“ The images we make are more about the place than the building .”
Danjiang Bridge , Zaha Hadid Architects
“ The images we make are more about the place than the building .”
When a building is physically changed to a different design than what it promised in the renderings , now that ’ s a different story that the builders have to answer for . Our job is to pinpoint and hold up what we think are the strongest aspects of the architectural projects we take on .
The digital age has brought upon the popularity of CGI and 3D animation in various fields and in this burgeoning and competitive industry , what piece of advice would you give aspiring architectural visualizers who want to pursue a similar career path such as yours ?
You need to learn to master other things than just 3D softwares . Use your mind and solve things in Photoshop — try out matte painting and train your eye instead of just letting the 3D software do all the work . It will look plastic . Learn to draw and paint with a pencil and brush . Study the visual world around you . Play with cameras . Do not be afraid to experiment and do things differently .
You work in the inspiring locale of Bergen , Norway , whose landscapes aren ’ t far off from the beautiful settings in your renderings . How important is context and mood in the creation of the architectural image ?
This is extremely important , absolutely one of the key ingredients of the architectural visualization “ dish ”. Living where we live gives us great visual input when it comes to weather , colors and lighting situations . In a normal day , we have fog , sun , snow , rain and epic sunsets . There are wet swamps , rocky hills , lakes , waterfalls , snowy peaks and dark forests — all 15 minutes away from the office . Context and mood is everything .
We often say that the images we make are more about the place than the building .
What is MIR ’ s dream project ? Have you landed it yet ?
At first we dreamed about working with the big studios . After a while we discovered that it was not as rewarding as we envisioned . In the big studios , there are overarching hierarchies , and lots of opinions to juggle , mostly from people whom we are not very often able to talk to directly . This usually leads to a bad environment for creative work , and the process becomes rigid and tedious . No one is willing to take risks , so we then end up with “ elevation music .”
We ’ ve also done projects where the clients are more open-minded and are interested in letting us add our own flavor or take on the project . It can be a humble cabin or a great castle — it doesn ’ t matter .
We are currently involved in making a series of renderings of unbuilt architectural masterpieces of the last century . It will culminate into something big . It ’ s all very inspiring and we are able to take more control
Speaking of inspiration . how does the team stay inspired ? What activities and initiatives are implemented to keep your team refreshed and rejuvenated ?
Good question . We try to go on trips , have social lives outside of work . We don ’ t force our employees to work long hours and over weekends . We think everyone needs stimuli from hobbies and social lives apart from work . We also attend seminars , have nice lunches and loud conversations in the office , and on off days , we go on spa excursions .
See more of MIR ' s architectural visualization portfolio at mir . no
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