The Importance of Landscape Architecture in Digital Rendering

When most hear the word “architecture”, building design immediately comes to mind. With masterpieces out there such as the Palace of Versailles, The Louvre Museum, and the Taj Mahal, who could blame them? While building designs primarily give projects their worldwide notoriety, there is so much more to architecture!

These additional disciplines include but aren’t limited to interior design, facilities planning, sustainable design, and the topic of today’s piece, landscape design!

Landscape architecture is so intertwined with traditional architecture that most licensed architects will pursue additional certification in the field. Today, let’s explore what landscaping architecture entails, how it applies to the visualization realm, and how Hugo Render continually uses landscaping design to enhance our work.

What is Landscape Architecture?

Pump House Park Gardens: Hugo Render

Landscape architects in short are responsible for the planning and design of a project’s exterior features.

Their goal is to beautifully enrich spaces while keeping designs harmonious with the edifice architecture. This is normally accomplished through the use of natural elements, mostly flora. Examples of landscaping architecture are everywhere, but I’ve noticed that recreational areas and larger private residence projects get the most notoriety.

Aside from the sheer beauty of well - executed landscape designs, there are several other metrics the discipline alters for the better.

Texan Private Residence: Hugo Render

It is paramount that proper landscaping design takes the continual development of sustainable and greener architecture into account. Plants are known as air purification catalysts, and the biodiversity enhancement of certain areas can easily be achieved through a rigorous material selection process.

I also feel that landscaping design has a large psychological impact on overall mood. Which one of these renderings calls to you?

Landscaping architects work towards building an aura around becoming one with nature. Exterior spaces (ironically) should be meant to escape the bustle of the corporate world, and slip into a medium of tranquility and serenity, allowing us to become one with the natural elements. It’s a call for humanity to become more active and conscious, a call to enjoy the fresh air for once.

On a similar note, I believe landscaping architecture raises awareness of future developments; They remind us that as urban spaces expand and progress, nature must always be the foundation of our designs. Landscaping architecture, hand in hand with traditional architecture, will greenlight some incredible sustainable and modern masterpieces.

What is the Value of Landscape Design in Architectural Rendering?

Virginian Private Garden and Pool House: Hugo Render

Plain and simple, the nature of our practice allows testing a multitude of landscaping designs to ensure an architect’s certainty with their choices before hard implementation. The wealth of our landscaping inventory allows us to swap hundreds of plants or rocks out instantaneously, inherently giving us the ability to provide recommendations landscape architects may not have previously considered.

The modular nature of architectural rendering combined with the immense talent of landscape architects is a recipe for guaranteed client satisfaction the first time, every time. Our renderings combined with outstanding landscaping architectural plans add a level of enrichment to projects unheard of.

Hugo Render’s use of Landscape Architecture in Practice

Floridian Private Residence: Hugo Render

Landscape architecture adds an entirely new dimension to the field, transforming otherwise mundane buildings into beautiful and expansive spatial experiences. Landscaping will forever hold great importance in our work and our sheer experience and talent in the discipline will help set our renderings miles ahead of the competition.

With the widespread availability of 8K materials and textures and the increasing capability we have regarding the creation of our own photorealistic textures, we will continue to find unique and exciting ways to transform our projects into cutting edge and serene environments.

The Importance of Watercolors in Architectural Visualization

In an effort to shift towards an aura of abstraction, many turn to the world of watercolors. They’re a medium focusing on interpretation and opacity over physical design loved and appreciated by artists far and wide. We recently came across some watercolor renderings we did for the Science Museum of Virginia and wanted to share the importance of this medium with our followers. Join us today as we discuss the nature of watercolors and how they help Hugo Render provide additional enhancement to our work in the architectural visualization realm.

What are Watercolors?

Virginia Science Museum Courtyard Watercolor: Hugo Render

Short and sweet, watercolor painting is used as a translucent art medium. The paint itself is concocted by combining a colored pigment with a water - soluble binder, creating the faded effect we attribute with the artform. It’s a less abrasive method of painting used to enhance the overall colors and atmosphere as opposed to the direct subject matter.

The rougher image texture provides a lot more abstraction to the work and this method provides an excellent way to add a greater level of clarity and vibrance without too direct a focus; I’ve provided a few examples of some watercolor renderings we did on a private residence below;

Private Residence Exterior

Private Residence Kitchen

Private Residence Living Room

Alternate Private Residence Living Room

Private Residence Master Bedroom

Alternate Private Residence Bedroom

Private Residence Patio

Private Residence Grill

How do Watercolors Intersect with Architectural Visualization?

Arizona Community Watercolor: Hugo Render

Advancements in digital rendering technology have greatly benefitted architects; Watercolors have surfaced as a way to provide an artistic facet to their projects through the click of a button. To understand this, we need to get a bit nostalgic;

Before computational architectural rendering was mainstream, hand - drawn architecture was the primary method for stakeholders to understand their projects before construction. While the industry has trended towards photorealistic project emulation, we find a lot of value in this artistic metric and are happy to offer our clients the ability to pay homage to this long - standing tradition.

Rendering in this manner offers the best of both worlds; Watercolors provide an artistic ambience while rendering software brings a high level of customization and revision opportunities to said watercolors.

Private Residence Watercolor: Hugo Render

We also have to discuss the misconception that architectural rendering firms are simply hyperrealistic muses who slap some textures on a building, or trees around a yard, and this couldn’t be more delusional. In order to truly understand architectural rendering, you need to see it as the artform it actually is, a vessel transforming blank landscapes into a beautiful augmented reality, with a few touches to add a metric of uniqueness.

Watercolor renderings allow us to shatter this misconception entirely; The drawn aesthetic not only provides the familiarity with the fine art world, but also brings that notoriety and influence to our work that really helps it stand out against the mass contractors.

Richard Neutra Rice House Watercolor: Hugo Render

The emotions brought to light by watercolor artwork are simply unmatched. Watercolors play more towards the colors and mantras of the work over the actual subject matter, creating beautiful accenting that highlights the subject matter even more. This type of vibrance when compared to hyperrealistic renderings is unparalleled.

Many praise watercolors for their radiance with a soft and smooth aura. Photorealistic renderings are known to be sharp and direct; While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, some prefer a more impressionist interpretation with their projects, and we are honored to provide this alternative.

Hugo Render’s use of Watercolors

Virginia Science Museum Seating Area: Hugo Render

At Hugo Render, we wholeheartedly understand the importance of watercolors in our realm and are committed to continually providing our clients with these alluring masterpieces. They are a phenomenal and niche method of showcasing upcoming developments in a timeless and artful manner.

As the scene transitions towards panoramic images and virtual reality, we can’t wait to show the world the true capability of watercolors. Architectural visualization is one of the most difficult yet rewarding artforms on the market to date; Adding a watercolor dimension only makes the work even more extraordinary.

