Unlock Central Square -- Architectural 3D Rendering Case Study

Overview

Unlock Central Square is [[CONFIRM: brief factual description of the development — e.g. “a mixed-use urban development in [city], comprising residential units, retail space, and public amenities”]].

3D Praxis Studio was engaged by [[CONFIRM: client name or “the development team”]] to produce a comprehensive suite of architectural visualizations that would communicate the project’s design vision to [[CONFIRM: target audiences — e.g. “prospective buyers, investors, and planning authorities”]].

This case study documents our approach, the challenges involved, and the final deliverables.

The challenge

Bringing a large-scale development to life visually before construction begins presents several specific challenges:

• Scale and complexity — The project spans [[CONFIRM: scale details — e.g. “multiple buildings, public plazas, and landscaped areas”]], all of which needed to be represented accurately and cohesively in a single visual narrative.
• Multiple stakeholder audiences — The visuals had to serve different purposes: [[CONFIRM: e.g. “detailed marketing collateral for buyers, high-impact overview imagery for investors, and context-sensitive views for planning submissions”]].
• Design evolution — [[CONFIRM: whether the design changed during the visualization process, e.g. “The architectural design was still being refined during the visualization phase, requiring flexibility to accommodate revisions to facade materials and landscaping layouts”]].
• Tight timeline — [[CONFIRM: any timeline pressure, e.g. “The marketing launch date was fixed, requiring all visuals to be delivered within [X] weeks of project kick-off” — or remove if not applicable]].

Our approach

1. Discovery and briefing

We began with [[CONFIRM: briefing format — e.g. “a detailed briefing session with the architect and marketing team”]] to establish:

• Key viewpoints and camera positions
• Material specifications and design intent
• Mood and lighting direction (time of day, season, atmosphere)
• Target output formats and resolutions

2. Source file review

The design team provided [[CONFIRM: source file types — e.g. “SketchUp models, AutoCAD plans, and interior design specification documents”]]. We reviewed these for completeness, flagged any gaps, and confirmed the scope of modelling work required on our side.

3. Scene development

Our team built the 3D environment from the supplied design data, including:

• Architecture — Accurate geometry for all buildings and structures based on the supplied model and drawings.
• Landscaping and context — [[CONFIRM: e.g. “Surrounding streetscape, mature planting, and public realm furniture were modelled to place the development in its real urban context”]].
• Interiors — [[CONFIRM: if interior renders were part of scope — e.g. “Key interior spaces (lobby, show apartment, retail unit) were fully furnished and styled according to the interior design brief”]].

4. Lighting and material refinement

We developed multiple lighting studies for client review — [[CONFIRM: e.g. “daylight, dusk, and night-time variants for exterior views, plus natural-light studies for interior spaces”]] — to identify the combinations that best communicated the project’s character.

Material accuracy was cross-checked against [[CONFIRM: e.g. “physical samples and manufacturer references”]] to ensure finishes, glazing reflectivity, and textures matched the design intent.

5. Review and iteration

[[CONFIRM: number of review rounds, e.g. “Two formal review rounds”]] were conducted. Feedback was consolidated from [[CONFIRM: e.g. “the architect, interior designer, and marketing director”]] and applied across all deliverables to maintain visual consistency.

6. Final delivery

All images were delivered at [[CONFIRM: resolution and format, e.g. “print-ready resolution (300 DPI at A2 size) in TIFF and JPEG formats, plus web-optimized versions”]].

Deliverables

Type	Quantity	Notes
Exterior stills	[[CONFIRM: number]]	[[CONFIRM: e.g. “Including aerial, street-level, and pedestrian perspectives”]]
Interior stills	[[CONFIRM: number]]	[[CONFIRM: e.g. “Lobby, show apartment living area, kitchen, and bedroom”]]
Aerial / bird’s-eye views	[[CONFIRM: number]]	[[CONFIRM: e.g. “Contextual aerial showing the development within the surrounding neighbourhood”]]
Animation stills / frames	[[CONFIRM: number or state ‘N/A’]]	[[CONFIRM: if applicable]]

Results

[[CONFIRM: all results below — replace placeholders with verified facts or remove entirely if data is unavailable]]

• Marketing usage — The visuals were used for [[CONFIRM: e.g. “the project website, printed brochures, hoarding graphics, and investor presentations”]].
• Stakeholder feedback — [[CONFIRM: e.g. “The development team reported that the renders significantly improved buyer confidence during the pre-sales phase” — or remove]].
• Sales impact — [[CONFIRM: e.g. “X% of units were reserved during the pre-sales period prior to construction completion” — or remove if unverifiable. The existing site showed placeholder text “$XX Million” which must be replaced with real figures or removed entirely]].
• Timeline — The full visualization package was delivered within [[CONFIRM: actual timeline, e.g. “6 weeks from kick-off to final delivery”]].

Note: The original version of this case study on the previous website contained placeholder values (e.g. “$XX Million”). All figures in this version have been either confirmed with the client or removed pending verification.

Key takeaways

1. Early engagement matters — Starting the visualization process while the design is still evolving allows render development to run in parallel with design refinement, reducing overall project timelines.
2. Multiple audiences, one visual language — By establishing a consistent lighting and material approach across all deliverables, the full set of images worked cohesively whether viewed in a brochure, on a website, or in a boardroom presentation.
3. Structured feedback saves time — Consolidating feedback from all stakeholders into single, prioritized review rounds kept the project on track and avoided conflicting revision requests.

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