Our Case Study: Architectural Competition Renderings for Meerstad, Netherlands – 1st Prize Won

Pitch Visualizations Assignment

Meerbos Boskamer, located in Meerstad Groningen, is a project that has won first place in an architectural pitch for two residential fields. The project consists of 28 homes that are being built on two wooded plots, with each plot having its building type, namely forest lodges and wood cabins. The project is being developed by Bemog Projektontwikkeling in collaboration with MIX architecture and LAP Landscape & Urban Design.

Our Role is to Support

As a rendering atelier, we are participants in many architecture competitions entries throughout the year. We are also a bunch of 3D artists that are architects by education, that is why we know the architectural design world and we have an understanding of what is essential in it. We are aware of the procedures, and how to deal with quick turnarounds and we know how crucial deadlines and high-quality visualization final outcomes are to stand out.

Given our experience in the 3D industry, we were invited to take part in many competition entries, like those read in our stories section. The same happened this time. We got an invitation to take part in the creation of the set of architectural visualizations for Meerbos Boskamer Pitch.

One Rendering Challenge and Commended Entry Abstract

Here’s how we managed with extracting the project’s top qualities of architectural design on the 3D rendering set of images. We will take you through our process of creating these quality 3D illustrations.

competition architecture visualization rendering challenge

1st Prize Competition: Meerstad Groningen – 28 Dwellings, Netherlands / Winners team: Bemog Projektontwikkeling x LAP Landscape & Urban Design x MIX architectuur B.V. / Collaboration: Bureau Meerstad / Architectural visualization image: RNDR

The Need for the Tender Renderings

The competition visualizations renders were needed to showcase the project’s design and vision and to provide a pitch to the jury with a clear picture of the project’s entry potential. The renders had to communicate the commended entry key elements, including its wooded location with proposed plant life world coexistence, unique building types, interior spaces and intricate architectural form of the built environment.

The Process of Competition Renderings Creation

We started working on the tender visualizations by analyzing the project’s design and understanding its core principles, to market it in the best way. We collaborated with the architects to ensure that the 3D renderings accurately explore the project’s design.

Knowing it was a pitch, the renderings could create a promise with a dreamy mood. We could play with the light to show this project and its engaging atmosphere. We got information from the architects and designers teams that these are not selling and marketing materials, which is why we can use our imagination and creativity while processing the competition renderings.

competition 3D rendering challenge

1st Prize Architectural Competition: Meerstad Groningen – 28 Dwellings, Netherlands / Winners team: Bemog Projektontwikkeling x LAP Landscape & Urban Design x MIX architectuur B.V. / Collaboration: Bureau Meerstad / Architecture 3D perspective image: RNDR

Composition and Light on Architectural Rendering

The built environment was shown from a different perspective in each rendering to evoke the story better. The composition of the renders was constructed to extract the space’s unique features, such as the forest lodges and wood cabins of the built environment on a human scale.

The interior space designs were shown only from exterior perspective. Each house was shown in 3D illustrations and we were able to show the entry drawings on a full scope.

Imagine the Diversity and the Coherency on One Image

The composition and light of the renders were crafted to create a harmonious and natural feel through digital tools. It was aimed to pitch the human scale and eco-friendly symbiosis. What is more, you can see the diversity of the light settings according to the two types of buildings. In the rendering below and above you can see that difference visually. 

The larger complexes, with 4 families in one and bigger family houses were shown during the dreamy light of early evening while the smaller housings were shown during the day, which give the effect of the light set on the renderings is not-so-soft.

All of the six storytelling 3D  visualizations are still kept in a dreamy mood, but with a differentiation of a daytime. Thanks to this effect the architecture 3D images show the varied type of architectural forms.

Plantations, Landscape, And Sustainability On 3D Images

The project’s surroundings like plant life, and landscape elements were also prominently featured in the renders of designed spaces as the sustainability need is constantly growing. We used our sense of beauty to showcase the project’s sustainable design and its integration with the context and surrounding landscape.

The renders highlighted the project’s focus on environmental sustainability, showcasing its green communal spaces and climate-adaptive building design throughout the visual story.

Merging The Architecture Form With Natural Space

What was crucial here was underlining that nature and architecture are merging on different levels into one visual world. We knew that this project is referring strongly to the inside-outside concept of Wright’s architecture idea. That is why the chosen color palette was applied to the storytelling 3D images. 

Starting from green-sage up to brown-beige, natural, with no colorful people, everything toned out like in nature. It was not hard to create such an outcome, because the design itself was already split into two types.

