A lot has changed in our industry over the past ten years. From the way projects are appointed and who is behind them, to the architectural design style, along with the technology and know-how of the work we do.
Over ten years ago, our team was tasked with bringing a private luxury residence in the southern United States to life through our visualization expertise. It was one of numerous projects we worked on with our architectural clients Denis Rainho and Kermit White, who are both based in the state of Florida.
So, we decided to go back in time and revisit this amazing project to see if what we produced back then has stood the test of time or if technology, methodologies, and skillsets have evolved and changed far more than we know.
Yra Design Inc. approached us with a request to create two architectural CGIs. Their purpose was to assist our client in directly presenting the design to the mansion’s owner, who was facing challenges in making decisions regarding both architectural elements and material finishes. With this in mind, our client emphasised the importance of meticulous attention to detail and a photorealistic end product, to accurately illustrate the completed home.
Our team was supplied with a full set of CADs, a comprehensive material palette and a detailed landscaping plan, all of which facilitated the creation of the 3D visuals. Viewpoints were also key in the production of the CGI imagery with a main front view of the house and a rear view of the stunning infinity pool being setup. Through close collaboration and numerous rounds of comments, the end result of both CGIs was very well received and did assist design decisions between the architects and their client.
Ten years have passed, and our team decided to experiment with this particular project to see if the changes to workflows, methodologies and skillsets would make a difference to the final architectural renders.
Before “restarting” the project, the team discussed key aspects of it, such as lighting and camera positioning, which helped us align our expectations towards the outcome, establishing what improvements we wanted to see between the ‘before’ and ‘after’ of our work.
As we dove back into it, our visualization team recovered the old files and immediately hit a challenge when importing our past models into the latest edition of 3D Studio Max. Due to incompatibilities across different file versions and software updates, many landscaping elements were missing.
This meant creating all soft landscaping from scratch. “With no landscapes in our database from previous file versions, I had to research and look into old AutoCAD files to recapture the project’s essence. However, as they say, things happen for a reason. Creating all landscape assets from scratch allowed us to give a more sophisticated and modern look to the CGI, based on the upgraded software and assets that are now available to the team,” Rafael Soos, 3D artist at 3D Design Bureau.
Another notable evolution is in our methodology surrounding asset placement. By using new software and plugins, such as IToo, we are now able to easily create smart parametric objects across scenes, significantly enhancing the visual quality and efficiency of our team.
Ultimately, we executed a comprehensive update of textures, lighting, colour schemes, and compositional elements, all of which were geared towards an improved aesthetic of each image. Tweak to camera angles was also an essential part of the team’s conversations as camera composition is one the key components of great CGIs.
After completing the visualization phase and generating high-quality base renders, including all their channel passes, the project advances to our post-production team. This is an important stage that involves using Adobe Photoshop for image grading in the form of lighting, shadows, colour tones, and additional asset population.
Collaboration and close attention are essential to ensure a seamless integration of all elements in the overall imagery and to continue with the vision of the 3D artist and, ultimately, the client. As they say, ‘success lies in the details’. Our considerations stretched to the make and model of the vehicles, for example, chosen specifically to resonate with the property’s location and character of the visuals. Furthermore, if you review both final images, you will see that the team even carefully selected the sky’s colours to harmoniously match, suggesting the ‘photos’ were taken on the same day.
The infinity pool was an obvious focal point of the rear image and something that underwent change as part of this experiment. Matheus Brito, post-production artist at 3D Design Bureau, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome: “Achieving a realistic caustic effect on water is a well-known challenge in our 3D community. The ability to deftly manipulate the image in this project allowed us to achieve a fantastic result.”
Looking back, this retrospective project proved to be a valuable exercise. It provided an opportunity for us to review techniques, draw upon fresh inspirations, and experiment with innovative ideas. Not only did it allow us to reassess our work and reaffirm our standards of quality, but it also allowed us to see how much we have evolved over the years. With that said, we are confident that the team delivered a top-notch job ten years ago and in the present. Now, we will let you try and spot the real ‘as built’ photos from the new renders!
Located along the Atlantic Coast of Florida, Vero Beach boasts 26 miles of beaches, sophisticated residences, and protected wildlife. Distant yet accessible from urban hubs like Miami and Orlando, the city was elected the 7th Best Small Beach Town by Southern Living Magazine in 2023.
Now complete, and off the market, the luxurious residence we worked on features 8 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, and an array of elegant amenities including an infinity pool, a summer kitchen, and ample garage space for 5 vehicles. The Vero Beach mansion is valued at U$21,723,500, commanding a rental estimate of US$181,466 per month.
Lucas Imbimbo
Digital Marketing Specialist
at 3D Design Bureau
lucas@3ddesighbureau.com
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