Judged by the light it leaves next door.

Maquette Row is a 6-person housing practice in Leeds. Every scheme is built as a white card model and lit by the real sun for its site, so the planning committee and the family next door see the same shadows.

See this afternoon's shadow

Today is Wed 23 September on your clock. Sunset at Tanner's Yard: 19:04.

08:30The courtyard goes first.

In Leeds in mid-October the sun is 7° up at half past eight, and every shadow is nearly 8 times as long as the wall that casts it. That is the hour the neighbours ask about.

11:00The shadows shorten and wheel.

The model sits on its site's true north, so the light moves the way it will on the street. A card model shows in a minute what a render, lit for a perfect sky, leaves out.

13:00The shortest shadow of the day.

28° up, and each wall throws a shadow about twice its height. Below, the same sun runs live on 3 schemes, starting from this afternoon.

This afternoon, on your clock.

Pick a scheme, then move the sun. The arrow keys step it an hour at a time.

Wed 23 September, Leeds. Opened on today, read from your clock (Europe/London).

31°sun height
SW 216°sun bearing
1.7×shadow to height

Ashby Row, next door. Shade reaches 4.8 m into the 10 m gardens.

Tanner's Yard: The courtyard opens south so the low winter sun reaches the ground floor.

The white card model of a 4-storey courtyard block on its wooden turntable, low sun from the left

4 storeys, 12 m to the roof. Lift a floor to read its plan.

Late light, on the table.

A review is a model, a lamp set to the sun's path and the people who live there. These frames are from the studio table, shot as the light drops toward evening.

  • A white card courtyard block with stacked balconies on its right wing, sun from the left
    15:30The wing with balconies takes the afternoon sun; the courtyard floor is half shade.
  • The card courtyard block in low side light, long shadows across the tiled courtyard
    16:45Shadows cross the courtyard paving and reach the far wing's ground floor.
  • A lower card scheme on the turntable, soft late light raking across its west walls
    17:40Last sun on the west faces. The courtyard has gone to shade.
  1. 1

    5 working days to a modelYour scheme at 1:200 in white card, windows cut, every floor lifting off.

  2. 2

    Set to the siteTrue north, latitude and the dates the committee will ask about.

  3. 3

    Turned by the neighboursOn the table at the meeting, and on their phones that evening.

Bring the site plan before the light goes.

Reviews start at 14:00, when the studio's west window lights the table. Bring a PDF or a roll of drawings; the model is ready 5 working days later.

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