"28mm Strip Mall design prototype" Topic

Finished the first section of a 28mm strip mall for modern/zombie style games.

Combination styrene and MDF. It will probably have optional textured roof so people have some cheaper options and can add corrugated styrene for more 3d feel. The Japanese stuff I'm working on is using the same pattern and it takes a bit in the laser (i.e. more expensive)

This is a single store and the idea is you just stack them next to each other to make the mall as big as you want. It is a bit large at 150mm by 135mm. I'm considering shrinking the depth a bit more so you get the cool frontage without taking a lot of room. Good for table edges so you can add the parking lot in front of it and still have room to put some figs in but not eat up your entire table (and wallet). I'll probably add a corner/large store to the set as well. All similarly themed to work together.

I have decided to release sets instead of individual pieces. Shooting for a small tables worth of terrain at a time. The gas station/convenience store is done for this set. I'm gonna do a corner piece that will be a larger box store. Probably something like a CVS pharmacy. Gas Station island and maybe a car wash are also planned. Shooting for that classic strip mall corner stuff. I'd like to do something more residential down the road with a few styles of houses and some extra stuff like garages, sheds, and fencing.

Jonathan Bowen
CorSec Engineering

Very cool!

Way cool! I need a strip mall for beleaguered Harmony Grove, a small outpost of sanity in the hell of the zombie apocalypse!

Super nice!!! post them up once they are available!!!

nice work I like. one thing you might like to take into account most strip mall stores have a foot print of around 40ft wide x 125ft deep per shop.

Definitely let us know when they are available!

I did a bit of research before I statered and found ranges as low as 30' by 100'. I usually try to go lower because its still realistic but keeps the building on the smaller side for the table. I use 1/60 scale for outside dimensions and usually 1/50 for doors and other details.

Using those scales 125' is over 2 feet. Our laser isn't even big enough to cut that (nor your wallet big enough). I need to cut it and see if I like the 135mm or not. It might be on the small size but we are trying to make them practical instead of scale accurate. Something that can still hold a a small horde of zombies but doesn't eat up your entire table/wallet.

Jonathan Bowen
CorSec Engineering

Suggestion: Also make a corner unit/medium boxed-size store so that you can make L-shaped, U-shaped, and other shaped Shopping plazas & malls. This Medium sized store could also be used as a stand alone store if needed.

Also, don't shrink the depth too much. The rear of the stores is as playable as the front…dumpsters, trash, pallets, boxes, burned out cars, roof access ladders and etc.

David G.
gamerarchitect.blogspot.com

The back will be detailed with a door but its definitely going to be a balance act on the depth to find a happy medium that works.

I really want to see a sign that says "I assure you we're open" hanging on the front of that.

It looks really good.

"Also, don't shrink the depth too much. The rear of the stores is as playable as the front…dumpsters, trash, pallets, boxes, burned out cars, roof access ladders and etc."

A bit divergent, but I agree here. I don't remember how many time I've hidden from baddies in toilet cubicles in STALKER….. The toilet cubicles have to be there, somewhere.

Thanks too to those contributing thoughts on physical dimensions. I thought about this a little when we visited in the US in 2008. Those malls are kind of iconic.

Duck

I'll buy one.

I thionk the size is just fine. Great that it will be 'stacked' side by side to make a full length one. I take it you ultimately will have alternative units to provide a change in direction (arches through, and corner ones too?

My only suggestion would be increase the fascia above the arches slightly so that various signs can be put on. At the moment it looks a bit shallow in height to take shop signage. Spot on otherwise though. I take it there would be an office in the back of the shop too, with mandatory ladder to the roof?

Totally agreee with the 1/6o scale generally and 1/50 for the doors, that's what I work to! (transferring my skills as an architect to my hobby of course!)

Great stuff, keep it coming,

Ark

Also having another gander at this at lunch time, maybe a single door could be put in either end/side wall of each unit. The idea being that if the model is at the end of the row there will be a door exposed to go out of, just a thought. I would buy one too incidentally…

The doors will be at the back. I've never seen one with a side door. I did some work on a corner piece that could be used as an end cap as well. So retail entry doors and windows on two sides.

I cut a prototype yesterday. It needs a lot of work. I'm actually going to just about start over. It needs a better framing system and the roof is too big. Like Ark said it needs more vertical space. The front face is too close to the ground as well. It was also a pain to put together. I tried some new techniques and not all of them worked.

Totally, keep going with it. I'd suggest make a model that feels right from a game play point of view, right for the models, then work backwards for size for manufacture, nipping and tucking as you go. Maybe you are doingthat process already.

