River House

Development Architectural and Design Visualization
1

Hi guys, I’m here to share the final version of my undergrad thesis project exploring UE4 as a medium for arch viz. You may have seen my previous forum thread, and while that was WIP, I felt like I’d make a new thread for the final product.

This project began in September of last year (at least in the planning stages) and is essentially the culmination of my four years at college as an undergrad. I’m happy with where this project turned out. It was a real struggle trying to figure out proper lighting for both interior and exterior at the same time and I would say it’s still not even close to perfect. At the same time probably equally challenging for me is the fact that I have no architectural background and have never taken a class beyond several art history courses which covered historical architecture. I drew a lot of inspiration from posts I see on this forum as well as other architecture and Arch Viz. forums around ilke CGArchitect and Evermotion.

I’m always open to critique and questions. Hope you enjoy!

2

Really nice work! I have enjoyed seeing this project come together. The house reminds me a lot of the house they filmed Ex Machina in, I love the style. I’m considering applying to RIT, were you in IGM?

3

Thanks! The Juvet Hotel, which was Nathan’s home in Ex Machina, was my main inspiration for exterior design. As well the location was also inspiration too.

I’m part of the 3D Digital Design program which typically focuses much more on, as the name implies, 3D design portion, although you’re pretty open to whatever field you like most (e.g. games, film, etc). IGM typically covers programming, game logic, storytelling, etc. If you want to know more, please feel free to PM me.

4

This is amazing, the mood of the video is perfect, the song is perfect, the photography is great, its not ultra bright is dark and, well, I loved it!

5

Nice work! Your hard work and attention to detail is very apparent in this project. My only tweak would be that of the final video. You did a great job of showing the difference in lighting and the local scenery, but I didn’t get a good understanding of the architecture of the space. Where is the front door? How many rooms are in the building? Is there a staircase?

Again, fantastic work. What do you think your areas of improvement are?

6

Looking back at this video, you’re right it doesn’t give a good impression of the actual architecture. I would probably say my shot choice was a direct result of what areas I felt were most polished in the scene; the shots not shown (stairwell, some hallways) I felt weren’t up to par and would probably detract from the video when shown aside everything else.

I think for areas of improvement it’d probably all come down to literally the architectural design which at this point I don’t really have any interest in changing; I would rather move forward with a new project. As I had said in my original post, I have no architectural background, so designing the building itself was a challenge. I think when I try another project like this I’ll try to scope down a little bit and base the actual architecture off of someone else’s design. My design severely limited my ability to effectively set dress because a lot of the rooms just didn’t end up making sense space-wise. I think that working off of someone else’s design, assuming their design is good, would help to make the space feel more lived-in just because the space is built with that in mind (as opposed to mine where it’s sort of arbitrary).

I’m beginning work at a major Arch Viz studio in the states in a month so I hope that some of the projects we do there could excel way past this one.

7

First of all, congratulations on the job :slight_smile: That’s great!

As you continue along in your work, you’ll learn more about the architectural layout of buildings and what goes into a well-designed space. I don’t have an architectural background either, so I can relate to this. The shots that you showed did a great job of showing what you are confident in.

8

Well, I disagree about the way SBiegun sees about the shots, I think that your view of the scene was artistic, not the camera style that is like a default on everybody’s minds who works with architecture, I think that what you did was more cinematographic and that is what made it better, It’s inspiring to see and it passes a feelingof nostalgy or something like that, really great.

9

Amazing work. I agree with , the cinematic approach was well executed, and I even feel that a step-by-step tour through the home would have felt at odds with the building and context - in any case, a walkthrough is as simple as providing the scene and allowing the client to wander about as they see fit.

Do you have any knowledge of eastern aesthetics? Your focus on the darkened, shadowy areas and textural imperfect elements (aged timber for example) seemed to hint at that. I’m specifically thinking of Junchiro Tanizaki’s “In Praise of Shadows”. Check it out sometime, it’s quite a short but interesting read and provides a good counterpoint to the idea that all spaces must be well lit at all times.

I’m a masters of architecture student in New Zealand looking at a similar topic. I’m specifically interested in a critical viewing of the typical architectural perspective rendering approach - that of the idealised building in perfect 3d space, presented as a 2d image. I should probably start a thread… maybe when my work looks half as good as this.

10

It’s great right eliontbnz?!, I made a project kind of inspired in what I saw here, I loved the dark feeling in the scenes, so I made one with a project I was working on too, here is the thread if you want to check it out.

I loved this scene from Thomaz, it’s really unique, I’m kind of tired of the usual way that everybody do architectural presentations, including myself, his video gave me new ideas of approaches.

11

great projetc! just one thing - how did you do the water in the flowing river? - I haven’t seen anything looking this nice around stones etc within the river. As UE4 is notoriously bad with its “water” features (non-existent except for the Learn tab contribution) it would be great to know if you made this yourself, or got it from somewhere else? Either way, hows it done??

12

Nice work but overall it’s too dark imo. Keep in mind that the job is to sell the project to the client, artistic work is fine but don’t lose sight of the goal.

13

Amazing … congrats :slight_smile:

14

Awesome!!! :smiley:

15

His goal wasn’t to sell a house. It was to visualise his personal viewing/understanding of appropriate lighting and materiality. The setting and context don’t lend themselves to an over-lit, westernised viewing of idealised architectural space, so I would say he’s got the level just right.

