What is a 3D Architectural Walkthrough? | Top advantages for marketing | Project spotlight
3D architectural walkthroughs add an extra dimension to property marketing. They go beyond still images, transforming a building’s design into a video journey that guides the viewer through the detailed layout and spaces. This type of walkthrough has reshaped how real estate agents and AEC professionals present designs to clients, eliminating the need to rely on imagination by providing a realistic, virtual experience of a space before it’s built.
It combines 3D modelling, visualisation, animation, music, and storytelling, which results in an emotional connection with the viewer and the development. With video continuing to be a dominant form of online content, these walkthroughs have become an integral part of modern marketing strategies for the property industry. This is because video is well-established for its ability to significantly increase engagement and influence customer purchasing decisions, a key metric for developers, designers, and real estate agents.
3D architectural walkthroughs can be produced to showcase any space and come in many forms, such as:
3D architectural walkthroughs, also referred to as “3D architectural animations” are an animated 3D showcase of a development using full CGI. They are produced from digital 3D models that have been visualised to a photo-realistic standard. 3D architectural walkthroughs showcase all the design elements, both externally and internally, of a property development and its spaces.
3D architectural walkthroughs, use the same 2D to 3D processes as still CGIs. However, animated cameras are created within the model scene, rendered, and edited into one complete video sequence, bringing viewers on a guided 3D tour of the scheme. Some walkthroughs are a single, uninterrupted camera movement around or through a building, whilst another style of walkthrough uses multiple animated cameras (detail and wide-angle shots) edited together to create a video.
#1 Better Understanding: Most buyers and renters find it difficult to fully grasp 2D architectural plans, even when they’re paired with still CGIs. This can lead to confusion about a property’s design and layout. 3D architectural walkthroughs solve this problem by allowing users to explore a space in a fully immersive way, ensuring they have a complete and clear understanding of the final design and its layout.
#2 Presentation: 3D architectural walkthroughs are one of the highest forms of content to showcase a proposed development. They bring architectural plans to life by capturing every detail and layout in a photorealistic, engaging, and accurate way. This type of content breathes confidence in prospective buyers, tenants, and stakeholders.
#3 Increased Conversions: When it comes to running a marketing campaign, the ultimate metric is the conversion rate. By leveraging 3D walkthrough animations, you will be able to convert more prospects into leads and secure pre-sales and/or pre-lets.
#4 Emotional Connection: Great 3D architectural walkthroughs create a story for the end user to connect with. This is achieved through photorealistic visualisation, great camera composition and the use of theme, style, and music. Most walkthroughs are created to generate hype for potential buyers, tenants, or stakeholders to invest in a space. High-value content that establishes an emotional connection with a viewer is much more likely to be shared online than unemotional content.
#5 Accessibility: By hosting a 3D architectural walkthrough online, you are removing barriers and even anxiety for prospective buyers and stakeholders to physically view a space when it is completed. They allow you to showcase your space online 24/7 and cast a wider net with global reach.
#6 Stronger Engagement Levels: High-value video content works great when engaging a target audience. With more and more people watching video content on social media sites such as YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn, you can see firsthand how 3D walkthrough animations are being used in property marketing. Video content is more likely to generate social shares, likes and comments, which increases the awareness of a proposed development or space and ultimately leads to increased sales.
#7 Competitive edge: In an industry that is extremely competitive, and with online platforms being flooded with content, it is imperative to have that competitive edge. 3D walkthrough animations are one of the most powerful and impactful forms of content that easily set a marketing strategy apart from still images and text.
A project that significantly benefited from a 3D Architectural Walkthrough Animation was Gowan House, an approved student accommodation development in Dublin. This scheme features 899 student beds, 15,000 sq. ft. of community and cultural space, and 3,000 sq. ft. of commercial space.
To complement the full suite of planning and marketing deliverables, we created a real-time architectural animation of the development. The video offers a comprehensive journey, beginning with a view from the M50 motorway, moving through the key elements of the scheme, and concluding by highlighting the site’s connection to the Luas Red Line.
A standout feature of this project was the use of 3D population, which added a sense of life and realism to the scenes. The final video serves as a powerful marketing tool, effectively showcasing the scale and features of the development to a wide audience.
You can learn more about this project and the process behind creating its visuals here.
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