Is it real or is it 3D rendering?

Recently, a friend invited me over to see her remodeled kitchen.

First, the good news… they opened things up nicely by knocking down some walls and improved the flow between spaces. Expensive custom-made cabinets, a massive butcher block island, tumbled travertine stone on the floors, and the latest Viking appliances was a good upgrade.

Now, the bad news… and after a couple of awkward minutes, we both stood back to survey the scene as she replayed the past nine months in her mind, and on her face. A sheepish grin said it all. “We went through three contractors to get this finished… we went 50% over budget and, frankly, neither of us are thrilled with the way it turned out.”

She went on to explain how the whole process drove them nuts. Unfortunately, I see and hear this situation all too often — after it’s too late.

Fortunately, there is a solution to this predicament. Today, my clients can see their dreams in living 3D color with architectural 3D renderings and fly-through animations. And thanks to new technology, 3D delivers homeowners and builders a view of the final product at reasonable prices. A rough estimate for 3D is about 2 percent of the total project cost. In their case, about $2000 of 3D renderings would have saved them thousands of dollars and countless hours of stress.

What are architectural 3D renderings and animation?

• 3D renderings are life-like photo images that give clients an idea of what their project will look like when it’s complete. It provides a visual representation of finish colors, textures, lighting and design. Using 3D renderings can help to reduce the risk of a costly redesign.

• 3D animation is like watching a movie of your new home BEFORE it’s built. Animation provides realism at the speed of life.

While a rendering shows the project from one point of view, animation show the project from multiple continuous views — giving viewers a seamless video fly-through experience as if you were a bird — from the inside out.

How do 3D renderings and animation help homeowners?

Every homeowner or investor has a common fear: That the space will not look or feel the way they expect. Renderings and animation offer clients the realism they need before a dime is ever spent on construction. Actual scale and proportion are keys in identifying problem areas. Considering alternate solutions is also a snap, because rendered 3D images are unbeatable in showing the strengths and weakness of the options when placed side-by-side, or faded from one to another.

Photo-realistic renderings give homeowners confidence in their design decisions and save a great deal of money. It is far less expensive to render areas of your home than to tear out something and have it rebuilt because you didn’t like the way it looked.

Why is 3D important?

There should be no doubt about the final product. Everyone should be on the same page. Everything from the degree of plaster texturing, to the type of flooring, from bull nosed granite edges, to the intensity of stain — all these factors affect each other.

Animated renderings reveal the combined synergy. The degree of sunlight and shadows for any given time of day or season can be accurately simulated. Custom materials and textures can even be created from a picture of the material you would wish to add.

Wondering about what a different appliances looks like in the kitchen? Done. What about the furniture for the living room? Done. People can also be added to give another layer of realism. Or add customized lighting effects. In fact, 3D renderings are often indistinguishable from existing buildings and provide the ultimate before-and-after.

3D architectural renderings and animation bring visions to life, in vivid realism. Ultimately allowing you to connect your dreams with your designer’s mission of producing a project that turns out the way you expect — on schedule and on budget.

Hofmann Architecture of Santa Barbara, CA provides their clients with 3D renderings and animation that look so realistic you’d swear it’s already been built.