Building the Spitfire House to scale

In the reception area of the NVS Group’s Spitfire House exists a replica of the walls around it. Created at 1:160 scale, this miniature world is a testament to the detail of everyone on the real-world premises.

Jo Venables, team leader of NVS Group’s Fridges department, dedicated over 1,500 hours over 18 months to build the model entirely by hand – an absolutely massive undertaking that took Jo almost twice as long to complete as she initially predicted.

What initially started as 14 festive-themed scenes to raise money for cancer research quickly turned into a full-time endeavor.

“I met up with Martin and our operations director, Danny, and I was a bit shocked to learn they wanted a full-scale model of the new site! I said yes – probably too quickly – and guessed it would take about a year. I was, of course, completely wrong; it took me over 18 months to complete.”

Spitfire House model build – YouTube

Jo started this project in April of 2023, but time was her biggest challenge.

“Working full-time, I only had early mornings and weekends to work on it. If I sprayed or glued something, I had to leave it set, so I was working on different sections at the same time, which meant that it looked like chaos, but organized chaos!”

Jo also added personal touches, recreating colleagues in familiar spots around the warehouse. “I wanted it to feel personal,” she says. “It’s about our people as much as the building.”

“For me, it’s about creating something that makes people smile.”