How to Pick the Right Team for your Architectural Visualisations

Life is an endless string of options that require us to make a choice, and for every choice – even if it isn't always particularly conscious – we make those decisions based on something.

 Usually, the more important the ‘outcome’, the more considered the decision – whereby we consciously weigh up various factors against one another.

 Cost is almost always one such factor. However, whilst it's often one of the first factors we notice or think about, it is in fact rare for most people to make their final decisions based on cost alone.

 In the world of property and architecture – and specifically, in the world of architectural visualisations needed for building projects and developments – it's no different.

 There are a plethora of companies to choose from, all offering something different… whether it's different prices, different types of visualisations, different speed of delivery, different quality, reputation, processes, experience, reliability, accuracy, etc, etc, etc…

 So ultimately, how to choose which company you'll use for your development's visuals comes down to what you need your ‘outcome’ to be… which of those various factors are the most important… and which you're prepared to trade off in exchange for another.

 What does your development need to achieve from its visuals?

 Everyone focuses on different parts of an architectural image or visualisation.

 Architects are typically focused on ‘their baby’ – the building itself. They want to ensure that the care and detail of their design is accurately reflected; that their masterpiece looks like the masterpiece it is.

 Planning officers and stakeholders within the local community, on the other hand, are more interested in the greater context: the impact the building will have within its setting – aesthetically, but also socio-economically, politically, environmentally…

 A prospective tenant is usually most interested in the reality of ‘using’ it: the practicality of the space, the lighting, the health and wellbeing considerations for those that will be living or working within the building… Investors are interested in the quality, the potential for ROI, the ‘wow factor’ it is likely to generate.

 Meaning that essentially, the ‘required outcome’ can vary fairly significantly depending on where you're standing… i.e. who is making the decision, and if they are considering whom the visuals are primarily being created for.

 So where does that leave you in terms of how to choose the best company to work with?

 Considerations for choosing the right team

 An architect who has placed significant focus on their design sitting sympathetically within its surrounding environment, and adhered to strict requirements on the basis of it being a sensitive project, is likely to lean towards using a team renowned for producing top-quality planning views, a company that will guarantee that these vital aspects of the design are clearly and accurately portrayed, so as to all-but guarantee that it will pass through planning.

 However, is planning the only stakeholder that needs to be considered in terms of what the visuals are needed for? Indeed, is planning even the main stakeholder?

 And if not, is that sort of visualisation also going to be reflecting the main points of interest to a prospective tenant, for example? Is that same company -– the expert of the Verified View – also the best at producing a comprehensive, story-driven architectural film? Or of an augmented or virtual reality presentation capable of giving the closest possible ‘real-life’ experience to a viewer, highlighting every aspect of that building – from its contextual setting to its reality of use, its lighting and space, its quality of design and nuanced material choice… is it capable of creating visualisations that have the ‘WOW factor’ the entire project may need in order to succeed… or of the ability to target and win over the highest-possible value clients in times of lock-down, when face-to-face or on-site meetings or visits aren't an option?

 Ultimately, architectural visualisation is about much more than simply creating a picture of a building… and it's even about much more than creating a picture of that building for one specific reason, and one specific stakeholder.

 Architectural visualisation is capable of being the defining factor between a project's success and failure – at any one of the many stages or hurdles along the way, and often, imagery is needed that can play a role in securing that success at multiple different stages along the way.

 An ‘image’ that accurately reflects the integration of a scheme within its existing context may be what is needed to get through the planning stages, but a planning win isn't much use to a development that can't secure funds, or tenants. 

The benefits of choosing the ‘right’ team

 A good architectural visualisation company, that has experience and a genuine all-encompassing knowledge and understanding of the architectural industry, will think – on your behalf – about what imagery is needed across the entirety of your project's journey.

 They will consider who the image(s) are being created for… of what different stages of the journey that same imagery may be able to be used, and of which of the many different types of visualisations now available will be most beneficial in the long-term, across the whole journey and in response to the multiple different aspects for which your imagery is needed.

 They will consider the best type of visualisations according to the exact conditions and situations your particular development is likely to face, and they will create imagery that conveys the right message, in the right tone, to the right people…

 And whilst that kind of company is unlikely to be the ‘cheapest’ option on the market, having weighed up what you will be getting – the advice, the quality, and most importantly, the high likelihood of eventual success for your development – it's a choice that makes sense.

 Not to mention the fact that ‘not being the cheapest’ doesn't mean they aren't great value… as they'll be working with you to maximise your chances of eventual and overall success at every stage of your project, and within the constraints of your budget, so in some ways you could say they are the most cost-effective choice in any case…

 I'm pleased to say our clients all consider us to be firmly in that ‘the right team’ camp, so if you need to find a visualisation team for your own project, let me know… we'd love to be your ‘right team’, too.