My project involved modeling a miniature Coliseum using spray foam insulation and basic woodworking tools. Over the course of two months, I carved arches, seating, and other details into the foam structure. To better showcase interior details, I cut away a large section, though this proved more difficult than anticipated due to uneven drying of the foam. The completed project will demonstrate my interest in Roman architecture and history for future architecture programs.

1. My project encompasses two of the things I love: classical Roman history, and architecture. To
this day the Coliseum, built more than 2000 years ago, still stands as an example of the scope and
magnificence of Roman architecture. Even since a young age, the history of the old Roman world
fascinated me, and above all of their other amazing architectural accomplishments, the Coliseum stands
as the most amazing testament to Roman glory. This, coupled with my love of architecture and desire to
become a professional architect, made my choice for this project simple.
I started with some extremely simple and basic everyday items. Using a large sheet of plywood
as a base, I put nails and screws around the outside of where the structure would eventually be and
attached two MDF boards around the inside so the nails would hold them in place. By using dimensions
found online I set the boards in place in an elliptical shape and began pouring in cans of spray insulation.
(show cans, etc.)
After almost thirty cans I was able to remove the boards, though it was more difficult to remove
them than I had anticipated. Due to the varying temperatures on the days I sprayed the foam, some
areas of the structure dried differently than others, causing certain parts to become stuck to the boards
more firmly than others. However, once they were removed the actual carving and modeling process
began, and over the course of the next two months, I carved the arches, seating, and details of the
entire structure. For this, I used several different tools, from a power sander and jigsaw to kitchen
knives, and found that some of the most basic kitchen tools can be the most important and helpful of
them all.
I had planned originally to construct the entire building, however I soon realized that it would be
easier for observers to see the inside if a section of it were cutaway. This also allowed for several details
that I had not previously considered, from the side views of the arched hallways to the floor plan on the
cutaway section of the board. I had thought briefly that perhaps cutting the large section away from it
took value away from the project, though in the end I realized that it added largely to the end result.
Overall the project was a long process, even a journey, of learning how to problem solve in
situations I had never been in, and even learning how to use power tools for the first time. I am pleased
with my results, and hopefully will be able to use this project as a great example for my future
architecture portfolios for college, and perhaps even as model to base further projects. While I had
thought in the beginning that the project wouldn’t take nearly as long as it ended up taking, and learned
perhaps most importantly that even with a project given a year to complete, it can still come down to
the very last days to get it finished.