The release of the new version 3 of V-Ray for Sketchup has taken a bit of effort to incorporate into my workflow. There are many changes in how V-Ray handles materials the net effect of which has made large swathes of my existing models obsolete. On the one hand, the render engine that uses video card rendering has been substantially upgraded, which makes for fast renders. On the other hand, the workflow changes have been most pronounced in this method of rendering. The massing study image above is the first project for which I’ve actually used the latest V-Ray for Sketchup.

The image below is a photo-realistic view of a commercial project that I had rendered previously in a watercolor style.

Conceptual interior renderings of a proposed shared office space in an existing building.

Exterior renderings of a small-footprint development within Lochlyn rendered with Vray for Blender.

Wrapping up the year with some massing studies, and a revision to an earlier project. The main revision to last month’s project was adding in a landscaping plan, but there were also some tweaks to the architecture plus generating some additional views. I could not have pulled off this rendering without Vray for Blender, as the landscaping took quite a lot of computing power to generate in 3D.

This massing study was a quick conceptual project that needed a convincing representation of the existing building, but still keeping a loose feel. The illustration style allowed for reviewing a few variations of the concept without too much emphasis on the details. Here is the photo of the existing conditions, with two versions of the studies following.

Between the vacations the past couple months with my wife and kids, I still had plenty to work on over the summer. Here is an assortment of work I’ve completed recently, in a wide range of scales and styles.

Marketing renderings for an apartment building with a complex stepped series of roof terraces. I’ll probably work some more on these to show the terrace spaces with occupants, and maybe add some more variety to the green roofs. Often I’ll go through numerous iterations of my renders as I add in enough detail to satisfy the client.

Massing study for a new custom residence. These study models are very helpful to the architect and the client so the can quickly see if the schematic plans and elevations are heading in the right direction. There is an review board for this development and this is very helpful to use in presenting the schematic drawings.

Custom display cases: I generate these renderings to show how the displays will look to get approval for building them.

A watercolor style marketing image for a proposed dining room interior.

Interior rendering of a small library renovation that will become a kids learning laboratory space.