jtiscareno Posted April 6, 2005 Share Posted April 6, 2005 Just saw that HKS has a specific Viz department, not only as auxiliary to the main arch firm but as an independent department that not only offers viz services but also animations, web design, VR, etc. http://www.hksviz.com/ Any of you guys know of any other departments like this in other architectural firms, like SOM, NBBJ, Gensler, etc. If any out there knows or works in one of this deparments, please post some epxeriences of wokring in such a deparment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Mottle Posted April 6, 2005 Share Posted April 6, 2005 The company I am helping to launch right now started as an in-house design/viz department and will be a seperate entity in the next few months. What specifically did you want to know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtiscareno Posted April 6, 2005 Author Share Posted April 6, 2005 Thanks for asking Jeff. My intent is to get an idea of how many and wich firms have this sort of specific department established, be it a specific viz department or a separate "office" in itself like the one from hksviz. Is it just only the big name firms, like HKS, SOM, Gensler, NBBJ, etc or is it also the same (maybe on a smaller scale) for mid to smaller firms. The reason is that I am looking to moving to another bigger city , with a better and bigger market for my skills (architecture and viz). Dont have any one city in the US set, but trying to see what is out there and where. What are the "hot" markets. Some of the cities that we are looking into are (but not limited to): Houston, San Antonio, Denver, Phoenix, LA, San Diego, Seatle, Philly, Boston, etc... NY would be very nice and as Joseph said in another thread is always a hot market but with a family with small kids it could be quite a change. Maybe even Canada? I like it that up there you guys are more progresive than us 50 states down here (too many red states down here, LOL). Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanna_be_architect Posted April 6, 2005 Share Posted April 6, 2005 Where are you from Jorge? I know Texas, but what city? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtiscareno Posted April 7, 2005 Author Share Posted April 7, 2005 El Paso. Down here in the border with Mexico. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Gaushell Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 Based on my experience of practicing traditional architecture for 13 years, I would be surprised if many firms would use a viz company tied to another firm. The same problem almost always occurs when architecture firms are tied to engineering firms - the general additude is "I'm not helping those guys by working with their engineers - and they will see what we are doing" A little paranoid (not me), but a fact of business. I would think being separate is a better option in the long run - like my company, Paradigm Productions. But hey, I'm all for everyone else doing the combo route and losing work to the independant companies! Of course I'm a red stater..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtiscareno Posted April 7, 2005 Author Share Posted April 7, 2005 Cole, how are things in Dallas? What about San Antonio? Charles I dont think satelite viz departments of bigger architectural firms are going for the architectural viz market. I would imagine that being such big companies they have more than there share of arch work. I think they are going for a bigger and broader market, sort of lie you are doing going to museum, law and even the "hot" medical bioinformation (seems that it is getting a hot market). But this is exactly what I would love to here from you guys, what is going on in this satelite viz departments of architectural firms? What are the "hot" or growing city markets? etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Nelson Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 You should check these guys out. Seems like a pretty cool company. http://www.littleonline.com/flash/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcamper Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 Thanks for asking Jeff. My intent is to get an idea of how many and wich firms have this sort of specific department established, be it a specific viz department or a separate "office" in itself like the one from hksviz. Is it just only the big name firms, like HKS, SOM, Gensler, NBBJ, etc or is it also the same (maybe on a smaller scale) for mid to smaller firms. The reason is that I am looking to moving to another bigger city , with a better and bigger market for my skills (architecture and viz). Dont have any one city in the US set, but trying to see what is out there and where. What are the "hot" markets. Some of the cities that we are looking into are (but not limited to): Houston, San Antonio, Denver, Phoenix, LA, San Diego, Seatle, Philly, Boston, etc... NY would be very nice and as Joseph said in another thread is always a hot market but with a family with small kids it could be quite a change. Maybe even Canada? I like it that up there you guys are more progresive than us 50 states down here (too many red states down here, LOL). Thanks again! Yo, azkit!! Don't forget Dallas! If you are interested in 3d architectural delineation, then an in-house environment is really the place to be for pure creativity, but also lending itself to an albeit a very busy work environment. Almost every architectural firm I know has a "mostly dedicated" 3d production person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtiscareno Posted April 7, 2005 Author Share Posted April 7, 2005 Nice site TIm, thanks. By the way good luck with the second challenge! Pat, you are so right in saying that in the in-house enviroment one gets to experiment with diffrent techniques or presentations delivery but also work under a tight deadline. I imagine that in viz firms as well in architecture the tight deadline is always there. I am one of those "mostly dedicated" 3d persons in this firm, but I would love to be able to work and experiment more on the 3d viz aspect of the architecture bussines. Being able to work on the 3d wihile working on design and seeing how the 3d affects the design process is so exciting! Many architects say and repeat that 3d is only another tool just to present or make "pretty pictures" but they dont see the full imapct that 3d has on the whole process of architecture design and