Architectural renderings are a great way to showcase projects. They provide an impression of what your built environment will look like once completed. Thanks to real-time rendering software, you can now do more than present beautiful images.
We’ve highlighted five ways to optimize your design workflow by using real-time rendering.
1. Create visualizations yourself
Real-time rendering software has made architectural visualization accessible to architects and designers, a field that was once reserved for specialists. This accessibility reduces time and costs as visualization becomes part of your design workflow.
You simply plug real-time rendering software into your building modeling tool to start visualizing as you design. The live link function means the changes and updates you make in your building model are reflected immediately in your rendering window, giving you a more efficient way to work.
2. Communicate design intent
Renderings are helpful with clients who lack advanced technical knowledge. Presenting 2D layouts to your client for their input can lead to more questions than answers, as the lack of detail leaves room for them to become distracted by the unknown.
Surface-level project concepts can be brought to life with live 3D renderings that can be presented as standalone web or exe files, videos, or 360-degree panoramas. With features that allow you to upload real-world context and add the perfect background to design scenes, your client can visualize the space more accurately and understand the design intent better.
“The increasingly realistic rendering capabilities of real-time visualization – including building materials, vegetation, and lighting/shadows – that our teams can employ at every stage of the design process generate excitement and understanding from our clients as they are able to see the design come to life,” explains Brandi Rickels, AIA Partner at Lake|Flato Architects.
3. Manage client expectations
Your client’s view on the design may change several times as they start seeing their project come to life. Managing their expectations throughout the design process can reduce the chances of any significant setbacks happening in the end.
Having clear communication regarding the design is key to preventing misunderstandings and unrealistic expectations. The quality and speed of real-time rendering software offer you a powerful tool for incorporating feedback and last-minute changes. This can help you align your client’s wishes with the feasibility of the design.
4. Conquer time management
Going over the project schedule can result in critical consequences such as cost overruns and litigation matters. A good way to mitigate delays, errors, or changes that may impact the project timeline is to secure the right design.
Real-time rendering offers fast rendering times which allows you to regularly review visualizations. This can help identify any issues visible in the design document and gives you the ability to make better design decisions faster.
5. Step into immersive experiences
Using virtual reality (VR) technology with real-time rendering software allows you to impress clients by immersing them in a building that is not yet built. An architectural presentation with VR offers a full 360 view, so clients can take a closer look and fully engage with the space and feel how it will function.
Exploring the design with VR enables you to see things from different angles, allowing for a more effective diagnosis. Because of the technology used, any changes made would otherwise cost more time and money in the physical world.
“I have found that real-time rendering creates a memorable impression with our clients. Clients and designers have the ability to make decisions in meetings quickly with a fully immersive virtual reality experience,” shares Joe Tubb, Senior 3D Visualization Specialist at ASD|SKY.
Going beyond beautiful images
There is no question that real-time rendering is great for demonstrating how built environments will look before construction begins. Still, it can offer so much more for your design process.
To experience the benefits of real-time rendering in your design workflow, check out Enscape 3.3 and sign up for a free 14-day trial.
This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: The Future of Architectural Visualizations, proudly presented by Enscape, the most intuitive real-time rendering and virtual reality plugin for Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, Archicad, and Vectorworks. Enscape plugs directly into your modeling software, giving you an integrated visualization and design workflow. Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and projects. Learn more about our ArchDaily topics. As always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us.