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Top 5 Reasons To Use Architectural Renderings With Your Clients

With home buyers getting ideas on Houzz and Pinterest, today’s consumers, especially when talking about new construction, have become tougher than ever to please. You no longer have the option to show a simple floorplan/elevation of what your intend to build and hope someone “bites”, they’re just too many ways to see great, easy to understand images. Here are 5 simple reasons you should invest in 3D Architectural renderings and visualizations for your next architectural or real estate project:

1) Not Everyone Can Truly Understand Floor Plans Or Elevations

Most people can’t understand traditional floor plans and elevations. It doesn’t mean they’re not competent its an inherent problem with the medium. Using 2D medium to communicate 3D objects always involves some form of mental articulation and translation. As with any translation unless you are well versed in both “languages” you run the risk of misinterpreting and this is where problems can occur when clients resist your design ideas or don’t get what they “expected”. Providing a more natural form or visual representation for your client can help to push the boundaries of your design idea and make them feel more at ease with the decision making process, leaving both you and them happier and more comfortable.

2) It Helps To Validate And Refine Your Design

One thing I have discovered is that 3D renderings make great designs look great and bad designs look, well, bad. There is no mistake, while you can try to put lipstick on a pig so to speak, you can only do so much with a poorly thought out floorplan. If the design is boring and uninteresting then the rendering will look boring and uninteresting. Many of the best architects I work with get “oohs and aahs” from their clients when they see their designs come to life in the 3D architectural rendering. It validates their trust in the architect and makes them more willing to buy into their suggestions throughout the design process.

3) Making Changes Now Is Cheaper Than Making Changes In The Field

Many people think that the cost of a rendering(s) is expensive and not an efficient part of the design/build process. What people don’t realize is that their are a few different styles of 3D representation that can be used to help convey an idea, especially with more complicated designs, to minimize the cost but still allow for decision making. The cost of those images or models are a fraction of the cost it takes to change an entry, facade, backyard design, etc. in the field. Costs can easily get into the tens of thousands of dollars and projects can incur costly delays. Isn’t it easier to employ a 3D model with textures to quickly study design decisions ahead of time? Won’t your client be more comfortable moving forward knowing that they made the right choices?

4) Zoning/Planning Boards Have An Easier Time Understanding What You Are Trying To Do

Design review boards generally are not comprised of individuals with an extensive technical background. When in front of a review board it is often necessary to quickly and clearly convey an idea or an exception to a rule to someone who may not have a background in design. Most times they find it difficult to understand site plans regardless of how well the engineer did respond. Review Boards typically respond positively to presentations that include 3-D elements. 3D images can quickly and efficiently show how a building relates to the existing environment or to a neighbor’s home and is a very powerful tool when you’re seeking design approval. I’ve had great success by clearly conveying an idea which was previously lost and gaining the support of both neighbors and board members when they can understand effortlessly how a building is going to look and feel.

5) Budgets Are Very Real

Let’s be honest, budgets are very real. You may have the best residential design in the world, but until your client understands that, your design is susceptible to the contractor and the cost of design. Clients are, in most cases, looking to save money. Once the contractor comes back with the project cost and things are on the chopping block to get eliminated or reduced, having an image they are in love with will often help to preserve crucial elements or features that may otherwise be removed and or bastardized in the name of saving money. Being able to provide your client with an image showing a feature or detail removed and the resulting loss of design continuity will often help to save an element and or provide a means for alternative design options which can reduce costs while still maintaining design integrity.

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