LaGuardia Terminal B Redesign: Reimagining the Airport

Airports are some of the most diverse and critical pieces of infrastructure in the rapidly expanding modern world. With the ability to connect cities 50 miles apart, or even countries separated by 5000 miles of ocean, they foster economic growth by providing business and vacation opportunities to some of the most unique destinations on the planet. As a pilot myself, airports are an escape from the urban bustle into the serenity of the skies, providing an opportunity to view the amazing progress of humanity from a very different and greatly unseen perspective.

HOK, one of the largest engineering and architectural firms in the country, was recently presented with the challenge of redesigning New York’s LaGuardia International Airport Terminal B in an effort to rethink ergonomics while improving efficiency and overall passenger experience. Join me, along with HOK Design Principal Peter Ruggiero, as we discuss current airport layouts, their inherent shortcomings, and how this information was used to redesign LaGuardia’s Terminal B into an airport of the future.

Peter’s career has been dedicated to reimagining all sorts of commercial spaces; However, he is well known for his role in projects regarding John F Kennedy International, Washington Dulles International, Newark Liberty International, and Chicago O’Hare International.

Types of Airports

Changi Complex: Future Travel Experience

There are three main airport terminal configurations; Linear, finger, and satellite.

Linear Configuration

Linear terminals are the simplest of the three, consisting of a building that separates planes and cars. Passengers enter the airport from the car side while planes jet bridge dock or park on the other side. Linear airports are very common for regional applications where aviation traffic is not as heavy. The Mangalore International Airport in Karnataka, India is an excellent example of a linear design, take note of the separation provided by the terminal building;

Mangalore International Airport: Wikimedia

Finger Configuration

The finger concept expands on the linear configuration through the extension of “fingers” to accommodate a higher volume of planes. The main terminal building is referred to as the headhouse, and fingers were seen as a simple yet necessary solution to transform former linear designs to accommodate the rapid growth of the airline industry. The check - in area is on a wall when entering the building from the street side, and the security area usually bisects the headhouse horizontally. 

This concept revolutionized flying and allowed airports to accommodate even more regional and short - haul international aircraft; However, the configuration was unable to accommodate the sheer size of long - haul airplanes such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380 following their introduction in the 1990s. The old LaGuardia terminal is an excellent example of this design, note the four fingers;

LaGuardia International Airport: Meredith Corp

Satellite Configuration

The satellite configuration promised to be the best of both worlds, providing a dedicated headhouse for check - in and security while allowing planes to jet bridge dock at “satellite” terminal locations. Architects have become quite creative when designing headhouse satellite connections, the most common are sky bridges, underground tunnels, or even automated light rail systems. Terminal 1 at Charles de Gaulle is a phenomenal example of a satellite configuration, where the satellites are connected to the headhouse through a system of tunnels;

Charles de Gaulle International Airport: AlterVista

External Logistics and Improvements

LaGuardia International Airport Terminal B: HOK

The main logistical problem with LaGuardia’s former Terminal B arose due to the archaic finger design. Panes were unable to park in headhouse connections, and were also inhibited from taking the shortest path towards the active runway, as they were forced to travel around the fingers. The red arrow represents the current taxi path, while the green arrow represents the optimal taxi path;

LaGuardia Taxi Inefficiency Diagram: Hugo Render

Through the use of a satellite sky bridge design, aircraft were not only granted the ability to congregate around all sectors of the terminal but also transit under said sky bridges to quickly and efficiently taxi to desired runways, greatly reducing congestion, and improving logistics, consult the diagram below;

LaGuardia Gate and Taxi Optimization: Hugo Render

Another glaring issue with the old infrastructure was the fingers creating an excessive amount of decision points. Decision points are self - explanatory, areas within the design which passengers must enter a point of no return, per se. With the headhouse - satellite configuration, decision points are reduced to a single point, so users can understand clearly when to proceed from the get - go, see diagrams below;

Old Terminal B Decision Points

Old decision points for LaGuardia’s Terminal B, denoted by red Xs

New Terminal B Decision Point

New Terminal B decision point, denoted by a single green X

Terminal Logistics and Improvements

Peter’s mantra behind redesigning the terminal was based on solving frustration provoked by long lines and compressed spaces. The goal of the project was to construct a more flowing and open area meant to facilitate self - navigation through visual cues.

Check - In Area

Most check - in locations in today’s airports are long and walled, offering customers no perception of where they’re headed. This shortcoming also inhibits the flow of people who don’t require physically checking in, leading to a clustered and delayed experience. Island counters not only allow for a more open and progressive design, but also ease the overall strain usually associated with entering airports, I’ve included a diagram below for reference, the yellow boxes represent check - in islands;

Terminal B Check - In Area: Hugo Render

Security

Security in the previous terminal iteration was implemented at the base of finger - headhouse connections, which not only caused congestion but also put a great limitation on the amount of baggage scanning machines able to fit into the space. The new Terminal B security bisects the headhouse, facilitating a shift from 12 stalls to 22, making this single security location the sole design decision point.

The area also features a significantly higher ceiling for spatial illusion, and an expansive glass window facing the airfield. This not only opens up the space dramatically but also helps passengers get a much clearer idea of where they’re headed; Both concourses and most gates can be seen from this window. I’ve included a diagram below, outlining the security area in green;

Terminal B Security Selection: Hugo Render

Departure Area

In the previous Terminal, space was constricted to 60 feet in width and around 10 feet in height, as seen below, I feel the negatives here are self - explanatory, it literally looks depressing;

Former LaGuardia Terminal B: Aureus

This space was enlarged to 120 feet in width, and around 60 to 80 feet in height, creating a much larger scale and promoting openness in the area; Passengers want to see as much as possible when transiting an airport. I encourage viewing the departure area renderings in the gallery below;

Terminal B Eastern Concourse

LaGuardia’s Terminal B Eastern Concourse renderings provided by HOK

Terminal B Eastern Concourse Alternate

Alternate renderings of LaGuardia’s Terminal B Eastern Concourse provided by HOK

Terminal B Eastern Concourse Commerce

Commerce in LaGuardia’s Terminal B Eastern Concourse as provided by HOK

Baggage Claim

The baggage claim is normally one of the most congested areas in an airport. Most modern carousels are designed around these enormous pillars, which inhibit the usable space of the belt. The solution here is simple; Create an island style concept similar to the check - in area. Carousels would be placed near no pillars to allow maximum congregation around the belts, and 60 feet apart to provide passengers without bags a fast, direct, and easy egress of the terminal. Consult the Terminal B Check - In Area diagram for a visual interpretation of this concept.

Hugo Render’s Involvement in Commercial Sector Redesigns

Beijing Daxing International Airport: Wikimedia

What HOK was able to accomplish with the LaGuardia Terminal B redesign was absolutely incredible, and truly attests to their prowess as one of the top architecture firms in the world. I encourage checking out their publication here, and Peter Ruggiero’s in - depth design explanation below, the inspiration for this article.

Rethinking commercial architectural design will be imperative with time, especially when factoring in the world’s rapid population growth. Designs will need to primarily focus on efficiency while promoting ergonomical spaces. Hugo Render is more than ready to breathe life into any illustrious concepts that may arise, no matter the scale and complexity of the project.

