Model Works

What Model Works does

Model Works Limited (trading as Model Works / Modelworks) is a privately held, Irish-registered architectural presentation and analysis studio founded in the early 1980s by architect David Murphy, who serves as Chairman; Barry Murphy is Managing Director. The firm is headquartered at The Old Courtyard, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, and operates a regional headquarters at 151 Wardour Street, London. It employs approximately 20 multidisciplinary professionals spanning architecture, landscape architecture, town planning, engineering, daylight/sunlight analysis, CGI artistry, interactive development, and physical model making. The company celebrated 40 years of operation in 2024 and reports no external institutional ownership.

The firm delivers a full-service portfolio to architects, property developers, construction firms, and government/institutional clients. Core services are CGI, verified photomontages compliant with LVMF/GLVIA3/Landscape Institute guidance, scale models (built on CNC routing, laser cutting, and 3D printing), daylight/sunlight analysis following BRE methodology, Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA), interactive property sales applications using gaming-engine technology, film/animation, and virtual tours. Verified photomontage and LVIA deliverables are accepted at planning hearings, with Richard Butler (MILI MIPI) acting as expert witness.

The business model is project-based B2B professional services with custom, quote-based pricing per engagement; revenue is described as multi-year contracts but not publicly disclosed. Customer relationships are long-tenured and concentrated among tier-one architectural and developer brands, including Gensler, Populous, Henning Larsen, Foster+Partners, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Battersea Power Station (15 years), Msheireb Properties (10 years), STW Architects (20 years), and Robert A.M. Stern Architects. Distribution is direct sales via industry reputation and professional networks, supported by website, LinkedIn, and Instagram presence.

Name

Model Works

Legal name

Model Works Limited

Website

https://modelworks.studio

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Model Works is an Irish-founded, Dublin- and London-based architectural presentation and analysis studio providing CGI, verified photomontages, scale models, daylight/sunlight analysis, LVIA, interactive applications, and virtual tours to architects, property developers, and government clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Visualization Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Graphic Design Services (54143), Commercial Photography (541922)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK), Outsourced Art/Audio Production Services (2D/3D, Animation, VFX, Audio/VO) (MPAFAKAM), Graphic Design & Visual Content Production (BPAFAIAC)

Keywords

• Architectural visualization services
• Verified photomontage
• Scale model building
• Daylight sunlight analysis
• Landscape visual impact assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Blackrock

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Project-Based: B2B professional services revenue generated through project-based engagements with architects, developers, and property companies. Services include CGI, verified photomontages, scale models, animations, LVIA, daylight/sunlight analysis, and interactive applications. Revenue is project-based rather than subscription or recurring.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Model Works is a full-service architectural presentation and analysis studio producing photorealistic CGI, auditable verified photomontages, physical and digital scale models, daylight/sunlight analyses, and Landscape and Visual Impact Assessments (LVIA) for architects, property developers, and institutional clients. Services support both planning submissions and marketing campaigns, with additional offerings in custom interactive sales applications built on gaming technology, film/animation, and virtual tours. The studio operates out of Dublin and London and serves clients across Ireland, the UK, USA, Australia, Qatar, Malaysia, Norway, and Morocco.

Product overview

Model Works is a full-service architectural presentation and analysis studio offering a multidisciplinary portfolio of services centred around CGI, verified photomontages, scale models, interactive applications, animation/film, virtual tours, daylight/sunlight analysis, and Landscape/Visual Impact Assessment. The offering is structured as a suite of complementary services — CGI and photomontages provide visual representation, scale models and interactive apps drive sales and marketing, while daylight/sunlight analysis and LVIA support planning applications. Services are delivered by a team combining architectural, engineering, technical, craft, and artistic expertise, across studios in Dublin and London.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) High-quality photorealistic and artistic computer-generated imagery for marketing and planning purposes, with bespoke art direction tailored to each project. Targeted at architects, property developers, and planning submissions.
• Verified Photomontages Accurate, verifiable, and auditable photomontages produced using a rigorous nine-step methodology aligned with LVMF SPG 2012, Landscape Institute TGN 06/19, and GLVIA3, suitable for planning applications and appeal hearings. Delivered by qualified staff acting as expert witnesses.
• Daylight / Sunlight Analysis Technical analysis predicting the daylight and sunlight rooms within a proposed development can expect to receive, and the impact on the surrounding environment, based on BRE Guide methodology. Used to support planning applications.
• Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) Assessment of the potential landscape and visual impacts of a proposed development, including Townscape and Visual Impact Assessment (TVIA), prepared as standalone reports or EIAR chapters for planning submissions.
• Interactive Applications Custom interactive sales and marketing applications built using gaming technology, ranging from high-fidelity PC applications integrated into marketing suites to tablet-based and mobile web-based apps, including Residence Finder and Leasing Apps.
• Scale Models Crafted physical scale models ranging from small travel models to large-scale installation models, built using CNC routing, laser cutting, and 3D printing, often combined with interactive and LED technologies. Served architects and developers for design exploration and presentation.
• Film / Animation Bespoke films and animations for marketing and planning purposes, created for property sales campaigns and planning applications.
• Virtual Tours Virtual tour experiences ranging from fully CGI tours to partially montaged photographic tours, delivering immersive property presentations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Planning authorities rely on verified photomontages for planning decisions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Beauty and the Bit: UK-based architectural visualization firm producing CGI, animation, and VR content for architects, developers, and planners. Direct peer competing in the same UK planning and marketing visualization market as Model Works.
• Kilograph: US-based architectural visualization firm specializing in CGI, animation, and immersive experiences for commercial real estate and architecture. Direct peer with comparable service mix targeting large-scale development and architecture clients.
• DBOX: International architectural visualization firm with offices in London and New York producing CGI, film, and interactive experiences for luxury residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments. Direct peer with comparable service portfolio and premium real estate client base.
• Visualisation One: Ireland-based architectural visualization firm offering CGI and digital presentation services to architects and developers. Direct peer with close geographic overlap in the Irish market where Model Works is headquartered.
• Hayes Davidson: London-based architectural visualization firm founded 1988, producing CGI, animations, and interactive media for major UK and international architects and developers. Direct peer with overlapping service portfolio and target clients (e.g., Foster+Partners, Renzo Piano, major London developers).
• Cityscape Digital: UK-based architectural CGI and interactive visualization firm serving architects, developers, and planners. Direct competitor in the same UK planning and marketing visualization market as Model Works, with similar CGI and interactive service offerings.
• Neoscape: Boston-headquartered architectural visualization firm producing CGI, animation, and interactive experiences for architecture firms and real estate developers. Direct peer in CGI-driven architectural presentation with overlapping US-based developer clients.

Broad incumbents

• Foster + Partners: Major UK-headquartered global architecture firm with in-house model-making, CGI, and visualization teams. Long-term Model Works client that also maintains internal visualization capacity, representing a partial substitute for outsourced visualization work.
• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with substantial in-house visualization and CGI capabilities serving its own projects. Acts as both a client of and a partial substitute for specialist visualization firms like Model Works, given the size and vertical integration of its practice.

Regional players

• Steelblue: Australia-based architectural visualization firm producing CGI, animation, and interactive content for property developers and architects. Regional peer with comparable service offering, serving as the dominant visualization provider in the Australian market that Model Works has served on a project basis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/model-works
• Instagraminstagram.com/model_works_studio
• Xx.com/MoWoIreland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Model Works