What is an architectural rendering?
An architectural rendering is a digital image that a computer generates from a 3D model. The model holds information on geometry, lighting, shadows and material properties, so that a building that does not yet exist can look almost like a photograph. This article is about visualisation, not about render in the sense of plaster applied to a wall: the two share a word but nothing else.
What architects use renderings for
- Explaining the design to clients, planning officers and neighbours.
- Marketing images, for example the CGIs in an off-plan sales brochure.
- Testing design choices: materials, colours and daylight are quicker to judge in an image than on a drawing.
A common technique is to drop the proposed building into a photograph of the existing site, so you can see how it sits against the street and the neighbouring buildings.
Where the word comes from
It derives from the English to render (to present, to depict), via Old French rendre (to give back) from Latin reddere.
Application: checking a rendering before you buy off-plan
- Put the image next to the plans, elevations and specification. Do the window layout, cladding, roof shape and number of openings match?
- Look for what is missing. Rainwater pipes, vents, flues, meter boxes and heat pump outdoor units are often left out.
- Be sceptical of mature planting. Trees and hedges usually show the site years after completion, not on handover day.
- Check the camera position. A low or very wide-angle view makes rooms and gardens look larger.
- Read the small print. Brochures commonly state that images are indicative only. What counts is what is in the contract and specification, so get anything important confirmed in writing and ask your solicitor or conveyancer if in doubt.
Common mistake
A rendering is a design image, not a construction drawing. Dimensions, details and structure come from the drawings and specification, never from a picture.
Related terms
- Animation in construction
- BIM
- Central perspective
- Final design
- Architect
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