Who is to say dark spaces are of any lesser value than bright? What if the client requests that? What if the setting and context demand it? I’d suggest (and my thesis is concerned with this specifically) that we are too focussed on presenting place and space in a hyper-clinical, overly bright manner with no critical viewing of why we do so.

Food for thought!

16

You are so right eliotbnz. If you don’t know them already have a look at They are able to impose their style and mood and not follow the established pseudo ‘‘rules’’ of what architecture viz should be.

18

I’m willing to bet that a lot of the work on their site is just for their portfolio and not real commissioned work. I like their work but I don’t believe that a lot of it is for a client.

19

His goal wasn’t to sell a house. It was to visualise his personal viewing/understanding of appropriate lighting and materiality. The setting and context don’t lend themselves to an over-lit, westernised viewing of idealised architectural space, so I would say he’s got the level just right.

Who is to say dark spaces are of any lesser value than bright? What if the client requests that? What if the setting and context demand it? I’d suggest (and my thesis is concerned with this specifically) that we are too focussed on presenting place and space in a hyper-clinical, overly bright manner with no critical viewing of why we do so.

Food for thought!
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Just wait until you have clients! After 40 years in the field I can say there isn’t anyone that would accept that work as good that I know. Some of the scenes are pitch black, that isn’t showing anything.

20

I’ve been in the industry for a decade or so. What you’re saying totally resonates with me because I’ve heard it a million times, albeit from untrained clients and land developers. The problem with archviz (and architecture to a degree) is the tendency toward letting untrained people with zero creative nous dictate terms in what is a creative field. It’s absurd. We (though I’m not sure of your background) train for years and years in how to do the work we do, then let it go for snuff when a client demands a pretty, happy picture with a smiley little sun. Embarrassing and an indictment on the industry. There’s a process that should be followed that is aligned with the view of the designer, and the work itself. One size does not fit all.

Your comments on MIR’s work lead me to believe you probably run in circle concerned with a different approach to my own so I’m probably hitting my head against a brick wall. They are a hugely successful firm - they have simply positioned themselves well and stick to their guns with regard to a creative direction. We deal with subjective stuff here so it is what it is - I’m not at all implying you dont have ability in any regard btw, just that the system we work in encourages those who don’t to encroach on our work.

As a side, I didn’t see a single scene that was pitch black entirely that wasn’t intended to be - some elements of scenes were, but I believe that was intentional to a degree. It works as a compositional element right? What is obscured vs what isn’t.

Are you familiar with Juhani Pallasmaa’s writings on phenomenology? I think he deals with these things well - we work in a visual world, so how can we bring in some of the other senses? This is why this piece is successful - it has that haptic feel to it, it’s not some clinical white room with disconcertingly perfect lighting that seems to be genre du jour right now. I can smell the timber and remember the sound of the pine trees in the wind. There’s so much more to our field than making pictures that a rich developer thinks is good.

This is good chat, it’s good to challenge what we think is true! Can you link me to some of your work that you really like?

21

I’ve been in the industry for a decade or so. What you’re saying totally resonates with me because I’ve heard it a million times, albeit from untrained clients and land developers. The problem with archviz (and architecture to a degree) is the tendency toward letting untrained people with zero creative nous dictate terms in what is a creative field. It’s absurd. We (though I’m not sure of your background) train for years and years in how to do the work we do, then let it go for snuff when a client demands a pretty, happy picture with a smiley little sun. Embarrassing and an indictment on the industry. There’s a process that should be followed that is aligned with the view of the designer, and the work itself. One size does not fit all.

Your comments on MIR’s work lead me to believe you probably run in circle concerned with a different approach to my own so I’m probably hitting my head against a brick wall. They are a hugely successful firm - they have simply positioned themselves well and stick to their guns with regard to a creative direction. We deal with subjective stuff here so it is what it is - I’m not at all implying you dont have ability in any regard btw, just that the system we work in encourages those who don’t to encroach on our work.

As a side, I didn’t see a single scene that was pitch black entirely that wasn’t intended to be - some elements of scenes were, but I believe that was intentional to a degree. It works as a compositional element right? What is obscured vs what isn’t.

Are you familiar with Juhani Pallasmaa’s writings on phenomenology? I think he deals with these things well - we work in a visual world, so how can we bring in some of the other senses? This is why this piece is successful - it has that haptic feel to it, it’s not some clinical white room with disconcertingly perfect lighting that seems to be genre du jour right now. I can smell the timber and remember the sound of the pine trees in the wind. There’s so much more to our field than making pictures that a rich developer thinks is good.

This is good chat, it’s good to challenge what we think is true! Can you link me to some of your work that you really like?
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I understand your view point but the norm is about making money, selling a project, pleasing a client - the projects M.I.R., Dbox and others show and do are not the norm they are the exception. You can adopt the stance of the" I make renderings to make renderings not to please clients" and then if people like your work you’ll be hired that is certainly doable.

I am an Art Center person (design and photography) and worked for Gensler for 17 years, Walt Disney Imagineering for 3 years and have worked for many top 25 Architecture firms over the years as well as film and TV studios.

This is a portfolio piece of mine, it’s okay but most of my work is by paying clients, I don’t pad my portfolio with a lot of personal projects.

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