Aerial Montages | Exterior CGIs | Off-Plan Virtual Tour | Interior CGIs | Architectural Animation
Barnhill Place, a residential development currently under construction in Dalkey, includes 23 apartment units and 13 houses. Located on Barnhill Road, the project offers a range of two-, three-, and four-bedroom homes, as well as one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, all featuring access to communal open spaces.
For this project, we developed a comprehensive set of 3D marketing materials, including exterior and interior CGIs, an off-plan virtual tour, and a 3D animation. This article offers a closer look at the creation of each solution, discussing a few of the key elements and processes involved in their development, and how they effectively support our client’s marketing strategy.
One of the first steps in the project was capturing the ideal aerial image, a crucial element as it served as the opening for the off-plan virtual tour. The prime location of Barnhill Place enabled us to select an angle that showcased not just the development itself, but also views of Dalkey and the sea in the background. We chose a mid-afternoon shot to ensure optimal lighting for the communal open spaces, a consideration that also influenced our internal CGIs, and other visuals we produced in this project.
To create the exterior visuals, we worked in close collaboration with our client and the design team, ensuring we gathered detailed architectural, landscaping, and interior design information. This was important for bringing our client’s vision to life as accurately as possible.
Once the entire site was modelled and visualised, our team established five different viewpoints, three of which were ultimately chosen by our client. These selected angles were carefully chosen to showcase the various residential types within the development, including houses, apartments, and bungalows.
To offer potential buyers an interactive experience of Barnhill Place, we developed an immersive off-plan virtual tour of one of the 2-bedroom units. The tour begins with an aerial view of the development, dropping down to the open space area centrally located within the site. This approach allowed us to highlight the amenities and different house types in a single 360° shot.
Once inside the apartment, users can freely navigate through the entire space, easily exploring different rooms. The floor plan, located in the right-hand menu, enhances navigation by providing a clear overview of the unit’s layout.
A standout feature of this project was our testing with Virtual Reality. Adapting the tour for a VR headset required experimenting with new workflows, including modifying navigation options and hotspot designs. The insights gained from this process will pave the way for even more enhanced VR experiences in the future. Experience the tour below:
As virtual tours offer a full 360° experience, every aspect of the rooms had to be fully modelled and visualised. As a result, producing still interior images became a relatively straightforward process. After completing the virtual tour, our visualisation team set up new camera angles, rendered the still images, and then passed them to the post-production team for final refinements.
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, lighting was a key focus of this project. In the interior renders, our post-production team paid particular attention to natural light. For example, in the kitchen/dining room render below, natural light starts bright near the window and gradually darkens with blue tones further into the room, contributing to a better fall-off effect.
This solution can be presented as either short or long-form video walkthroughs, enabling our clients to showcase an entire site and provide potential buyers and investors with a comprehensive understanding of the project.
From the start of the Barnhill Place project, our goal was to create a seamless shot that transitioned from the driveway to the open-space amenity area, panning around to reveal the entire development in one fluid scene. Interestingly, in most of our projects, shots typically last no more than 3 or 4 seconds, so the challenge here was to find the right path speed while still moving through all the house types within the scheme.
As part of our process, we created early animatics to share with our client and design team, offering a preview of the animation’s path. These initial drafts allowed us to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments before rendering the final version. You can get a glimpse of these early renderings in this LinkedIn post. Watch the final Barnhill Place architectural animation below.
Combined, the solutions highlighted above became essential to our client’s marketing strategies, playing an important role in securing off-plan sales. Although Barnhill Place is still under construction, these renderings are already being used in marketing materials, including the estate agent’s website, brochures, and more. Potential buyers can register their interest through Sherry FitzGerald New Homes or by visiting https://barnhillplace.com/
If you require help or advice on any of your projects, please do not hesitate to get in touch. You can do so by booking a free consultation or visiting our contact page. We would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with you.
*Every project undertaken by 3D Design Bureau (3DDB) is handled with utmost discretion and confidentiality. We ensure that the details of these projects are only published when they become part of the public domain or after receiving explicit approval from all relevant parties involved.
Lucas Imbimbo
Digital Marketing Specialist
at 3D Design Bureau
lucas@3ddesighbureau.com
Over the years, the advancements in computer-generated imagery have transformed it into an important tool for property developers, architects, interior designers, and estate agents allowing them to visualise and improve their projects long before actual construction begins.
A Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) is defined by Dublin City Council as an area of land “where their development is considered to be of strategic national economic and social importance”. In Dublin, there are six SDZs, each aimed at generating employment and economic activity while promoting long-term development.
Whether you are part of the AEC industry or not, this guide, prepared by our team of experts, will help you navigate the planning system with confidence, providing valuable information on each stage and outlining projected timeframes for submitting an application
Thank you for your message. It has been sent.
