This activity is just an unhealty hobby...

[thinice]

Originally posted by Cesar R:

[QB] I am not an architect, nor I expect my rendering skills (if any) to make one. I am going to college to be an architect. and I do want to specialize in rendering and visualization (if there is such thing)

 

I am trained as an architect but now working on visualisation full time.

 

My opinion is that there is no such thing as an architect that specialises in rendering. You may on the other hand have a renderer with architectural knowledge/qualification.

 

Renderings is different from architectural presentation drawings (at least those renderings a client would pay for) and architects on the whole are not very good at renderings - that is why they or their client hires outside parties.

 

It is true that architects will increasingly use 3d images as their presentation materials but there will always be demand for renderings on top or other than what the architects can provide.

 

This is not true with CAD. The client don't give a damn whether you use CAD or not as long as the info in the documentation drawings does the architects job - which is giving enough info for the building to be constructed, approved etc.

 

If there is requirement for renderings to be includes as part of architects' deliverables, you may find that they will increasingly be done inhouse but as said earlier, there will always be demand for things above and other than those.

 

My advise; architects and renderers are two different profession. You have to make a choice. (Doesn't mean you shouldn't study architecture if you want to be a renderer, though)

[arch83]

The assessment that this isn't really free is true, someone still gets paid. But we feel we have a competitive edge in producing this material for the client at no additional expense during the design phase.

 

In the past we never charged extra for hand drawn, colored perspectives either. On a RARE occasion we would farm out renders to a professional artist, and still do, as well as professional CGs. It's becoming more rare these days except on some large residential or office buildings. We aren't or will we ever be a CG firm. This is just the tip of the iceberg for what we actually do.

 

Viz is just one more pencil in the box for us. It has helped us win many projects in the past two years that we would not have won otherwise. We just won a contract with a university for a buisness college building when we submitted a 5 minute animation of three seperate design concepts along with our written proposal.

 

And yes, competition is extremely fierce. That cliff usually stays about 6 months away at all times.

 

Our size of office can't support a CAD genius or a super CG artist. Most can't. But we EXPECT everyone to use CAD productively along with their hand drawing skills. We are now expecting each staff member to begin producing their smaller, more straight forward designs with ADT and link them to VIZ to transition them into the next set of tools.

 

My point was, if you are in business to stay in business you must keep ahead of the competition. We have two award winning design architects on staff and we have a fast and accurate production team. Everyone needs to know how to use the tools.

[Ernest Burden III]

My opinion is that there is no such thing as an architect that specialises in rendering...My advise; architects and renderers are two different profession. You have to make a choice...

Not really. I know of a number of licenced architects who make their living as renderers. My father used to do that, but he stopped rendering--he still has his architecture licence. Thinking of several of my friends in NY, they sometimes put their architecture skills to great use helping clients design what is being rendered. Sometimes the owner of a property only knows he can build within a certain envelope and hires one of these renderers to 'come up with something' that they will use to get financing, permits, whatever. There is a huge line of apartment buildings being erected along the west side of NYC (another Trump monstrosity) that were originally rendered by Dich Baehr AIA. There were NO designs, just a huge site and the zoning envelopes. The renderer designed the whole row of buildings, and what is being built bears a strong resemblence to what he painted.

 

It is not uncommon for at least some aspects of a design to be un-specified, leaving it to the renderer to fill in with design. Some renderers are architects and can do that better than someone like me who is an artist specializing in arch-vis.

[archkre]

I'm not an architect. I did have an affinity to the field, but I got here in a back door artist/technician kind of way. But along the way I've become friends with several ex-architects, and my friend if you want to make pictures and animations I suggest you quit architecture as they have, and give this field your full attention. My ex-architect friends tell me they would never go back.

Could you clarify this a little please?

I do not understand what you and the ex-architects are doing!

thanks

[Ernest Burden III]

I suggest you quit architecture as they have, and give this field your full attention. My ex-architect friends tell me they would never go back.

That is my experience, as well. I, too, walked in through the art door, bust most of the renderers I know are former architects. I do not know of ONE that has gone back, besides something like designing their own house renovation. Well ONE went back to working as an architect, but after a year or so (and he got set up in a pretty high-level design position in a big firm in Melborne that had lots of quality Pacific-rim work) he decided that rendering was really where he belonged.

 

If you have marketable skills in architectural visualization then you have a ticket OUT of 2D drafting forever. Just keep renewing your architecture licence forever to keep the option open, but decide that you want to be a renderer and don't accept anything else. You cannot be looking for clients while you are drafting. You need to figure out 'what you do' and do it, and nothing else. Be the ball, Danny.

[Richard McCarthy]

Yeh, I agree with what Ernest said

 

BTW, whatever happen to your animated Avatar Ernest?...that hopping mad man... I like it a lot ...

 

-RM

[Ernest Burden III]

BTW, whatever happen to your animated Avatar Ernest?...

CGarctitect does not allow animated avatars. The hopping man is on my website--you must have seen it there. He welcomes a return visit by you, it can get pretty lonely being stuck in a boring website. But please leave the scary clown at home--he's very sensitive.

[Cesar R]

Doesn't mean you shouldn't study architecture if you want to be a renderer, though

One of the reasons I am studing architecture is to learn the design process and how the elements that make up structures come together. I could very well just be a 3D artist who does architectural visualization, however I want to fully understand what it is that I am modeling or trying to recreate. I believe this will not only allow me to produce more accurate representaitions, but also to communicate better and know my product. I switched majors from regural CG to AGC because of this.

[Intern Harry]

In response to your thread I agree whole heartedly. After Paying 100 grand and four+ years of my life I agree that Architecture is mostly a drag. I started doing 3D stuff for the firm in my spare time. Bad idea. Now it is all about how quickly and cheaply can I fulfill their dreams which usually surpasses most hardware,software and human capabilities. Maybe I will take a civil service test and become a mailman. What do you think?

[IC]

I think you've replied to a 2 year old post.

[4DM]

I think you've replied to a 2 year old post.

 

HaHa! Thanks Iain, I never noticed!

 

But the sentiments expressed by everyone are just as valid today I should think!

We all go through tough times, and freelancing can be a lonely and insecure business at worst, but a highly rewarding and intensely satisfying one at best.

 

So how about an update from archkre?

 

Has he divorced 3 times? Is he back on the Prozac?

Or has he made millions? Is he a big player in Chicago, or somewhere?

Perhaps somewhere in between?

I hope things have worked out, and he's feeling happier these days, though.

 

Cheers,

 

D.