Our panoramic images and virtual reality capabilities will showcase said designs in a medium promoting excitement and elation, ensuring conception and reality align before any ground is broken. Terminal B’s redesign is an absolute feat of architecture and engineering, and we can’t wait to see which sector is next in line.

Missing Middle Housing: Urban Density Meets Suburban Architecture

I recently came across a book called Missing Middle Housing by Daniel Parolek, the founding principal of Opticos Design, an architecture firm we’ve had the privilege of working with in the past. I was very intrigued by the concept of these missing middle housing types and had to share. Let’s explore exactly what missing middle housing is, a few examples of these missing middle types, and the goal they are set out to accomplish.

What is Missing Middle Housing?

Missing Middle Housing in Practice: Opticos Design

With exponential population growth, urban high - rises and single - family homes have become the leading options for municipal dwelling. Single - family homes offer a sense of comfort and freedom, an escape from the downtown bustle, while high - rises place tenants right in the middle of the action, fostering true cities that never sleep. 

Missing middle housing intends to close this drastic gap by creating multi - family units that fit contextually into suburban spaces, presenting some new and unique ways to organize edifices on singular sites. Missing middle housing sits on the sweet spot of the spectrum, presenting pristine locations and suburban styling at an affordable price point.

They are coined “missing” middle houses due to the plethora of regulations and zoning barriers in place that prevent these types from being built. Most existing middle housing units were constructed during the 1940s when laws were more favorable.

What are some Examples of Missing Middle Housing?

Missing Middle Housing Diagram: Opticos Design

This slideshow below shows a few types of these missing middle houses. I’d also like to note here that existing corner lots are prime real estate for these missing middle types, simply due to the increased space they offer. While viewing the slideshow, I encourage thinking about how these homes would fit in your surrounding neighborhood, per se.

Duplex

Duplex example by House Plans

Triplex

Triplex example by House Plans

Fourplex

Fourplex example by House Plans

Cottage Court

Cottage court example by ProBuilder

Townhome

Townhome example by House Plans

What is the Goal of Missing Middle Housing?

Townhome Units: NAHB Now

The primary motive behind the missing middle housing movement is to develop suburban areas into higher volume neighborhoods without drastically altering the architectural mantra of the area. Population growth is constant and increasing, and the housing construction market must match this growth to keep up with demand; However, skyscrapers and apartment buildings, while being the easy way out, aren’t necessarily the answer to this problem.

One of the most common ways to implement these missing middle housing types is through alteration of existing buildings into these new and somewhat creative architectural styles. In this video by The Tyee, we explore how a former car repair business, a church, and even a rustic single - family mansion have been transformed into affordable yet timeless multi - family housing solutions.

Missing middle housing types also enhance the sense of community in the area. Smaller yet denser shared dwelling spaces have been proven to promote and improve neighborly interactions; Single - family homes and urban high - rises tend to lean towards privacy and separation.

At the end of the day, I feel neighborhoods really aren’t against the construction of these multi - family properties; They’re really against incompatible projects that severely harm their property values, and that makes sense! People are more than open to creating a larger vibrant community, as long as it doesn’t transform their neighborhood into Gotham City.

Hugo Render’s Involvement in the Missing Middle Housing Sector

West Broad Village Townhomes: Hugo Render

If there’s one thing to take away from this publication, it’s the fact that prosperity and growth does not have to be displayed in the form of these landscape - altering developments. There needs to be a nationwide push to alter zoning away from single - family, with restrictions put in place, of course, to accommodate these missing middle housing types. Building and development firms also need to understand the importance of missing middle housing and consider investing in the sector.

Architects are extremely skilled professionals with the ability to design some daring and beautiful missing middle concepts, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with. It’s a chance to offer a renaissance, a renewal to overlooked urban neighborhoods. 

Hugo Render has actively engaged in a few missing middle housing projects including various townhomes, and we’ll be more than ready to handle whatever comes next in the sector. Population growth will forever be constant; The design and construction of these missing middle types is a beneficial and cost - effective solution to all.

If you’re interested in learning more about missing middle housing, we encourage visiting https://missingmiddlehousing.com/.  

Virtual Tours: Museums and Universities in a New Light

2020 has thrown some treacherous challenges at humanity, most notably dealing with the highly contagious, often symptomless Coronavirus. In an effort to combat the viruses airborne nature, social distancing has been heavily encouraged, driving us towards a world of virtual experiences.

We’ve seen artists host concerts on Instagram Live, the NBA continue their season through a quarantine bubble, most of our readers are currently working at home over Zoom! The world has drastically changed this year, and we’ve adapted quite well.

However, social distancing has left certain industries in a scramble, mainly the ones that thrive in highly populated environments, universities and museums to name examples. How do these institutionalized operations hastily adapt to the new digital norm?

Today, let’s explore how virtual tours not only ease this transition but also have the potential to quadruple pre - pandemic business.

Bigscreen: Our Virtual Tour Inspiration

Bigscreen: The Burn - In

A few years ago when virtual reality entered the scene, I remember seeing an advertisement for Bigscreen. It was an experiment by Oculus to bring a social cinematic experience to a plug and play virtual reality headset, and boy was it exciting! You could make an avatar, join your friends, and watch a featured presentation. Really cool stuff, but that’s not exactly what got my attention.

Bigscreen Lobby: Road to VR Live

The cinematic experience? Out of this world. Before movies, you’d enter a lobby area outfitted with a box office, concession stand, movie posters, a full arcade, an environment above and beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

And that doesn’t even begin to describe the theatre rooms! We’re talking dynamic cinema environments that change designs to match films, trailers for the early birds, 3D capability, private parties or public showings, this was the virtual environment we never knew we needed.

It was more than just watching a movie with people, and that’s what I loved! You got the full movie theater experience, which is what makes it worth going to movies in the first place! This experience metric is something I believed could be conveyed in all sorts of industries, mainly colleges and museums for the purpose of today’s piece. I encourage checking out this Bigscreen review to fully understand my vision.

What is a Virtual Tour?

Museum Virtual Tour: Simpleview

Short and sweet, a virtual tour is a guided remote experience allowing for immersion and exploration of a location without physically being in said location. They can be created with panoramic images or 3D renderings, and be displayed through various electronic devices, most notably computer screens and virtual reality headsets.

This isn’t new technology and has been used for years by real estate firms, various showrooms, and stores. Despite the tech’s heavy revival due to COVID 19, they aren’t as uncommon as you’d think! If you’ve ever used Google Street View, you’ve been inside a virtual tour!

Virtual tours can be further broken down into three categories; Live tours, self - guided tours, and animated tours.

Live Tours

Live tours are guided by knowledgable industry professionals, who are always ready to ensure questions are answered as they arise. They are also great at making sure everyone is confident before continuing on with the tour.

Self - Guided Tours

Self - guided tours are fully user - controlled, offering high levels of interactivity and movement within the tour environment. They are my favorite tours, and usually contain interactive panels to guide users along.

Animated Tours

Animated tours are fully hands - off, guided by knowledgeable professionals and / or scene annotations. They normally come in the form of videos that can be paused at user discretion. Animated tours are excellent for straightforward spaces that don’t need much explanation.