The large complexes were merging a little less with more foliage vegetation, while smaller houses were in the areas where forest and architecture are close to each other, with more coniferous trees and white blooming shrubs.

Connection with nature was also created by the playing objects for children designed in natural materials like wood, mud, and sand structures.

3D image rendering challenge

1st Prize Competition: Meerstad Groningen – 28 Dwellings, Netherlands / Architects and designers winners team: Bemog Projektontwikkeling x LAP Landscape & Urban Design x MIX architectuur B.V. / Collaboration: Bureau Meerstad / Storytelling rendering: RNDR

Visual Story through Architectural Visualization

Each of our renders provided a platform for visual storytelling, highlighting the project’s unique features and its vision for the future. The visual storytelling techniques are helping to create a compelling narrative that showcased this and each project’s potential and its details.

Visual Meanings of Natural and Architectural Form

We were trying to visually merge the two types of spaces: natural and anthropogenic into one visual story. The rendering challenge was how to show the differences within each space while keeping the project’s coherency.

The Architecture Skin

Another meaning was created by dividing the space into two different types of architectural buildings – the difference was in the used façade by competition winners commended entry. That is why you can see there are two types of wood shingles: lighter and darker house versions. They are mixed to mimic nature and avoid long walls of the same architecture. We wanted to present this crucial detail of the space by creating different perspectives on two types of light and colors in 3D images.

artistic rendering

1st Prize Architectural Competition: Meerstad Groningen – 28 Dwellings, Netherlands / Architects and designers: Bemog Projektontwikkeling x LAP Landscape & Urban Design x MIX architectuur B.V. / Collaboration: Bureau Meerstad / Artistic rendering image: RNDR

The Target Group

The building and spaces were destined for eco-friendly minds. People who would like to share, not being so focused on the individual. It was the layer of visual meaning and a sense that we wanted to underline throughout the implementation of chosen people on each image.

Look and Feel on 3D Renderings

The look and feel of our renders were designed to create a warm and inviting atmosphere that showcased the project’s potential. The visual meanings of the architectural illustrations were mindfully crafted to represent the project’s drawing core principles. We used a combination of color, texture, and lighting to create a visual language that accurately represented the project’s sustainable and nature-oriented design.

artistic rendering

1st Prize Architectural Competition: Meerstad Groningen – 28 Dwellings, Netherlands / Architects and designers: Bemog Projektontwikkeling x LAP Landscape & Urban Design x MIX architectuur B.V. / Collaboration: Bureau Meerstad / Artistic rendering image: RNDR

Summary of Winners’ Architectural Renderings Creation

The art of telling the story of the spaces and worlds which were designed by multidisciplinary teams of architects is the key to winning architecture competitions or pitches. The 3D archviz images must convey thoughts with images all the competitions entries. Through the images, they can shape and influence how competition participants feel and understand the designed ideas.

Our Role

As 3D artists, we discern the ways people interpret the final images. We must work with the feelings that emerge from an image. We must understand how to speak to the competition audience without words.

Being aware of these, we were creating the new development renderings for Meerstadt Pitch.

Focusing on showcasing the project’s unique selling points, including its dreamy look, wooded location, green communal spaces, and climate-adaptive building design. Our main task was to make the design stand out in the crowd among other commended entries. The task was completed – the Meerstadt project proposal entry got the 1st prize in the pitch. Congratulations to the designers and architects team.

competition 3D rendering image

1st Prize Competition: Meerstad Groningen – 28 Dwellings, Netherlands / Architects and designers: Bemog Projektontwikkeling x LAP Landscape & Urban Design x MIX architectuur B.V. / Collaboration: Bureau Meerstad / Artistic rendering image: RNDR

Want to Check out More?

If you’re interested in learning more about tender artistic 3D illustrations, we have a variety of projects on our website, just click here.

We also invite you sincerely to check out our social media for more short posts, commended entries and key updates about the creation of architectural CGI through digital tools:

Let’s Build a Better World Togheter!

Malgo Widaj

Malgo Widaj

founder and owner of RNDR, art director, and head of all operations at RNDR

After 10 years of designing public spaces around Europe in both projects and competitions, a desire was born to start an international atelier with an inclusive and sustainable approach, that focuses on meaningful beauty creation driven by tech. And it happened!

Now RNDR teams are helping product designers, architects, and developers around the globe to increase visual communication through storytelling images, improve media presence, win project competitions or leverage sales through rendering experiences.

DO YOU HAVE THE TIME AND SKILLS
TO CREATE HIGH-QUALITY RENDERS?

DO YOU HAVE THE TIME AND SKILLS
TO CREATE HIGH-QUALITY RENDERS?