In the past couple of years, everyone interested in architecture has heard about 3D rendering. It has become one of the key buzzwords in the industry for both professionals and clients. But even though most of us know how beneficial this approach is, we still don’t know its full potential.

As visualization keeps growing, we are learning about different approaches and how they can improve the whole industry. Not only that individuals, architects, and companies benefit from this, but it also reflects positively on clients themselves, which is a crucial differentiator.

But with this use of renderings and their benefits, there’s more and more pressure on learning how to use them to their fullest extent. This is why we’ve decided to shed some light on the topic in this post.

3D rendering as an independent role

Lots of people still think that 3D rendering in architecture is still only done by architects. Yes, many architects do visualization and use renderings for all kinds of uses. However, this job isn’t exclusively reserved for architects.

You don’t have to be an architect to do this job. There are a lot of people that do visualization for architecture projects without having a background in architecture. It’s not mandatory to have a degree related to architecture or any degree for that matter.

In a way, visualization has converged architecture and the IT industry. Instead of having visualization as one of the skills on an architect’s portfolio, many people specialize in visualization alone. In other words, this is their full-time position, and they are usually referred to as visualizers or 3D artists.

Simply put, visualization has expanded the industry and created another role that people can specialize in. Even architects that love the job specialize in doing visualization alone. This is because visualization doesn’t require extensive architecture knowledge; it’s more focused on rendering software.

There’s no longer the need for being a jack of all trades. Instead, people specialize in specific roles, which leads to better outcomes and less pressure on architects.

Using rendering as a story

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values, and agenda of an entire generation that is to come…” - Steve Jobs.  Stories are vital and can be powerful for getting your messages across.

Before 3D visualization was a thing, there was no way for professionals to tell a story. With renders, architects can tell all kinds of stories. First of all, many visualizers use their renderings to present an object, entice clients, and immerse them into the new project.

But it’s not only for this kind of storytelling. Visualizers can use renders before landing a client to get their attention and tell them stories about previous projects. These drawings are not just technical; they are also intellectual and can present different concepts and ideas.

Renderings also help professionals market themselves and tell stories about themselves. These images can change the perception of a project, highlight qualities, and create a coherent narrative that gives it more value. This is very important in modern architecture.

Artists can express themselves!

Architectural visualization gives artists more freedom to express their creativity than ever before. After all, these images are realistic, immersive, highly detailed, and can even be branded. Every artist has the option to express their ideas and different approaches to products.

These project presentations don’t require that much time for someone who knows what they are doing. People have the time to try out different things, experiment, and use all of the features that their software has to offer.

Visualization software gives so many options to architects. They can create anything they want and make all of their ideas come true. Of course, they can do this only if they know how to turn their ideas into reality.

In a lot of cases, it’s not about the technical side of renderings. Clients and other professionals pay more attention to storytelling, balance, color, composition, and how unique a particular project is. People are looking to have something unique, and they want to find people who will give them that.

Everyday use of rendering

This is probably one of the most popular uses of architectural rendering. Most commonly, architectural renderings used for daily work are designed to be as realistic as possible. These images have precise shadows, lighting, different versions, a high level of detail, detailed surroundings, and so much more.

This makes these renderings so much more than just marketing materials. They serve as a reference point for the whole project. Everyone involved in the project can learn about the different aspects of the entire project and visualize how the whole thing will look in the end.

Visualizations can communicate ideas to stakeholders, recognize mistakes in the project, and help try out different design options. These 3D images make decision-making a lot easier as rendering programs let artists test out different lighting and materials in no time.

It’s now possible to swap up different materials instantly and see whether they would work. 3D visualization is becoming more common, and this also gives architects a good understanding of their project and how it would look.

In other words, it brings everyone involved together and helps them understand the project. At the same time, it enables quick corrections and the ability to see how everything will look before the construction even starts.

Using 3D rendering for marketing

3D rendering is constantly being used in marketing. It can improve your marketing efforts in so many different ways. The primary value that this approach offers for marketing is, of course, the visual aspect. Humans are visual beings and are more engaged in visual content.

