THE IMPORTANCE OF
ARCHITECTURAL VISUALISATION
Architectural visualisations are now a standard part of the property
developer’s marketing toolkit, but they have evolved to play a very
important role in other areas too.
Traditionally, the images created by companies such as Colchester-
based CGEye Ltd have appeared in brochures, on signage and
more recently of course on digital platforms, all designed to entice
potential buyers in a very competitive and crowded market. CGI’s
have a proven track record of success in off-plan sales, but it’s
important to acknowledge them also as a useful communication tool
for architects.
CGEye has been established in the Archviz industry for 15 years,
and Director of Production Paul Smith has noticed the changes
in the ecosystem. “As the technology improves, we’re noticing
more and more practices investing time and resources to produce
spectacular cgi’s for their clients, and this shows their growing
importance. Some practices are extending their work into the field of
immersive technology such as virtual reality, and it’s a very exciting
development. Of course it represents an element of competition
for our own services if architects are turning out work in-house, but
that’s a healthy thing. It forces companies like us to constantly review
our techniques and standards, and that can only be a good thing for
our clients”.
CGEye nevertheless enjoys a good reputation in the Archviz field, due
in no small part to a clear understanding of what marketing teams at
property companies need and their willingness to expand into other
areas, including Augmented and Virtual Reality. Many architects
still rely on external resources for their cgi production, particularly
for specialised projects involving animation and post-production
techniques. This could be because of the potentially high cost of
software, hardware and training. For many smaller practices it doesn’t
make commercial sense, and CGEye can take up the slack when
needed. Indeed architects account for about 30% of the company’s
client base.
Beyond marketing, cgi’s are increasingly being used for planning.
Verified views are an important tool here. These are hybrid cgi’s
placed against a photograph, and are physically correct in size,
location and orientation owing to the added benefit of survey data
which allows the artist to geo-locate a model relative to a photo with
considerable accuracy.
As we enter the new decade, we can expect the emergence of photo-
realistic renderings offered by architects to continue, whether from
their own in-house talent or with a specialist cgi partner.
www.cgeyeltd.com