College Virtual Tours: A Candid Campus Experience

Modern College Campus: imgix

A quick YouTube search is all that’s necessary to confirm “virtual college tours” already exist. Some colleges have recently uploaded these student - guided excursions, while others have had them for years.

They’re not good enough.

They’re rushed, broad, vague, nothing like the on - campus tours they’re meant to replicate. Deciding on where you wish to pursue higher education is a very important decision and as an incoming freshman, utmost detail regarding the layouts of dorms, classrooms, even the campus as a whole is paramount.

Prospective students and parents alike would enjoy digitally rendered live campus tours. They’re a chance to see every inch of the campus firsthand, with an experienced student at the helm to take any questions or concerns that may arise.

But don’t count out self - guided tours! Some incoming freshmen may prefer to freely roam the campus without the constraint of a live tour. It offers the same level of immersion, but at the pace of the user. Annotations can highlight important areas, and questions can simply be emailed.

Most colleges will opt for animated tours, which are by far the easiest to make on our end. Because they are sectored, they offer structured and focused experiences on various areas in the institution, rather than a full - on tour of the entire campus. Since these are usually in video format, they’ll be heavily annotated or narrated, and questions can be directed to comments.

Self - guided and animated tours are best for colleges, mainly because they don’t require much maintenance. Live tours, however, offer an extra dimension of excitement, which goes a long way in the application decision process. We can shorten college tour times from days to hours, and make them safer in these precarious times.

Also, think about the wider array of students that tours will be broadcasted to! These tours will drive application numbers through the roof, creating a potentially infinite investment return.

Museum Virtual Tours: A Digital Cultural Immersion

Louvre Museum: MuseumNext

The Louvre, the Taj Mahal, the Forbidden City; Iconic relics of the past many recommend visiting at least once in your lifetime, but require several hours, if not days of travel from the United States.

Don’t be fooled, this is a two - way sentiment! Travel prevents many from visiting our treasures such as the National Air and Space Museum, or even the Museum of Natural History! Our virtual museum tours promise to finally open these doors, providing the population with a stunning cultural experience minus the staggering travel costs.

Live museum tours will be a patron’s best friend, connecting them with a curator able to not only walk them through the museum but also enlighten them regarding the history and inspirations behind the work, answering any questions to their heart’s desire. As a museum, this personal factor is extremely important.

Self - guided tours allow patrons to explore the museum freely, interacting with the scene through annotations or panels. Animated tours can offer a continuously annotated experience, with the voice and passion of a curator moving the tour along.

Cultural knowledge is very important in today’s society, and our virtual tour museum environments will share this once inaccessible knowledge to millions. Virtual tours will also provide an additional income stream to museums, ensuring they are able to spread this cultural mantra at the utmost ability, as safe as possible.

Hugo Render’s Involvement in the Virtual Tour Sector

The Louvre Abu Dhabi: Conde Nast Traveler

Hugo Render is more than capable of creating virtual tour environments, and we aren’t limited to universities and museums! Instructional navigation is on the rise, and animated tours will greatly transform this sector, whether it’s traversing confusing airports or gargantuan theme parks.

Our renderings, paired with Unreal Engine’s game - like mechanics can build virtual tour environments on a level of photorealism and usefulness never achieved before. Compound virtual reality and 360 - degree imagery into the mix, and we’ve got a recipe for excellence. 

Imagine pairing these virtual tours with platforms such as Zoom, to create safe yet enriching experiences for the entire family, no matter where they reside on the planet! The pandemic threatened to destroy some industries forever; Virtual tours not only provide them with a necessary safety metric but also offer exposure with the potential to make these businesses achieve a level of prosperity never imagined!

The Rise and Fall of the Skyscraper

“If you can’t build out, build up”

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871, while extremely detrimental to the municipality, offered a blank canvas on which architects and engineers could design revolutionary urban marketplaces, leading to the construction of the Home Insurance Building in 1885. This new class of edifice was deemed a “skyscraper”, a high - rise structure with literal capability of cutting through clouds.

Skyscrapers were seen as a means to offer consolidated office spaces with close connections to city centers, or prime residential real estate with premier access to downtown amenities. They promote heightened economic advancement due to increased population density.

Some countries saw the structures as a means to break records, while others viewed them as an obligation to progress urban development. No matter who you side with, they are a means to announce the prominence of a nation on the world stage and quickly became a monument of financial prosperity.

Despite these overwhelmingly positive effects, many cities around the world have begun to shy away from the gargantuan structures, some even outlawing them altogether. Join us, along with The B1M, as we seek to understand the rise and fall of the modern - day skyscraper.

London: The Jetstream Meets the Streets

London Skyline: EMAP CDA CN

Despite London not being planned out as a large city from the beginning, it has become a financial titan on the world stage. A short drive around the city provides all insight necessary regarding the outdated infrastructure of the area. Streets are extremely narrow and randomly laid out, unlike the more efficient grid designs we see on a daily basis.

During my trip to London a few years ago, we got stuck behind a delivery van unloading merchandise… For half an hour!

Growing the skyline was paramount to keep up with the demand for space in the most densely populated sector of the United Kingdom, leading to the planning of several skyscrapers. With that being said, London holds great value in its historical architecture and has enforced strict regulations on construction. Skyscrapers can in no way harm the city’s past, and can’t block sightlines to major historical landmarks.

So where did they go wrong?

Regulations failed to account for skyscraper density and modern architectural design mantras.

The sheer amount of skyscrapers concentrated in the financial district coupled with the sharper and more angular designs the industry has shifted towards created an artificial valley of sorts, directing cold and fast winds onto the streets below. Windspeeds have become so severe that pedestrians and cyclists alike have been knocked over while transiting the area. This has negatively affected the precinct, isolating the area, especially during the winter months, an oddity when compared with the bustling and vibrant life seen throughout the rest of the city year - round.

London has sprung into action, implementing “wind guidelines” into planning practices, but it may already be too late. Fred from The B1M has done an outstanding publication on the issue, and I encourage viewing below!

China: The Sky is no Longer the Limit

China’s international economical influence has grown exponentially in recent decades, creating a breeding ground for thousands of skyscraper developments. More skyscrapers have been built on Chinese soil in the last 30 years than in the United States of America during the entire 20th century.

Despite this boom, the nation has elected to place strict regulations on skyscraper construction for a multitude of reasons. Many feel the architectural mantra of new skyscraper projects isn’t very representative of Chinese culture. There have also been quite a few “plagiarized” developments receiving heavily negative international press. Skyscrapers also come with astronomical building costs, making them very uncertain investments. Factoring in that many real estate development companies are partially held by the state, big bailouts to these projects are frowned upon.

The chief reason for regulations? China sees skyscrapers as vanity developments, vessels meant to break records, rather than edifices that offer a clear benefit to the state.

New buildings over 500 m (1640 ft) are prohibited from construction. In reality, any building over 250 m (820 ft) in height is targeted, and nothing above this height will be built unless absolutely necessary. Even if they qualify, projects will be subject to heavy scrutiny by firefighting, energy - saving, and earthquake committees.