Architectural visualization is all about creating immersive and detailed images that will catch people’s attention. Here’s how 3D rendering is used for marketing:

Modern approach

New tech has become instrumental in marketing today. Both companies and individual brands need to make the most of new technologies to get a competitive advantage. When potential clients see that architects are using rendering for their marketing, they will better perceive your brand.

3D rendering sells an experience

As we mentioned earlier, rendering has excellent storytelling potential. It can be used to show clients what they can expect from the final product. People can imagine using their space and living in a place before it’s even completed. Selling an experience to customers will make it easier to get them on board.

Quality materials to share online

One of the best ways to market today is to do it online. Individuals and organizations share their materials on social media, create blogs, pay for advertisements, and so on. To do all of these things, you need good content that you can share.

This is where visualizations come into play. People share individual images, create visualization videos, step-by-step instructions, and so much more.

Enriching portfolios

Portfolios can be practical marketing tools for architects. They show clients what they can do as professionals and present them in the best light possible. Architectural visualizations can further give depth to portfolios and add that visual side that clients respond to.

Grabbing new clients with 3D renders

One of the biggest challenges for many architects, 3D artists, and companies is finding new clients. For a long time, people working in architecture found clients through referrals. Organizations with long traditions and great reputations were always favored compared to others.

It was challenging to break into the market and find a chance to prove your worth but renders give both individuals and organizations the option to attract the attention of new customers. Naturally, they can do this by marketing their work with rendered images.

On the other hand, they can also include visualizations in their portfolios, social media, and on their websites. 3D renders are perfect for presenting the previous work of architects regardless of the area they specialize in.

For example, both interior and exterior designers can use this approach to showcase the key elements of their work. Modern clients like to work with people who use the latest technology and visualization, including AR and VR.

To communicate with clients!

Communication has always been crucial in architecture. But in the past, clients were detached from the whole process. They didn’t understand what was going on, what to expect, and how to give their input to architects. All of this has changed today.

The reason for this is quite simple - understanding. Clients don’t know how to read architecture products. However, they can easily understand architectural visualizations. When an architect presents a visualization to them, they can see the full scope of the project.

It can be challenging for architects to explain essentials to their clients verbally. They need tools that can enable them to do this and bring their work close to average clients. With 3D renderings, clients can see the interior, exterior, details, how the structure will fit in with the surroundings, and other essential aspects.

Modern clients want to know what they will be getting. There’s no longer the need to “convince” clients that what you do will look good to them. Instead, you can use visualizations to help them see the realistic representation of the completed project.

For recognizing mistakes in designs

Another issue with traditional visualizations and architecture projects is that there were a lot of mistakes. After all, architecture projects can be complicated, and reading them isn’t that easy. There are many things that people can miss, and these tiny mistakes can translate into fundamental issues.

The important thing is to catch these mistakes early on. If not, they might put a hold on the whole construction process, cause serious deadline issues, and make the construction engineers look for improvised solutions. In other words, all of these outcomes are less than ideal.

Creating a visualization of your project is another “verification step” where you can check if you’ve done everything as you imagined. Not only do 3D renders make it easier for clients to understand projects, but they also let architects recognize their own mistakes or better approaches for specific issues.

For correcting those mistakes

Not only that 3D architectural rendering can help you recognize mistakes, but it can also help you fix them. First of all, when you notice that there’s something wrong with the 3D presentation of your project, you can go back to your work and see what went wrong.

But things aren’t always that easy. Sometimes it can be challenging to know where you’ve made a mistake. This requires trial and error to determine the exact problem. Luckily, it’s easy for visualizers to create another visualization with the changes you’ve made instantly.

In other words, you can again take a look at the 3D representation of your work and see if everything’s in order. In other words, visualizations let you execute your projects to perfection and keep all of your clients satisfied. That’s why a lot of architects do visualization on their own to ensure their work is foolproof.

Conclusion

We are living in an exciting time in the architecture industry. There are a lot of new things happening and different ways people are approaching their work. Architectural visualization or 3D rendering is also a big part of this change.

They have introduced many new things that benefit both the clients and the professionals working in the industry. No matter if you’re an architect or someone looking to get into the industry, make sure to try out visualization and learn at least its basics.