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From Romantic Ruins to the Ultra-Real: A History of the Architectural Render

From Romantic Ruins to the Ultra-Real: A History of the Architectural Render - Featured Image

Throughout history, architects have used sketches and paintings to display to their clients the potential outcomes of the projects rattling around their minds. Since Brunelleschi’s adoption of drawn perspective in 1415, architectural visualizations have painted hyper-realistic imaginings of an ideal, where the walls are always clean, the light always shines in the most perfect way, and the inhabitants are always happy.

With technological advances in 3D modeling and digital rendering, this ability to sell an idea through a snapshot of the perfect architectural experience has become almost unrestricted. Many have criticized the dangers of unrealistic renderings that exceed reality and how they can create the illusion of a perfect project when, in fact, it is far from being resolved. However, this is only the natural next step in a history of fantastical representations, where the render becomes a piece of art itself.

Below is a brief history of the interesting ways architects have chosen to depict their projectsfrom imagined time travel to the diagrammatic.

From Romantic Ruins to the Ultra-Real: A History of the Architectural Render - Image 1 of 4From Romantic Ruins to the Ultra-Real: A History of the Architectural Render - Image 2 of 4From Romantic Ruins to the Ultra-Real: A History of the Architectural Render - Image 3 of 4From Romantic Ruins to the Ultra-Real: A History of the Architectural Render - Image 5 of 4From Romantic Ruins to the Ultra-Real: A History of the Architectural Render - More Images+ 5

How 3D Renders Helped Trigger Life-Changing Development for an Indigenous Surinamese Community

Since 2015, the tribal community of Apetina in the south Suriname jungle have added a women’s center and seven chicken coops to their village, and there are plans underway to realize a high school, elevated treehouses for ecotourism, a visitor center, housing projects, chicken coops, and more.

Paul Spaltman is the one-man operation behind the designs of these structures, but “everything started with these nice renders made in Lumion," he explains. "It wasn’t enough to show 2D drawings or simply tell them what the project was going to be. When they saw the actual 3D renders, it helped them believe the project was possible. They already had the design. They could see the construction and that the entire project was, more or less, thought out. They could see that the project wasn’t just a dream, but one step further.”

New Renderings Have Been Released for Jean Nouvel's Latest New York Skyscraper

The latest rendering for Pritzker Prize-winning architect, Jean Nouvel's 53W53 has been released in anticipation for its completion next year as construction reaches the 58th floor out of the proposed 82. Capturing the entire design of the new landmark, the render provides a look to the tapering structure distinguished by its sculptural quality and the three floors of gallery space in the tower’s base adjoining the Museum of Modern Art as part of their expansion.

As 53W53 grows in front of New York’s eyes, the concrete skeleton currently standing forms the basis for the exposed structural system referred to by Nouvel as ‘diagrid’ as the tower’s silhouette is an ode to the iconic buildings that already grace the horizon in New York.

New Renderings Have Been Released for Jean Nouvel's Latest New York Skyscraper - Films & ArchitectureNew Renderings Have Been Released for Jean Nouvel's Latest New York Skyscraper - Films & ArchitectureNew Renderings Have Been Released for Jean Nouvel's Latest New York Skyscraper - Films & ArchitectureNew Renderings Have Been Released for Jean Nouvel's Latest New York Skyscraper - Films & ArchitectureNew Renderings Have Been Released for Jean Nouvel's Latest New York Skyscraper - More Images+ 9

360° Renders: An Introductory Guide for Architects

Undoubtedly, Virtual Reality has come to stay while offering very high contributions to Architecture and Design. The possibilities offered by allowing architects, collaborators, and customers to experiment within a virtual environment, is a design tool that allows better decision making.

While VR allows the viewer to experience what it is like to be inside an environment, the 360 rendering processes the idea mimicking it to real life experiences as much as possible, trying to match specifically what the eye sees.

No matter what software you prefer to render with, below you can find some common tips and concepts that you need to manage to get good results when creating three-dimensional panoramic images to be visualized on VR. 

cutoutmix Offers Original, Modern Architectural Silhouettes for Renders

Italian architect and photographer Francesca Perani decided it was time to address the issue of garbled copyrights and tired stereotypes in architecture cutouts. With her site cutoutmix, she explains that she and her "creative gang" of female designers are, "improving the rendering visualization world with the help and talent of international artists." Right now users can access two of the collections for free, under a creative commons license.

12 Reasons to refuse to Render!

12 Reasons to refuse to Render! - Featured Image

Marc Joseph, from Young Architect, has written a post about one of those tasks you should try to avoid at all cost in order to make your life easier: 3D Rendering.

He wrote down 12 reasons why you should avoid rendering in your office:

1. You Will Lose Track of Time You can really get lost in your modelling. A whole work day can go by without you even realizing it. Worst of all, you can spend hours on a task that you expected to take a half an hour. In the end, you will find yourself staying later into the night while your coworkers punch out at 6.

Seen at Young Architect. More reasons after the break.