Architectural Models at the Boundary of the Architectural Profession: Alex Selenitsch and the Making and Remaking of the Australian Suburban House Type

One way to treat the broad range of types and examples of the architectural model is to classify its manifestations in terms of their use in relation to the architectural profession, in which they sit inside, or outside: a model is inside the profession if it contributes towards the realisation of an architectural project. Identifying a model within this framework adds to an understanding of the model’s purpose, technique, and audience, among other aspects, and stresses the well-established protocols that govern models in the profession. This paper analyses, in particular, Alex Selenitsch’s models for two projects that are at the profession’s boundary, and finds that their exceptional location is primarily informed by their purpose as architectural critique. This analysis has implications, for architecture and its discourse, because these models expand the role of the modelmaker as critic and, consequently, the roles of models in the profession