Are you struggling to understand or make decisions on a complex project like an extension, engineering project or product? With any project in development, there are so many factors to consider and sometimes there is no better way than to have your idea in front of you, where you can see it, and understand better how it will look in reality. 3D visualisations are an excellent tool to achieve this.
This stunning modern home extension to a granite semi-detached in Aberdeen by local design firm AK Architecture was so unique that it required a visualisation to show exactly how the spaces would flow.
For this project, I simply worked from a set of planning drawings prepared by the architect, along with a few reference photographs of the existing building and site. However, I can work from any materials provided and pride myself on understanding exactly what the client wants to get out of a visualisation. Sometimes a single image can speak a thousand words, and in certain cases that's all that is required.
Following a brief meeting to decide how the architect wanted to portray the style of the building and its approximate finishes, I set to work, creating a detailed 3D model of the space. After this first step, I added accurate textures, lighting, furniture, trim details and planting.
The kitchen, living and dining areas are open plan but given a subtle separation by the varied ceiling heights and use of windows / ceiling lights to place natural lighting where required. The seating area is intended to feel open and inviting; the dining area encourages intimate conversations and meals.
This visual shows how the new extension will complement the style of the older granite building, really opening it up and creating a better interaction with the garden.
The interior lighting of the space can make a great difference, and can completely transform the ambience of a space- here I show one option for a subtle style of lighting to provide distinct pools at key areas.
The kitchen, as the main feature of the new extension, will be finished in high quality materials with a crisp modern style. The large island mediates between the work zone of the kitchen and the more informal living area.
This visual captures the kitchen ceiling, which slopes up at an angle to give a feeling of greater height, and allows more natural light to spill against the walls and into the space.
This is the set of plans that I was working from to bring this project to life.
This project was a lot of fun to capture, and I really enjoyed showing how a crisp modern space can work well in conjunction with an older and more characterful one without feeling jarring or out of place. If I had to put the success of this project down to a few key points:
Understanding what the client wanted to achieve
Immersing myself in his ideas and style
Being able to make a judgement based on the client's overall aim
Having suitable reference materials to work from
Understanding everything right down to the smaller details (in this case)
Knowing a bit about the field of architecture
If you have any questions or want to find out more about this or another project, I would love to hear from you, so please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Until next time,
Jamie C. Cameron