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Bring your designs to life with high-quality models, delivered in as little as 24 hours, trusted by leading Australian architects.
3dm / STEP / STL / dwg accepted • No minimums • NDA-friendly
High-detail, smooth finishes that make your designs look sharp in any presentation or competition.
Fast local turnaround — get your models in as little as 24 hours, without shipping delays or hassles.
From fixing files to painting and packaging, our team makes the process simple so you can focus on design.
Architects and designers often face a trade-off: spend weeks and high costs building hand-made models, or skip them and risk leaving stakeholders unimpressed. With KAD3D, you don’t have to choose. We create 3D printed architectural models that combine speed, precision, and impact — whether you need a high-fidelity painted scale model for a client presentation, a competition entry with intricate detail, or a fast FDM mock-up to test a concept.
Our approach helps you win more buy-in with models that look and feel real, while also letting you iterate faster with quick-turn prototypes. From presentation and competition models to exhibition displays, marketing showcases, facades, interiors, and site massing studies, we cover the full range of architectural needs. With local production, express turnaround, and expert finishing, you get models that are not only accurate but also ready to impress — all without the usual delays and headaches.
Whether it’s a 1:100 massing model or a detailed 1:200 competition entry, architectural scale models remain one of the most effective ways to communicate design intent. At KAD3D, Melbourne’s leading 3D printing studio, we create smooth SLA parts with sharp precision for façades, interiors, and context buildings. For high-impact presentations, our team can provide custom painting, decals, and clear coats, producing museum-quality architectural models that bring your vision to life. These models are trusted by architects, councils, and marketing agencies across Australia for client pitches, competitions, exhibitions, and public displays.
When speed and iteration matter most, KAD3D provides cost-effective FDM concept models that help architects quickly test scale, form, and circulation before committing to detailed builds. These models are ideal for early design validation, allowing multiple versions to be produced in parallel for workshops and design reviews. With rapid turnaround and local Australian manufacturing, concept models from KAD3D make it easier to visualise ideas, explore options, and communicate progress with clients and stakeholders.
Site and massing studies help architects explore how a project sits within its environment. KAD3D creates precise, reconfigurable massing models that allow for shadow studies, density testing, and urban planning reviews. Using FDM for fast production and SLA for detailed structures, we prepare files supplied by your team and convert them into print-ready, scalable models that accurately represent the built environment. These physical studies make it easier to refine scale and proportion while presenting your project clearly to clients and councils.
Physical façade prototypes are invaluable when architects need to review materiality, detail, and form. KAD3D produces scaled façade sections using SLA printing for fine detail and smooth finishes, or FDM for larger, budget-friendly models that highlight geometry and depth. These prototypes are perfect for client meetings, competitions, and design reviews, helping project teams visualise light, shadow, and texture in the built form. Every model is crafted locally in Melbourne, ensuring quick turnaround and consistent quality across Australia.
From staircases and atriums to custom fixtures and furniture pieces, interiors often require physical representation to support design decisions. At KAD3D, we produce high-detail SLA components that can be painted and textured to mimic real materials, or FDM models for larger, cost-efficient elements. These interior architectural models help stakeholders evaluate proportions, spatial flow, and material choices, providing a tangible layer of realism that 3D renders alone can’t match.
At KAD3D, we work with terrain, site context, and GIS data files provided by architects or design teams, converting them into printable or laser-cuttable formats. By combining 3D printed structures with laser-cut base plates, we produce durable and visually clear context models that highlight how each project integrates with its surroundings. These hybrid models are frequently used in presentations, planning reviews, and competitions, giving decision-makers a true sense of scale and environment.
For architectural exhibitions, marketing campaigns, and council presentations, KAD3D creates high-impact display models that bring projects to life. We regularly collaborate with marketing agencies, architects, and developers to produce scaled site models, sectional parti models, and interactive displays that capture attention and tell a visual story. Using SLA for refined, presentation-ready finishes or FDM for larger, cost-effective builds, we deliver models that are transportable, durable, and visually striking. Perfect for trade shows, public exhibitions, or community engagement displays, our models help Australian design teams showcase their work with confidence and precision.
