3D Modeling in Vectorworks Builds trust with your Clients

I'm a huge fan of working in 3D (modeling) in Vectorworks, and I think it is one of the fun areas. But is there more to it than just having fun?

I think there are so many reasons to model your projects, that there really is no other way. Some of my clients think of plan drawing first, and then modeling, if they have time. This is so wrong. I believe they should be thinking of creating a quick model for the conceptual model, and the developed design, and then think of plan drawing (2D) for the construction drawings.

I wrote a blog recently on Conceptual Design and ran a webinar, which I recorded. The aim of the webinar was to show why it is better you create a model of your concept. It is really quick. If you watch the webinar movie, you will see that in twenty minutes I have enough information to check my concept against the set-back or recession planes, check the proximity to neighbors and create a solar study. These things are not just for fun, they help you to make a choices. You can look at these constraints and make your choices about your concept, in a very small amount of time.

How does this build trust? Well, if you were following the client's brief, but it was clearly wrong, you could use the concept model to show them why you needed to make some changes. You could show them how much better your concept would be, and you could show them with models and movies. You can take them along with you.

As the project moves into the early design phase, you should still be showing the client the model. Some of my clients create detailed models for buildings.

My clients have found that when they create rendered views of building and landscape projects, their clients respond much better to their proposals.

One of my landscape clients found that creating rendered views of projects had a huge impact on their business. Before providing rendered views, about 40% of clients would be converted from concept drawings to on-site construction. After providing rendered views, they found that 90% of clients would be converted form concepts to on-site construction. That is a 2.5x increase in on-site work, with the same number of clients.

This image is from the office of Albert van Vliet Architectural (albert@watchdog.net.nz). The building is modeled in Vectorworks 2009 and rendered in Artlantis.  Albert states that when you work on a project it is essential to bring the clients along with you. The clients are often spending substantial sums of money on a building, thus they really want to know what they will be getting.

The images supplied to the clients help  Albert van Vliet Architectural to develop trust with the clients.  The clients no longer have to image what they are getting, they can see what they are getting.  Albert reports that from a business point of view, there is no better way than modeling the buildings in 3D.

I have spoken to several clients about this topic. So far, all of them support this concept. I was chatting to a client last night and he could not believe that there was any other way to work. Using Vectorworks in 3D at the very beginning of the project may be a change in your business model, but there are many people that are already doing this. If they are in your market, they are getting better results, they are getting paid more promptly, and they are creating more trust with there clients.  Can you afford not to?

If you want help moving your business to 3D, contacct me, I've helped 100's of clients.