Architectural visualization is crucial for bringing building and interior designs to life. Real-time 3D rendering engines like Unreal Engine provide architects, designers, and visualization artists with the tools to create strikingly realistic and interactive architectural visualizations. We’ll explore the key benefits of using Unreal Engine for architectural visualization and explain why more architecture studios are adopting it into their workflows.

 

Architectural visualization involves creating lifelike renderings, animations, and interactive 3D experiences to showcase the architectural detail of a project. These visual materials allow clients and stakeholders to fully experience the spaces before construction even begins which is a game changer for the industry.

 

Traditionally, architectural visualizations were created with rendering programs like 3ds Max, Lumion, SketchUp, Corona, V-Ray. But real-time 3D engines like Unreal Engine are revolutionizing architectural visualization with their speed, interactivity, and photorealistic rendering capabilities.

 

Unreal Engine is a game development platform created by Epic Games. Given the original tool was meant for building video games it allows artists the ability to add interaction into the former static universe of real estate renderings.

 

 

One of the biggest advantages of real-time 3D engines like Unreal Engine is speed. There is no waiting hours or days for scenes to render like with Vray rendering. Changes and updates to materials, lighting, and geometry appear instantly in-engine for quick .This enables faster iteration, allowing visualization artists to quickly implement changes based on client feedback and sharing with the client right away. Previously in some of the other workflows you would need to rerender an image or animation overnight before sharing with the client.

 

 

Unreal Engine features real-time based rendering simulates realistic light behaviors’ and materials. Advanced rendering features like ray tracing and global illumination create true-to-life lighting, reflections, and shadows. The engine can render photorealistic human skin, fabric, metal, glass, liquids, and other materials that react to virtual lights and environments. Every material can have customized textures along with other adjustable parameters.

 

This photorealism brings architectural designs to life in a way that feels immersive and tangible for clients viewing the visuals. The realism achieved in Unreal Engine is on par with or exceeds offline rendering.

 

 

Unlike traditional still renderings, Unreal Engine enables interactive architectural visualizations. Clients can freely navigate through 3D spaces, open doors, turn lights on and off, and dynamically adjust materials and textures. This interactivity provides an experiential understanding of the design. Clients can get a first-person view of what it would actually feel like inside the space once constructed.

 

 

Unreal Engine integrates seamlessly with VR and AR hardware like Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Microsoft HoloLens. Architectural visualizations can be experienced in virtual or augmented reality for next-level immersion. Virtual reality allows clients to be fully immersed within spaces to perceive accurate scale, materials, lighting, and design intent. AR overlays 3D models directly into real-world environments for contextualized visualization.

 

 

In addition to interactive experiences, Unreal Engine includes powerful tools for high-end cinematics and animations. This makes it possible to produce high-quality architectural animations. Architects can use the UE to create polished design overview videos, animated walkthroughs, VR content, marketing materials, and other animated assets. Features like sequencer timeline editing and keyframe animation enable complex animations.

 

 

Unreal Engine is built to handle large open world environments capable of AAA game development. This makes it great for visualizing expansive architectural spaces like stadiums, airports, and cityscapes. Massive datasets with billions of polygons and 8k textures can be imported and optimized efficiently in Unreal. Level streaming allows optimization and rendering of huge worlds.

 

 

Unreal provides a node-based shader editor for creating specialized material shaders. Technical artists can build custom shaders and material functions to achieve highly specific architectural materials. Custom shaders can be created for surfaces like concrete, water, windows, weathered metals, curtains, granite, brick, wood, and anything else an architectural firm needs to convey their design intent.

 

 

Unreal Engine enables real-time collaboration for architectural visualization teams. Multiple artists can work simultaneously in the same Unreal project via source control like Perforce. The entire team can see changes and updates as they are made. This allows better communication, progress tracking, and coordination among team members.

 

 

Photogrammetry involves generating 3D models from photographs of real-world objects and environments. Unreal integrates well with photogrammetry tools like RealityCapture or Metashape. Architectural visualization artists can scan real-world textures, materials, objects, and environments to produce highly accurate assets for scenes. This enhances realism by using real-world data.

 

 

Unreal Engine has become an industry standard tool used in many architecture and construction firms including Foster + Partners, Populous, KPF, and HKS among others. It is a proven technology with lots of community support, tutorials, and learning resources available. Architectural teams can leverage the experience of industry leaders to implement best practices for Unreal Engine workflows.

 

Radical Galaxy is a leading visualization firm pushing the boundaries of architectural visualization with Unreal Engine. They work with top real estate developers and brands like Hyatt, Marriott, and Disney to create next-level experiences. Their work showcases the potential of Unreal Engine for architectural visualization in both sales centers and marketing materials. Radical Galaxy leverages the engine’s real-time rendering, VR/AR capabilities, and interactivity to immerse clients in designs before construction. This has enabled developers to accelerate sales cycles and make more informed design decisions. Unreal Engine empowers Radical Galaxy to deliver visualization solutions that give their clients an experiential edge over the competition.

 

Unreal Engine brings real-time photorealistic rendering, interactivity, VR/AR capabilities, animation tools, scalability, customization, and collaboration for architectural visualization firms. The key benefits like speed, realism, and immersive experiences are driving more architects and designers to adopt Unreal Engine into their workflows. It empowers firms to showcase designs in new engaging ways and enables more efficient iteration and feedback loops with stakeholders. Unreal Engine facilitates visual storytelling that brings building plans to life.

 

Ready to take your architectural visualizations to the next level? Reach out to our team of Unreal Engine experts to discuss how we can partner with you.