If I may clarify, is this more of a retail park unit than a shop within an enclosed shopping mall? Or is it a 'feature' shop unit actually within a larger building?

I'd get rid of that sloped roof on the front. Most of the strip malls around here (Midwest) don't have those. They either have a flat concrete overhang and columns with a wall piece on the front above it for signage or they have a heavy vinyl tarpaulin overhang with the sign space on the main wall part of the building above. The tarpaulin is either sloped like that or curved. If you get rid of the sloped area, you will be able to raise the arches higher and provide more room for sign space on the front. It will also make it less complex. I'd be tempted to raise up the front piece to make it a false front for signage as well, but I don't know if that would make it more difficult to assemble.

The tarpaulin ones tend to be on older strip malls though but I do still see them on newer ones as well.

As for side doors, I've seen lots of strip malls with a side access door on the end cap. I'd say it's not necessary though.

Just do a Google search for strip mall.

Here are a couple pictures I found to show what I'm talking about.

I think this one may actually be a model railroad layout.

Tarpaulin

I would love to get some of these for my future zombie gaming.

Looks great!

That railroad one is from a company that does a lot of cool (and expensive) stuff for HO. The problem is they are all backdrop pieces so like the one pictured, They don't have any depth. The stand alone ones might work for 15mm. He has some fast food stuff that is cool.

I might toss a food joint into this set as well.

@ Ark It's an exterior set like an outdoor mall or small strip mall not something interior. A mall interior might be interesting. Have to think about that one.

@delthos The reason for the style that I used was so I could sell them as individual units and hide the seams better. I couldn't find anything that really had the feel that I wanted without breaking up the front facade too much. I might try a tarpaulin roof one. I've been meaning to work out a method for doing those in styrene. Be a great addition to our flat pack terrain sets. Several styles that can just be glued to a building or box.

I hope to get back into this tonight. I've got a bunch of orders to ship and then release a new tool that we developed for working with magnets.

Ok ver 2! Totally new design that will probably be cheaper. There will be two versions so you can stagger the heights of the roofs. I also tossed together a corner store with two doors.

The store size is 150mm by 135mm with a 35mm sidewalk around it.

Still needs some work but its coming along. I'll cut one here in a bit and see what changes need to be made to it.

Yeah that looks good too, I like the tarpaulin/awnings projecting from the buildings. The image posted above by Delthos of the model rail layout looks achievable also.

To be honest your first design is workable if you;
a. raise the arches so that they are above the door
b. increase the vertical wall area above the arches to take some signage
c. possibly turn the sloped roof into a flat one, or make it into a shop floor or mezzanine area accessible by stairs from inside.

All look good, and the benefit of the second version above is that it will pack up smaller if only using the awnings.

How will you make the glass, some form of clear perspex?

Incindentally, I am in the UK, so when you guys wrote 'Strip Mall', I took it as being a whole Mall dedicated to ladies taking their clothes off…

The entire front is just a sheet of styrene. easy enough to paint it gloss black for windows. Clear acrylic is just way to expensive to use for something this large. I may have to rework the design a bit. I try to make them so the customer can easily cut out the windows and lay some transparency film behind it. In order to strengthen the raised frontage, I put mdf behind it but I can probably slice out the windowed parts so I still get the solid surface but the windows can be opened.

I'll have to start looking for sources of clear PETG for windows and such. It cuts and etched about as bad as the styrene so I could make it work.

Yeah, I realize the first one I posted was just a backdrop piece, I was just trying to show how the fronts of strip malls around here look.

Although with some modifications the first one could work and I would probably buy some of it, I really like the look of this new concept. Just what I imagined.

How about some roll down cages for the doors and glass fronts? Some of the stores here have that feature.

Hey coel, are you meaning the likes of security roller shutters?

Roll up doors? With a laser cutter? Not sure I can pull that one off :)

I did have an idea that might be cool. I'm almost finished with the largest kit I have ever designed. 16" by 12" or so. It's a mcdonalds style fast food place. Doing an interior for it would be very expensive and difficult. However, I could easily etch a simple floor plan onto the base. If you don't want to use it then just flip it over when putting it together. Otherwise it is a cheap way to make the inside of the building playable. Who doesn't like hiding in a bathroom? :) At it stands it will be close to $60 USD or more so interior walls and details would probably double that. Etched floor plan wouldn't add much. Maybe a few bucks.

Anyway let me know what you guys think about it. I've got to finish the gas station island and do some final layouts and work on the assembly and durability of the fast food one. I've also figured out how to animate assembly videos in sketchup. Much quick and easier to understand then writing everything into a tutorial.