Selecting the right production method is key to achieving architectural models that are both visually striking and practical. At KAD3D, we specialise in FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) and SLA (Stereolithography) 3D printing — the two technologies that best serve architectural applications. Together, they allow us to deliver models that balance speed, cost, and surface finish. While advanced methods like SLS or MJF are available through our extended network, they’re rarely used for architectural work, as FDM, SLA, and laser cutting cover nearly every requirement with exceptional efficiency.
For most projects, FDM is used for quick, cost-effective concept models and larger components, while SLA produces the smooth, detailed parts ideal for client presentations and competitions. Alongside these, laser cutting plays an essential role — particularly for terrain topography, base plates, or large flat sections that need precise alignment and a clean finish. This combination allows us to produce models that are accurate, visually cohesive, and built for presentation or exhibition display.
| process | Best for | Materials | Max size | Key Advantages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) |
Cost-effective concept models, terrain, and massing studies |
PLA (cost-effective, fast, easy to finish) |
1000 × 1000 × 1000 mm (larger available on request) |
Affordable and fast, ideal for testing scale and form early in the design process. Excellent for large context bases or site models. |
SLA (Stereo-lithography) |
High-quality presentation, competition, and marketing models |
SLA KS408A Standard Resin (for fine detail); SLA KS408A Tough Resin (for extra strength) |
2700 × 900 × 800 mm |
Produces paint-ready, detailed parts perfect for façades, interiors, and client displays. Ideal when visual quality is the top priority. |
Laser Cutting |
Terrain, base plates, and large flat site components |
MDF, Acrylic, Cardboard (varies by project) |
1200 x 900 mm |
Perfect for terrain layers, contour mapping, and flat surfaces that support 3D printed elements. Ensures alignment, scale accuracy, and professional presentation. |
Our approach always begins by understanding the purpose and presentation level of each project:
This hybrid workflow — combining 3D printing and laser cutting — allows KAD3D to achieve both fine architectural detail and precise large-scale accuracy, ensuring every model communicates the design intent clearly and professionally.
At KAD3D, we create architectural models that are true to scale, visually cohesive, and ready to impress — whether for competitions, exhibitions, or client presentations.
Our SLA-printed components can be sanded, primed, and painted to achieve clean, realistic finishes. For high-end presentation models, we offer professional painting with Pantone or RAL colour matching, ensuring every element aligns with your design palette. Protective clear coats and sealants can also be applied to improve durability and maintain surface quality during handling and transport.
To enhance realism, we incorporate props and landscaping details such as trees, grass, people, and vehicles. We source natural materials like foliage and grass textures locally from art and craft suppliers, while 3D printing smaller elements such as cars, benches, or structural details for perfect scale accuracy.
All models are assembled and finished as much as possible. For large or fragile projects that need to be shipped, we produce modular sections designed for easy transport and reassembly, making the process simple and reliable for our clients.
Through this mix of high-quality SLA finishing, careful detailing, and thoughtful presentation, KAD3D delivers architectural models that capture the essence of a design and communicate it with precision, depth, and realism.
| Finishing type | Available For | Description / Use Case |
|---|---|---|
Sanding & Priming |
SLA models |
Smooths layer lines and prepares parts for painting or display. |
Painting (Pantone / RAL) |
SLA models |
Colour-matched finishes for presentations, competitions, and client meetings. |
Clear Coating / UV Sealant |
SLA models |
Adds durability, UV protection, and gloss or matte finish for display models. |
Assembly & Modularity |
All models |
Models are pre-assembled where possible; modular design for easy transport and reassembly. |
Props & Landscaping |
All models |
Integration of trees, grass, cars, and figures for realistic presentation. |
Most architects already have their projects modelled in tools like Revit, Rhino, SketchUp, or similar architectural software, but these files are rarely ready for 3D printing or fabrication. Complex geometry, open surfaces, and fine details that look great on screen often need adjustment before they can be manufactured.