Once again, The B1M has done a stellar segment on the issue, have a look!

What Comes Next?

Dubai Sustainable City: Citygreen

“Maybe we build outwards after all”

China’s mantra going forward is a focus on creating economical, sustainable, and beautiful cities, a focus on deriving a city plan from scratch and getting it right the first time, rather than molding existing infrastructure into something it clearly isn’t, and Hugo Render agrees! There needs to be an emphasis on inhabitants and practicality.

COVID 19 has shown us the viability of remote work in most cases, which I believe will lessen demand for central city offices, therefore, skyscrapers. Companies will begin to realize that productivity holds more value than location, and will divert budgets accordingly.

This does not call for the death of brick and mortar locations, but instead their reimagination, potentially through investments in satellite cities and standalone communities. We’re talking offices in locations that significantly lessen commute times, or even full - on company campuses, which we’ll explore in another piece in the near future.

Whether skyscrapers are here to stay is heavily debated, but regardless of how futuristic urban architectural development unfolds, Hugo Render is more than equipped for the challenge. Whether it’s conceiving a skyscraper that better integrates into existing cityscapes or reimagining how we construct an entirely new type of city, we are excited to help builders and developers visualize urban centers of the future.

The Importance of Architectural Visualization in Real Estate Development

It’s no secret that the architectural visualization world and flourishing custom real estate market are heavily correlated. While planners rush to capitalize on emerging districts, 3D renderings are paramount in all phases of the development process from brainstorming to sale. Today, let’s understand exactly what real estate developer does, and how our renderings can provide an incredible yet necessary dimension to their work.

What is Real Estate Development?

Real Estate Developer: Construction Executive

Real estate development is an art form of sorts, transforming a blank and barren canvas of land into a community center, melding with while completely altering the surrounding environment. Developers are muses, guides at every step of the way to ensure a firm’s fantasy becomes tangible actuality. A few of their obligations entail;

• Finding investors and securing loans

• Employing architectural and engineering firms to plan developments

• Selecting contractors and construction firms to build the projects

• Working closely with realtors to monetize the development for profit

But the paramount responsibility of a developer? Feasibility and research. They need to be visionaries, conceiving a development from scratch, while ensuring said development has the potential to yield great economic impact in an area before real work begins.

So where does architectural visualization come into all this?

How do Architectural Renderings help Real Estate Developers?

City View Marketplace: Hugo Render

Architectural rendering; The process of turning complex civil plans into beautiful and authentic actuality. The short answer to this question? We work with architects to simplify plans and provide hands - on material which developers, construction firms, and realtors alike can use to their advantage. 

Developers

Real Estate Developer: Satyamev Group

No developer will say this directly, but I will; Securing investors for a proposed site is without a doubt the most important aspect of a project. The problem? Casual real estate investors are likely to struggle to interpret complicated, technical architectural and engineering plans. Feasibility aside, investing is a game of emotions!

Investors what to see a design interpretation, how a project melds with the surroundings, if it has a mantra they can get behind! What better way to get the feel for a theoretical space than, I don’t know… A 3D rendering!

Top - quality renderings not only inspire utmost investor confidence but also build an aura of excitement and elation around a project! This turns potential investors into committed ones, and can create a buzz around the development, snowballing even more capital!

Construction Firms

Construction Site: Perry Martel International

It’s a given that architectural and engineering schematics are paramount to builders, but renderings very much have a place in their work!

On - site teams have praised our renderings for their ability to help teams understand a space in real - time. There’s no better visual metric for tracking progress regarding structural development.

In - house executives love the renderings for their ability to bridge the stakeholder communication gap; Necessary alterations can be quickly and effectively discussed with architects and developers, leading to confident and timely revisions. All in all, our renderings ensure builders have a concrete understanding and capability to carry out a developer’s vision to the utmost accuracy.

Realtors

Commercial Realtors: Howe Real Estate

Realtors and developers love our renderings the most, and it’s not even close. A realtor’s principal objective is marketing the project with a goal of inspiring utmost confidence in a prospective tenant, be it a homebuyer or conglomerate. Architectural renderings not only help clients understand what they’re getting into, but may sell developments before excavators reach the lots! 

Our visualizations offer a symbiotic relationship between realtors, developers, and renderers alike;

• Developers receive world - class images of their concepts from rendering firms which can be quickly sold by realtors 

• Renderers who excel in their field can gain prospective clients through the strong circle of an established developer, or through the multitude of visual exposure offered by realtors

• Realtors sell projects faster with architectural renderings and are guaranteed more contracts from developers due to the rapid turnaround

The relationship gets a lot more complex, but the benefit for all parties is clear. There is no better way in a realtor’s eyes to sell an unbuilt project than using sensational architectural visualizations.

There’s a huge misconception out there that 3D renderings are only useful to architects, and I hope this piece has shattered that entirely. Whether it’s enacting a developer’s vision, aiding an on - site construction team, or enhancing a realtor’s pitch, architectural visualization will continue to play a huge role in the development of future real estate.

Hugo Render has worked with a multitude of developers, architects, builders, and realtors to enact incredible visions, and with added dimensions such as virtual reality and 360 - degree imagery becoming mainstream, the renderings can only get better. Real estate developers are instrumental in creating the infrastructure of the future; Hugo Render helps them maintain that vision throughout the entire process.

Building the Future: Virtual Reality meets Architectural Visualization

How does one remain prominent in the architectural visualization world? Rendering perfection comes to mind. The sense of elation we feel in our clients, the pride of releasing impactful work, it’s unmatched; It’s a sense of belief and empowerment that drives us to constantly innovate and improve.

Allow me to offer a rebuttal; The medium on which renderings are presented plays just as much of a factor as the renderings themselves! The architectural industry is shifting towards experiences that offer unparalleled design immersion, with virtual reality at the forefront of this revolutionary movement! 

Let’s explore exactly what virtual reality is, current offerings in the marketplace, and how we believe virtual reality will change the architectural visualization scene for years to come!

What is Virtual Reality?

Short and sweet, virtual reality is an augmented digital world explored through the use of a headset that encompasses the eyes while projecting a photographic feed. This headset also tracks user movements and interprets said movements through multiple degrees of translation and rotation in the augmented world!

I know, that sounds confusing. Our friends at the Valve team break it down in this video!

Virtual reality provides levels of depth and perception impossible with a monitor or television, but you already knew that. Let’s see the headsets!

Virtual Reality Marketplace Offerings

There are two main types of virtual reality headsets; Smartphone integrated, and standalone units. Let’s begin with arguably the most popular smartphone - compatible headset, the Google Cardboard!

Smartphone Integrated Headsets

Google Cardboard Headset

Virtual reality view of the Google Cardboard VR headset

Google Cardboard Headset Input

View of the mobile phone used to send virtual reality feed to the Google Cardboard Headset

Google Cardboard Demonstration

Demonstration of someone using the Google Cardboard virtual reality headset

Starting around $25, smartphone integrated virtual reality headsets are the cheapest and easiest introduction to VR technology. It’s as simple as buying the cardboard mold, constructing the headset, and viewing the augmented world through a smartphone screen!

