Posted by Kathleen Moore, CastleView 3D:
.
I was contacted recently by someone looking for 3D modeling and rendering services. He and his girlfriend had lived in their home for 13 years, and had done a number of upgrades to it. But they were at a point where the home’s floorplan configuration wasn’t working for them anymore. They wanted a larger family room and deck, an expanded first-floor master bedroom, bath, and walk-in closet, and a new main entry. They were debating between undertaking yet another major remodel/addition project versus selling and moving to a different house.
Proposed remodel floorplan drawn up by architect
Proposed remodel elevations drawn by architect
They had already consulted with an architect about their remodeling options, and he had done some nice drawings for them. But the clients were having trouble visualizing the changes from what the architect had drawn up (a floorplan and two exterior elevations). They asked the architect for 3D images, “like the ones we see on HGTV,” but the architect refused, saying he just didn’t do those. So they did an internet search and found my website.
Working from the architect’s drawings, plus photos of the current house, I was able to model the house in Chief Architect and produce some basic renderings of what the proposed modifications might look like.
Their place is an old farmhouse that has already been remodeled and added on to a number of times in its 100+ years, so there are numerous roof pitches and floor levels to contend with (always something of a modeling challenge). But I think the final images capture the essence of what the remodeled spaces would look like. Here are a few examples:
Front view with new entry
New entryway looking up
New family room looking towards kitchen and entryway
New bedroom with bath and walk-in closet
I haven’t yet heard whether this family has decided to go ahead with the remodel, or move to a new home. But at least with these 3D images in hand, they have more information to use while considering their decision.
One final note: The images I provided for this client are not high-end, photorealistic raytraces. These are just simple 3d renders to show the basic layout of the plans — sufficient for this stage of their decision-making. Detailed raytraces are more appropriate for the later stages of project planning, when trying to make decisions about final finishes, lighting, and decor.
Yes, that’s right!! You really can see into the future!