At KAD3D, our in-house design team takes care of this entire conversion process. We specialise in cleaning, repairing, and optimising architectural models to make them manufacture-ready, ensuring they maintain the original design intent while being properly formatted for production. We handle all geometry fixing, scaling, wall-thickness adjustments, model segmentation, and support structure planning, so you don’t have to worry about technical compatibility or printability.
We work with a wide range of native and universal file formats — including .rvt, .3dm, .skp, .obj, .stl, .step, .fbx, .dwg, and .dxf — and prefer receiving .stl, .step, .obj, .fbx, .dwg, or .dxf files for the most reliable results. Our team primarily uses Rhino to prepare and modify these files, leveraging its precision tools to ensure all components align with the required scale and manufacturing constraints of each process (SLA, FDM, or laser cutting).
All file preparation is ideally completed in-house, as our designers understand the nuances of each machine and printing technology. This ensures optimal surface quality, structural integrity, and efficient print setup. When models contain ambiguous or incomplete details, we provide digital previews or renders for confirmation before proceeding. For straightforward parts, we go straight to print — keeping the workflow efficient and turnaround times fast.
By managing this process end-to-end, KAD3D helps architects move seamlessly from digital design to physical representation, saving time, reducing errors, and guaranteeing that the final model accurately reflects the original architectural vision.
Architects send us their 3D models from Revit, Rhino, or SketchUp in formats like .rvt, .3dm, .obj, .stl, or .dwg.
Our design team cleans and
converts files in Rhino, fixing
geometry, scale, and thickness to
make them print- and laser-ready.
We use FDM and SLA for printed parts and laser cutting for terrain and base sections to ensure precision and visual consistency.
SLA parts are sanded, painted (Pantone/RAL), and clear coated. We add props like trees, cars, and grass, assembling most models in-house.
Every model is checked for accuracy and finish, then packed securely and shipped Australia-wide from our Melbourne facility.
Our pricing for architectural models is based on the print volume, material, and labour required for each project. Every design varies in complexity, so each quote is calculated individually. For 3D printing and laser cutting, costs are determined by part volume and selected technology (e.g. FDM or SLA). Additional services such as post-processing, painting, assembly, landscaping, packaging, and acrylic display enclosures are quoted separately to give full clarity on costs.
This approach ensures architects, developers, and agencies know exactly where their investment goes — from materials and machine time to hand-finishing and presentation. Whether it’s a quick concept model or a high-detail display piece, KAD3D provides a transparent, itemised quote for every job.
Our lead times vary depending on the type of model and level of detail required. For simple FDM prints where files are print-ready, we can often deliver within 24 hours. SLA models typically require up to two weeks, depending on scale and finishing requirements.
For custom architectural models — such as full site layouts with landscaping, props, or painted finishes — turnaround times range from two weeks to two months, depending on project size and complexity. Every project is carefully planned to ensure the best balance of speed, quality, and craftsmanship.
With in-house production in Melbourne and nationwide delivery, KAD3D provides reliable, on-schedule model fabrication for architects, developers, and marketing agencies across Australia.
Local pickup only available in melbourne, and next-day courier to metro areas are available. We also ship Australia-wide.
No MOQs—we’ll make one-offs or batches. Minimum order value is $55.
Click Instant Quote, upload your file, and choose material/finish. You’ll see pricing immediately; complex jobs can be manually reviewed on request.
STL, OBJ, STEP/STP, IGES/IGS, 3MF, DXF, DWG, and ZIP (up to 200 MB). If your file needs fixing, we can help.
All the majors: FDM, SLA, SLS, MJF; metals (SLM) on request. We’ll recommend the best option for strength, finish, and budget.
We prioritise tight tolerances and super-smooth finishes (especially with SLA). Tell us your critical dimensions and we’ll confirm achievable specs before printing.
Absolutely. Share how the part will be used (load, heat, UV, chemicals) and we’ll guide you—starting with cost-effective options first.
Yes. We’re NDA-friendly and handle all files securely. Only the engineering team sees your data.
Yes—B2C and B2B. We support prototypes, end-use parts, and short-run production to anyone in australia
what our clients says about kad3D
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