The phone’s internal gyroscope tracks head movement, allowing exploration of the virtual world in three degrees of rotational freedom. In layman’s terms, the apparatus only permits looking around in a stationary viewpoint; No walking here.

Smartphone units tend to be a bit uncomfortable, are definitely on the basic side of the market, most don’t even strap to the head, but the mind - blowing multi - dimensional experience is absolutely there. With 44% of the global population owning a smartphone, virtual reality is more accessible than ever before.

For those willing to shell out a pretty penny? Oculus and Valve will deliver.

Standalone Virtual Reality Headsets

Standalone headsets start around $400, with higher end models easily eclipsing $1000. We’re not only talking a fully immersive headset with the bells and whistles, but also controllers to further enhance interactivity. Motion? 6 degrees of translational and rotational freedom; Looking and walking around.

Caveats? Well they’re a lot larger and bulkier than smartphone units, but make up for this with a premier fit and enhanced audio. Standalone virtual reality headsets can be broken down into self or PC powered.

Oculus Quest Virtual Reality Headset: VentureBeat

The most popular self - powered headset on the market is the Oculus Quest, coming in at a relatively reasonable cost of $400. That premium affords the most plug and play system on the market, with access to an extensive library of games, movies, and other countless experiences. I’ve heard the next iteration of the Quest will offer hand - tracking technology without the need for controllers!

Oculus Rift S Virtual Reality Headset: Philly VR

Those seeking a little more juice at the $400 pricetag may consider the Oculus Rift S, the most popular PC powered offering to date. It’s 5 stereoscopic cameras are known for their incredible tracking capabilities!

Valve Index Virtual Reality Headset: Pocket - Lint

Remember our brothers from Valve? The headset from the video is a beta version of the Valve index. The hefty price tag of $1000 is well worth it, offering the widest field of view, incredible audio quality, and best in class comfort. The refresh rate allows for a seamless, latency free experience, while external base station sensors offer unprecedented motion tracking capability.

Awesome tech, but you already knew that, especially if you’ve tried it. Where does architectural visualization come into all of this?

Virtual Reality Architectural Revolution

If you haven’t already read our piece on 360 - degree imagery, do that. Yes, right now. It only takes a minute, I promise.

For those who can’t spare that kind of time, cue the SparkNotes! 360 - degree images stitch multiple images together to create a virtual panoramic environment, explorable through three degrees of rotation. No walking or moving around, a mouse controls the user’s desired viewpoint.

Virtual reality headsets? They replace the mouse altogether! Why not track eyesight with… Natural head movements, the same way we do in real life! Since these are simply 360 - degree images, we can view them on our smartphones as well! See where we’re going with this?

Don’t get me wrong, standalone virtual reality headsets work great with the 360 - degree images too, but with the extra processing power offered, why not transform architectural renderings, these breathtaking scenes, into fully interactive environments!

We’re talking about turning images and animations into full - fledged videogames, permitting clients to walk around and experience spaces as if they’d already been constructed! And don’t forget the real time customization potential a programmed game environment offers! We’re talking the ability to change the texture of a couch, alter the weather, see the environment at night, all with the click of a button! This is an experience clients can’t afford to overlook!

Architectural Virtual Reality in Practice

So, what’s going on right now?

We’ve already got 360 - degree images, view them here!

Epic Games has also taken strides in the VR movement using Unreal Engine, and we plan to follow suit!

Twinmotion, Epic’s dedicated architectural visualization engine, offers insane virtual reality plug and play capability through BIMmotion, a software allowing clients to download scenes, and interact with them like a video game. Twinmotion’s quality isn’t quite to our standards yet, but we’ve been heavily experimenting with the program, and it continues to improve dramatically every year! Check out this BIMmotion demonstration here!

We’ve also got Studio, an integrated Unreal 4 plugin dedicated to the design and development of compelling architectural visualizations. Designing within Unreal 4 gives us that game environment capability I alluded to, permitting those dynamic and interactive elements meant to enhance the virtual reality experience.

Our returning readers also know that Unreal 4 has Quixel 8K material capability!

Our friends at Lunas have experimented with the technology, and the results speak for themselves!

We can all agree the next logical step for architectural visualization is a shift towards increased levels of immersion. Virtual reality offers perception and depth with great potential to achieve this, and we are fully committed to its implementation in the digital rendering marketplace. Hugo Render’s scenes have always been mindblowing, a spectacle in a utopian sea; Virtual reality provides an entirely new and exciting way to appreciate our work.

8K Texturing: The Architectural World meets Film CGI Quality

Textures are the true backbones of alluring architectural visualizations. They add an element of life and vibrance to an otherwise barren scene, transforming a blank canvas into a creative and authentic masterpiece. To truly understand how instrumental textures are in a landscape, let’s explore exactly what a texture is, what 8K definition actually means for textures, and how high - quality textures will provide architectural renderings with the beloved quality seen in film CGI.

Contrary to popular belief, textures aren’t simply colors applied to the surface of a model, there are many properties working simultaneously to produce the dazzling visual effects we know and love. Let’s break it down.

Image (Diffuse Map)

The image, or diffuse map, is undoubtedly the most important facet of a quality texture, serving as the framework on which we will build our masterpiece. Images can be drawn using software, or preferably, photographed with a high - resolution camera. All successive texture properties are simply an alteration of this base layer image. Follow along as we turn this generic graphite slate tile into a genuine work of art.

Graphite Slate Tile Image: Hugo Render

Normal Map

To help enhance the photorealism of our tile, the addition of a normal map is the next logical step. A normal map helps generate detail on our texture’s surface without adding dimension; Essentially, we can give our tile a more life - like effect while the texture remains completely flat. So let’s get a normal map on there and see what that does!

Graphite Slate Tile Normal Map: Hugo Render

Displacement Map

Starting to look a lot more realistic, doesn’t it? However, it still lacks that three - dimensional aspect that truly makes this a tactile material. Let’s add some offset to our tile with a displacement map to create more authenticity and volume. Notice how the tiles appear to “pop - out” of the sphere!

Graphite Slate Tile Displacement Map: Hugo Render

Weathering

Now we’re really making some headway, but it’s not quite there just yet. Let’s compound some weathering with the displacement map to simulate some wear on the material. Perfection is unattainable, and most materials will degrade with time. Let’s add a few years to the tiles and see how it affects the roughness of our slate.

A little aside here, not all materials weather the same, and rendering software firms have taken this into consideration. We used a stone weathering map here, but other maps such as silver, wood, leather, and multitudes more exist!

Graphite Slate Tile Weathering: Hugo Render

Reflectivity

Let’s say we’ve done a pretty good job at keeping the tiles clean, and wish to reflect this on our sphere. Reflectivity is the measure of a material’s ability to react to radiant energy, or in layman’s terms, it determines how shiny it looks. Let’s add the constraint and let our slate beam the heavens.

Pay close attention to where the sun hits our sphere, and notice how the weathering effect is still prominent with added reflectivity.