construction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Gaushell Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 Charles I dont think satelite viz departments of bigger architectural firms are going for the architectural viz market. I would imagine that being such big companies they have more than there share of arch work. I think they are going for a bigger and broader market, sort of lie you are doing going to museum, law and even the "hot" medical bioinformation (seems that it is getting a hot market). QUOTE] I hear you. And that is probably true. I guess what I'm really driving at, is this: 1. What type of work do you want to do? 2. How successful are those types of companies in growing and staying busy? We work for several large architecture firms including HOK and LRK and though they have 3d folks in house, they almost always limit what they do to preliminary studies. So if you are cool with that, then no doubt there are a lot of positions available. I know that others are different - so I'm not saying all, but from what I have been able to gather first hand, many. If you are looking for more "full service" animations and higher end illustrations I think you will find there are less in-house/tangental firms doing that - again some for sure, but a smaller percentage. But like Akzit says, it is pretty cool working on your own designs too - like I used to do when practicing architecture. That is how I got started doing this in the late 80s (I guess I'm old) On the other hand, we end up doing a lot of design work and many times providing design support services as most of our projects start duing early schematics. We rarely have interior information and get to have a lot of fun "winging it". Hey, as long as you love what you are doing - that is the key. Personally, as much as I miss some aspects of designing a building, there are other things that I get to do now that are much more fun and fulfilling. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRD Posted April 12, 2005 Share Posted April 12, 2005 I work for a large architectural firm, RTKL, in Dallas as the only full time 3d person. I do everything from early massing models, to design studies, to a few finished illustrations. Our current philosophy is that I will continue to do 3d work and then train other 3d interested designers how to do their own 3d design studies. So I do most of the projects in the Healtch Sector, some designers do renderings of their own work, or we have one dedicated hand renderer in the office also. Anything above that we farm out to independent firms/freelancers. RTKL tried to start up their own 3d "sector" based in the LA office about 5 years ago, but it somehow fell apart. So I think now the plan is to keep the 3d part lean and not try to have it get too bloated by attempting too many services to other clients. My experience at a big firm has been great. There are always interesting projects to work on and they are generally dedicated to keeping on the cutting edge of presentation technology. I've got a new dual whatever computer every 18-24 months and all my software is up to date too. It's true that I don't get to pick which projects I work on, like a freelancer would, but the benefits are great and you don't have to worry about where your next project is coming from. Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
werre Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 I work for Meacham & Apel Architects in Columbus, Ohio. I was hired about six years ago to start a modelling/graphics department within the company (which isn't national but a decent local size of 50+). Myself and another guy do nothing but architectural visualization. I haven't worked on a set of CD's for quite a while. We don't take work from other firms at this time. Some roadblocks have been removed in order to let that happen in the very near future. Apparently the work is there, or so I've been told. Anyway, we've been kept busy in those six years. It's not very often where we find ouselves with nothing to do (and end up posting to forums, lol). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devin Johnston Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 I work for a large firm in Houston and I'm the only dedicated 3D person in my firm. We have about 120 people working right now and I'm always busy, this week I'm doing 5 different renderings. The only problem with working at a big firm is that you don't get to pick the jobs you work on and unfortunately most of the time your not given the time you need to really do nice renderings. Most of my renderings are done in 3 days or less and on occasion I'll get to do a really nice rendering or animation, but for the most part it's pretty fast work. It's not all bad though I do have the best equipment, and the newest software, along with a pretty large render farm, so there are some perks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubasteve02 Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 I am Junior from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture. I am started to sway towards strictly 3dviz and animations as a passion of mine. I have to work a co-op this year and I would love to work a 3d modeling job, but it seems that Detroit isn't in favor of have people do viz models for them. I am willing to relocate for the summer if I have to. Does anyone have any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devin Johnston Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 If I were you I would send out my resume to every architecture firm in the area, your bound to find someplace that could use an intern to help out with Viz projects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubasteve02 Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 No, your lucky if you find any job at all in Detroit. I have tried for a month and a half. There was only 4 out of 72 who recieved any summer co-ops so far. I don't think Viz is a question in Detroit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Homeless Guy Posted April 14, 2005 Share Posted April 14, 2005 No, your lucky if you find any job at all in Detroit. I have tried for a month and a half. There was only 4 out of 72 who recieved any summer co-ops so far. I don't think Viz is a question in Detroit. so freelance for all of these firms who can't afford viz people. ..the certainly want the bling bling renderings. they just don't feel comfortable emplying someone to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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