, along with traditional ceramic roof tiles that are conveniently waterproofed.
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