Studio Garrison Process – Rendering and Its Value in Multifamily Design
Renderings are a common way to convey architectural designs and intent when designing a project. In the past, renderings were hand-drawn with pencil & ink and then colored with pencil or watercolor. Today, digitally created renderings help architects and designers design space and convey those designs to project clients, stakeholders, and local governments. Studio Garrison’s rendering process is a step-by-step process that helps develop a project to its fullest potential while simultaneously creating a digestible understanding of an intended design.
Schematic level renderings are often shown in black and white to study form and function.
During the Studio Garrison design process, rendering & the study of a space in 3D is introduced pretty early on. Once a program has been established for a project and we begin to space plan, we are simultaneously thinking about a space in 3D to consider volumes & their effect on how we want people to travel through, or interact with a space.
Schematic renderings are very simple at this point. At this point views are shown in black and white to focus on form opposed to materiality. Materiality is being considered in the background, but during the schematic phase we don’t want a lot of distracting elements to take away from the importance of nailing down key architectural elements.
Early design development renderings add color but still emphasize form, texture and materiality.
After the schematic design phase, once important discussions of form and layout have become more solidified, we move into the next phase of design development. During DD we introduce intent of color and materiality into our renderings. Exact finishes are still to be determined but we begin to have more of a grasp on what wants to be wood or what wants to be metal and so on.
In this phase we also have a better grasp of what certain furniture and art pieces need to be to convey our intended design.
Design development renderings function as tools to study volume and communicate features within a design.
Notice that in this next image, we are still in the DD phase of design. During DD our renderings are used to study and convey volumetric spaces. Elements at this point can still be moved around and shifted based on client feedback and internal design studies. The renderings allow us to better predict where conflicts and opportunities might arise in a design.
Renderings place a key role in the actualization of a design.
As the project enters its final phases at the end of Design Development and the beginning of Construction Documents, we know where major architectural elements occur and have a solid grasp of FFE intent. At the end of DD our renderings show intended form of a project’s architecture as well as defined materiality to be executed in construction documents.
Renderings play a key role in the actualization of a design.
Along with the benefits of our renderings in terms of study and conveying design ideas to stakeholders during the initial design process, the renderings produced can also act as an unofficial road map to a project’s eventual development. Often during the drafting of construction documents, members of the design team reference views to accurately document an approved design. During the building process we have also found it useful to use renderings to help contractors and subcontractors better understand design intent. Creating accurate renderings helps in every phase of the design process to seamlessly execute and intended design from start to finish.
Exterior renderings are also useful for interiors, sales, and historic documentation.