Graphite Slate Tile Reflectivity: Hugo Render

So what happens when our Creative Director gets his hands on our graphite slate model? Absolute magic. Notice how every single element comes together to create this unique yet beautiful texture sphere, and how the texture is used in full glory, front and center in a kitchen we rendered for a client.

Graphite Slate Rendered Sphere

Fully rendered sphere using our graphite slate material

Kitchen Rendering featuring Graphite Slate Tile

Kitchen rendering featuring our graphite slate tile

So where does 8K come into play?

The images on your television, iPhone, computer screen, they’re all made up of tiny textured squares called pixels. The more of these pixels a screen holds, the higher the quality of this image, the better the resolution. 8K resolution is the best on the market right now, offering a pixel area 7680 x 4320; This image helps understand the improvements.

High Definition Resolution Comparison: PCMag

So how does 8K resolution relate to material textures?

Photographic images are significantly better than illustrations for textures, simply due to the fact that an illustration is a fabrication. Cameras continually improve rapidly in overall image quality and depth, allowing us to capture textures suited for an 8K format. This allows us to create more densely pixelated materials and objects, bringing a CGI level of brilliance to the architectural visualization world. Along with other features such as HDR, brighter colors and deeper shadows will allow projects to reach a level of photorealism unimaginable.

8K textures will allow us to display our work on much larger viewing mediums without forfeiting the quality we love and expect in our work. As a potential investor, I’d much rather a crisp, clear PowerPoint over a cloudy and distorted mess.

These 8K textures and objects are available right now on the Quixel Megascans library, and have already been optimized for use in Unreal Engine! Enjoy the gallery below, but to get a full scale of how insane these assets are, I recommend checking out Quixel’s ArchViz Library for yourself.

Red Brick Facade

8K red brick facade texture from Quixel Megascans

Patterned Ceramic Tiles

8K patterned ceramic tile texture from Quixel Megascans

Studded Fabric

8K studded fabric texture from Quixel Megascans

Verde Guatemala Texture

8K Verde Guatemala marble texture from Quixel Megascans

Roman Stone Wall

8K roman stone wall texture from Quixel Megascans

Stone Floors

8K stone floors texture from Quixel Megascans

Still not convinced? Explore how photogrammetry and tools like Quixel Mixer are able to design absurd environments in this recreation of Dust 2, a Counter Strike: Global Offensive map using Unreal Engine 4! This is the level of detail and creativity we are ready to bring to the architectural rendering scene!

8K texturing is here and ready to take the world by storm. As the architectural visualization industry shifts towards more immersive experiences such as virtual reality, the demand for ultra - realistic texturing and objects will be paramount in both design and presentation. We are extremely excited to start implementing these textures in our work, and can’t wait to show the world what we’re capable of.

Unreal Engine 5 will Change Architectural Visualization Forever

Hugo Render is constantly hunting for tools able to help our images carve a distinct path in the expanding digital visualization marketplace, which has led us to investigate 3D gaming engines. Epic Games released a trailer for Unreal 5, their brand - new engine slated to shatter all previous conceptions of not only what architectural renderings can be, but also virtual environments as a whole.

Unreal offers vast improvements in all sectors of the engine, but we’re primarily excited about changes to the texturing mechanics, dynamic lighting, and environmental physics. Let’s start with Nanite!

Texturing: Nanite

Textures bring renderings to life. They give them soul, richness, they provide that extra dimension that truly showcases what a space is slated to become. With the Nanite engine, Unreal promises to render landscapes to a degree never seen before! 

Nanite promises to render billions of triangulated textures in a single frame, with some of these triangles even smaller than pixels. This will not only enhance overall object texture mapping, but will also provide incredible shadow mapping as well!

The rendering engine will allow us to texture objects and generate virtualized geometry to a degree never seen before, allowing us to make a shift towards designing entities with the quality seen in high - budget film CGI through the use of 8K texturing and models.

Still not convinced? Have a look at this cave scene featured in the demo, alongside the texture map created by the Nanite engine! Absolutely insane stuff!

Unreal Engine 5 Nanite View

Nanite texturing view of Unreal Engine 5

Unreal Engine 5 Wireframe

Triangle view of Unreal Engine 5

Nanite is great on its own, but let’s be honest, textures are only as good as the light shining on them; Allow me to introduce Lumen!

Lighting: Lumen

Vision is the most important sense in all our work, and with Unreal’s brand new Lumen engine, we’ll be able to create ocular experiences beyond our client’s wildest dreams. Lumen’s draw is a feature known in the rendering world as “ray tracing”. Allow me to explain.

Most rendering softwares will mimic natural lighting by “baking” it onto objects, essentially imitating reflections through the use of a predetermined light map. This is commonly used in rendering softwares to aid processing power allocation.

Ray tracing allows environment light to behave like a real world electromagnetic wave, using an entirely dynamic system in place of a static map. Ray tracing allows light to more accurately bounce and dissipate off objects, permitting a more authentic texture display.

To understand the raw power of the Lumen engine, check out these three images, along with this clip directly from the Unreal 5 reveal.

Unreal Engine 5 Exterior Environment

Exterior enviornment rendering in Unreal Engine 5

Unreal Engine 5 Cave Environment

Cave environment rendering in Unreal Engine 5

Statues in Unreal Engine 5

Statue renderings in Unreal Engine 5

Lumen will help us gain a much better real - time perception of how lighting in our scenes will behave, creating visuals that are more focused on texture enhancement over scene brightness. Let’s discuss a little environmental physics, shall we?

Environment: Niagra

An environment is the true foundation of a scene. It's a placeholder to enhance architectural development, it’s the world that truly gives a project its photorealistic, life - like quality. With the Niagra engine, Unreal promises to transform these environments into a true, natural oasis.

Niagra gives animated objects the capability to talk with each other, and better understand and interact with their surroundings. Think, a tree, or flock of birds affected by the wind intensity, or even various weather conditions as a whole!

A great demonstration of the engine is seen in this video clip, where Niagra powered fauna (bugs) are reacting to a Lumen powered light source (orb).

Unreal really says it best; Nanite gives you limitless geometry, Lumen gives you fully dynamic lighting to showcase that geometry with. We’ve barely touched the supplementing engines, including Chaos, which all work in conjunction to help us design a constraint - free, densely pixelated environment, on a scale of realism never achieved before. The demo is only a sneak peek of what is to come, and we can’t wait to see what other features arise! Check out the entire demo video and let us know what you think!

Our architectural renderings are stories, experiences portrayed through virtual visualization; Unreal Engine 5 transcends visualization into actuality.

The Importance of Interactive 360 Degree Images in Architecture

Architectural visualization, images and animations transforming conceptual plans to virtual reality. Whether you’re building a fantasy home, envisioning a futuristic landscape, or simply renovating an existing space, no better way exists than 3D rendering to bring the blueprints to life.

City View: Hugo Render

We love our images and animations here at Hugo Render, there’s no questioning that; However, it won’t stop us from finding new cutting edge exciting ways to showcase our architectural projects. The passing years will dramatically improve technology, and we believe that our artwork is simply too beautiful to confine within two dimensions. 

