Posted on Kickstarter.com | By Damien Murtagh
Be your own architect and bring your dream city to life! The modelling system that lets you design, build and modify miniature worlds.
For the first time ever, Arckit Cityscape, Arckit Masterplan and Arckit Masterplan Pro give anyone complete control to build their very own dream city from scratch.
From developing suburban neighbourhoods to downtown skyscrapers, city parks to piazzas, now designers of all ages can experience what it’s like to be a real architect or city planner. Build with incredible speed – then stand back for a real 3D perspective!
In the past, designers and urban planners would show their concepts with traditional ‘cut and glue’ models or 3D drawings. Arckit Cityscape, Masterplan & Masterplan Pro gives you the same hands-on experience, without needing any specialist skills.
What would have taken days and weeks now takes a matter of hours or minutes. Arckit allows users to access architecture at their experience level, with pro-level kits offering a viable alternative to traditional models, which cost a fortune, take weeks to build and can’t be modified – Masterplan Pro can even be used by actual city planning departments to rapidly explore ideas.
Now everyone can get involved in designing our cities and have real and meaningful discussions about the environments we need for the future.
How does it work?
ARCKIT™ is completely modular and can be envisaged at different scales depending on its surroundings. The components are interchangeable, allowing you to rapidly experiment with simple or complex layouts. You can change your mind at any time and bring your ideas to life in a virtually unlimited number of ways.
There are no rules or instructions. To start building, simply click the components together and create incredible city layouts using the foundations, building blocks, walls and tile shapes. This offers the ultimate freedom to learn as you play, without boundaries.
Bring out your inner creativity with an advanced gender-neutral STEM toy. If you can use building blocks, you can take your skills to another level with Arckit!
The finished models are a piece of design in their own right. Inspired by minimal art and design, each kit is made up of unique components including a variety of different tile shapes that represent iconic architecture from around the world.
There’s no glue, no mess and no instructions – just the power of your imagination. It’s a whole new way of design thinking. The process is simple: design, build and modify.
Cityscape, Masterplan & Masterplan Pro explained
There are two main types of kit: Arckit Cityscape and Arckit Masterplan.
Arckit Cityscape is designed to inspire dreamers of all ages with a variety of unique kits & components finished in a choice of ‘architect’s’ white & soft pastel colours. The kits are easy-to-use and follows similar principles to other building toys. First you design your layout, then position your buildings before finishing them off with a choice of iconic roof shapes. Suitable for 6 years+
Cityscape XL takes the same process to the next level with a greater range of components – ideal for play or display! Suitable for 6 years+
Cityscape XXL for the ultimate fantasy city of your dreams. The XXL has enough components to build and modify to your heart’s content. Suitable for 6 years+
Arckit Masterplan is a more professional-level kit finished in architects’ white and clear components. The system works in the same way, combining additional wall components that allow users to build taller structures such as skyscrapers and construct bridges and districts. This advanced kit also comes with illustrative graphic stickers to create realistic building facades. Suitable for 12 years+
Arckit Masterplan Pro is the ultimate professional design tool. This mega kit comes with white and clear floor components that enable users to build stunning professional level architectural masterplan models. It also includes clear wall components and graphic facade stickers for creating realistic finishes together with iconic roof shapes. This is the perfect choice for professional level model making and those who want to create stunning, advanced cities. Suitable for 12 years+
Can’t decide which one to go for? All our kits are compatible with each other, so you can mix and match to build a MEGA city!
Choose your kit
Sample Packaging
Ireland’s favourite architect, Dermot Bannon loves our new concepts.
Ireland’s favourite architect, Dermot Bannon, stopped by to see our new concepts. He said “I think Arckit Cityscape and Masterplan are fantastic because kids can now image cities and build their whole worlds…. They can start to think about squares, piazzas and the spaces in-between, this is architecture….Hopefully everyone at some stage will get to own a house, build a house and live in a house, not everyone will get to build a city. This is a really cool way to build a city in the morning.”
Get creative – No limits!
Now it’s time to unleash your creativity. As a modular system, you can integrate Arckit with other products and add details using tools such as 3D printers, 3Doodler pens and electronics.
This makes it possible to explore ideas on the fly, make your own parts and even print real photos of building facades (like your own house)!
Take Arckit into a classroom environment and the learning opportunities are immense. We have already developed an Arckit Education Programme for schools and universities to teach STEM / STEAM skills (science, technology, engineering, art and maths) using our original Arckit.
We believe that Arckit Cityscape will open up architecture and design to an even younger audience through the perfect balance of learning and hands-on play.
As ground-breaking design tools of professionals quality, Masterplan & Masterplan Pro are highly affordable kits to rapidly design, build and modify truly stunning urban models.
We can’t wait to see what you create!
The Arckit Team
Arckit was launched in 2014 by Irishman Damien Murtagh. While working in his architectural studio, he came up with the idea as a fast and reusable alternative to traditional ‘cut and glue’ model making. The concept took off and he began using it as a way to explore ideas and present designs to clients.
Since then, ARCKIT’s patented system has spread all over the world, helping to introduce architecture and model making to designers of all ages. Arckit is manufactured in ‘The Garden of Ireland’, Co. Wicklow, and our offices are based nearby in Dublin.
We’re a small and passionate team with experience in architecture, modelling and product design. Now we’re ready to launch our very first Kickstarter. We’ve put all our creativity and architectural experience into making something really special that will inspire and educate the next generation of creators.
Arckit has won multiple design awards and our original kits are stocked in retailers all over the world such as Harrods London, Brown Thomas Dublin, Barnes & Noble US, Easons Ireland, Hamleys Singapore, The Smithsonian & Guggenheim museums NY and many other toy/gift/craft stores.
If you like our project and want to help spread the word, you can click on one or all of the following social media buttons to share this page:
Visit https://arckit.com/ to learn more about Arckit.
If you are a retailer interested in stocking Arckit you can get in touch with our team at info@arckit.com.
Risks and challenges
We are incredibly proud to say that Arckit is a ‘Made in Ireland’ product, something we worked very hard to achieve from the outset. Now everyone at Arckit is working even harder to make this new project a reality.
Since the success of our original kits, we have overcome many logistical challenges and we understand the process ahead. We already have the manufacturing facility in place, the experience of delivering internationally and the ability to upscale our operations.
Arckit has a proven track record with supplying to retailers globally and we are confident that we will achieve the same high quality of finish for our new kits. The prototype stage is complete and we are currently perfecting the final details including packaging and presentation. Now all we need is your help to fund this project so we can take this into production.
Thank you for your support!
