1:35 Brick House (Modular System)

An RT-Diorama brick house in 1:35 scale

The item 1:35 Brick House (Modular System) is one of the diorama accessories from RT-Diorama. It is not a model of a vehicle but an architectural element of a view: a brick house that in a diorama does duty as a set piece, as a backing for figures and as a scale reference for vehicles. The modular system in the name refers to a range whose elements are conceived as parts of city building.

Why 1:35 scale decides it

1:35 is the most widespread format for military vehicles and figures. An adult figure in it stands about five centimeters tall, so the height of a floor, the width of a gate and the spacing of the windows all have to match, or the scene will not read properly. An element from a diorama range in the same scale solves that for you: the proportions are designed so that vehicles can drive up to the house and figures can walk up to it with no distracting difference in size.

Tips for placing it in the scene

• Lay the plan out first - the house sets the main line of sight of the whole view.
• Leave clear space in front of the facade; without that distance the detail is lost and the scene looks crowded.
• Deal with the join to the terrain first. The transition between the foot of the wall and the board is where dioramas most often give themselves away.
• Photograph the scene as you go from the eye level of a figure rather than from above - that reveals mistakes in the composition before it is too late.

Who the element is for

It suits modelers who put together city views of the Second World War and postwar scenes, and anyone who wants to set a 1:35 vehicle into a setting with a story instead of on a bare board. Brick building is rewarding for display-case compositions with a single figure as well, where the house forms the background and sets the period atmosphere.