Architectural Printing in 3-D

Architects and designers print stuff all day. Blueprints, renderings, and construction documents go from a computer screen to a physical form.

3D printing technology is the last missing piece of this puzzle…but it’s not as easy as clicking the “print” button.

The above picture of a gothic church was built using a file directly from Google Sketchup’s 3D Warehouse in a matter of a few minutes. (We’re working on putting together a video that will explain how this process works from start to finish.) In the meantime, we wanted to show that even a small building at 1/1800th scale can come out with decent detail.

The opportunity to print really small models at an affordable price means that everybody can enjoy the last missing piece of architectural printing. Trying to get a sense of space for a development or a neighborhood can be made easier by using small massing models cranked out in a matter of a few hours.

The future of client interactions can be transformed into a remarkable experience…sounds like a competitive advantage for forward-thinking architecture firms.

By now, everyone is wringing their hands over the sub-prime nuclear disaster. NPR radio reported this morning that cities like Detroit and Stockton, California are seeing record foreclosures.

So, what if you’re a developer that has had a project in the works for the past three years? You’ve finally made it to the big dance, cut through hassles, and everybody is afraid to show up and participate.

I think what this forces is a paradigm shift for marketing real estate. The past five or six years were too easy for everybody involved. Now, the game has changed. Agents, marketing managers and developers themselves are going to have to get creative. Providing a unique experience for a potential buyer will have to be a central focus. (Assuming you have a quality product to begin with)

Why?

First of all, potential buyers have dried up (duh). But more importantly, marketing a real estate development has to be an online and offline experience. A showroom is great but without a way to share that experience online it’s a waste. Tools for experiencing the future whether through 3d animations or renderings helps a potential buyer share what living in that new neighborhood will be like with their friends and family.

And these are the people you are inadvertently marketing to. They ultimately can influence a decision. Do it right and you might be able to kick off a word of mouth buzz around town and online. Do it wrong and sub-prime does in fact look pretty scary.

Step 1: Don’t use blueprints (or as little as possible)

If you think about it, people connect with an idea on an emotional level.  When they connect they get excited about the future.  The thing with “the future” is we all want it now.  Unfortunately, anticipation is often better than the actual experience.  And a model is the closest thing to having it NOW and relishing the anticipation.  Man, that wine cellar off the main dining room is going to be soooo cool.  A client tells their friends this over dinner and then remove the roof on the model to show the layout.

As an architecture firm this is incredibly powerful as a selling tool.  If you can quickly show the future in an emotionally compelling way, you can get the client excited sooner rather than later.  Let them take their model home and set it on the dining room table.  Eat next to it for a week and spill coffee on it.  If the designers have done their job, the anticipation will only build.

Nobody looks forward to rolling out a pile of blueprints on their coffee table and trying to find enough paper weights to keep everything from rolling back together.  The anticipation is gone and interacting with the design concept is a chore because they have to try and construct the 3D view in their mind.  Participating in a creative process should not be a chore, especially when you’re paying money for that service.

Make it fun, breathe life into the experience, and watch your word of mouth grow because you provide a totally different approach to collaborating with your clients.