With that being said, 360 degree imagery has allowed us to change the virtual architectural landscape forever. Let’s get right into it!

So what exactly is a 360 degree image? Short and sweet, it’s the perfect marriage between image and animation, with real time interactivity to spice things up.

A 360 degree image stitches several photographs to create a virtual environment, with controls allowing our clients to view said environment from any perspective they please. Instead of seeing our renderings from a predetermined viewpoint, clients are able to rotate the 360 degree image both horizontally and vertically, creating their own instantaneous viewpoints!

Check out these three we made for High Point’s Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena by clicking here!

Don’t get us wrong, virtual images and animations are really great. Our quality and attention to detail with them? Exceptional. But the sense of control and confidence felt in a 360 degree image? Unbeaten. We’re giving our clients the ability to see a project literally through their own eyes, it really doesn’t get more natural than that.

Our 360 degree images can help families devise homes of their wildest dreams, or show builders how a large scale project melds with the cityscape. But it doesn’t stop here!

Conceptual NFL Stadium: Sporting News

2025. Austin, TX. Population? Soaring. NFL franchise considers relocating about 5 miles Northwest of downtown, and drafts plans for an all - new stadium. How do they excite the Austinites? 360 degree image rendered right from the 50 yard line sounds pretty awesome to me. 

We’re literally taking people to places and perspectives they’d most likely never see in their lifetime.

We can make this happen, and we already have! They came out really great, and we’re elated to offer this entirely new dimension to our clients! Architectural rendering used to be about creating a virtual world; Now, it’s about creating virtual worlds we can experience like the real world!

Austin Architectural Developments

Austin, Texas constantly tops the list of America’s fastest - growing cities each year. Its technological prowess spearheaded by 3M, Apple, and Dell offers an invigorating and competitive environment for emerging young professionals, while other corporations flock by the hundreds to grow the Silicon Valley of the Southeast. With this constant population influx, Austin’s infrastructure grows at a similar rate, leading to some exciting architectural developments all over the city.

Today on Hugo Render, let’s explore three of Austin’s most exciting architectural developments!

Apple Campus

Apple’s Austin Campus: Apple Newsroom

Apple has recently announced that they will be bringing operations to Northwest Austin, with plans to open a brand new 10 building campus in Williamson County by the end of 2022. Construction costs are estimated at $1B and planned on 133 acres of land in Jollyville. Upon completion, the company will bring 5 000 new jobs to Austin, with that number slated to grow upwards of 15 000 within a few years.

Apple’s architectural mantra is centered around incorporating their space into the existing natural landscape, bringing a cutting edge technological environment into a picturesque and organic habitat. To enact this vision, Apple has pledged a 100% renewable energy footprint, and that 60% of their entire campus will be covered with landscaping.

They also plan to partner with local firm Bartlett Tree Experts to plant a 50 acre wildlife preserve featuring thousands of trees of over 20 varieties.

The renderings of the space are incredible, and we hope to see some interior renderings in the near future. We are also excited to see what arises at Robinson Ranch, a 7 000 acre underdeveloped plot nearby.

Austin FC Stadium

Austin FC Stadium: CAA Icon

Austin’s explosive population growth has developed a very ripe market for outdoor recreation, and Precourt Sports Ventures has decided to relocate their team from Columbus to take advantage. This has facilitated the need for a brand new sports venue in McKalla Place, properly named the Austin FC Stadium.

The $250M Northern Austin site will host upwards of 20 500 spectators, with completion slated for the spring of 2021. It transforms an old industrial ground into a thriving community center, bringing Austinites together to celebrate the return of major league sports.

The space is a very open concept, welcoming environment, incorporating soccer, mixed space retail, and green areas under one roof. It’s a modern feel honing into Austin’s emerging technological prowess while retaining that Western styling Texas is known for as a whole. Check out some of these awesome renderings below!

Austin FC Stadium Terrace

Rendering of the Austin FC stadium terrace area

Austin FC West Club

Rendering of the Austin FC West Club space

Austin FC Supporter's Bar

Rendering of the Austin FC supporter’s bar

Austin FC Field Club

Rendering of the Austin FC Field Club

Waterloo Park

Moody Amphitheater: Thomas Phifer

Let’s move onto a development located directly in downtown Austin, a reimagined urbanized greenspace dubbed the Waterloo Park. Located in the bustling Red River cultural district, the space is set to open to the public by the end of 2021.

The park is meant to be an immersion of nature in the epicenter of the lively metro Austin area, showcasing the diverse flora of the central Texan landscape. Waterloo is meant to be a congregational space, littered with lawns and trails throughout the entire 1.5 mile greenway.

The highlight of the development is undoubtedly the Moody Amphitheater, a new home for cultural events and concerts alike. When the venue isn’t occupied, it will be repurposed as a publicly accessible park space, an escape from the corporate environment into natural serenity. Its crossbeam steel canopy roof will easily cement the amphitheater’s role as one of Austin’s premier architectural features, check it out below!

Moody Amphitheater Concert

Rendering of a concert taking place at the Moody Amphitheater

Moody Amphitheater Concert Aerial

Rendering of an aerial view of a concert at the Moody Amphitheater

Moody Amphitheater Greenery

Austinites enjoying the greenery at the Moody Amphitheater during downtime

Despite the national pandemic, all of these venues seem to be on track for their opening dates, and we can’t wait to see them all in person! We are thrilled to see supplementing projects emerge in Austin as a result of these spaces, and can’t wait to work with these firms to visualize the future of the city!

Adam Ballantyne Joins the Team

Welcome to the inaugural post of the Hugo Render blog, a brand - new forum regarding all things rendering and architecture. We would like to also offer a warm welcome to Adam Ballantyne, our newest member of the team, who also happens to be the author of today’s post.

Adam recently graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, focusing on product development. A native of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, sailing, scuba diving, and fishing became second nature to him at a young age. When the sea is too far away, he is most likely working towards his pilot’s license or attempting to understand space through the use of theoretical Physics. We are very excited about the heavily technological mindset, entrepreneurial spirit, descriptive personality, and love for all things architecture he brings to the table.

He will primarily be serving as the Director of Marketing and Business Development, assisting in other areas such as 3D modeling and video editing when necessary. 

From a marketing perspective, he believes heavily in the product on hand and wishes to expand Hugo Render sales on a nationwide scale through a dual - pronged approach that focuses on bridging the gap between architects, realtors, and construction firms, while also creating an aura of inspiration to display the true meaning of 3D rendering. He also plans to increase both digital presence and customer interactivity through various media outlets, including Instagram, LinkedIn, and this blog.

As far as his business development role goes, he plans to diversify Hugo Render’s stellar product offerings into several different and mostly unexplored marketplaces. We are very excited to show the world what Hugo Render has planned in the next coming years.

From this point forward, expect weekly blog posts pertaining to select projects, company insights, accolades, rendering software and tips, and the occasional architectural news. We are elated to have Adam join the team, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for Hugo Render.