What Is 3D Architectural Visualisation and How Do You Commission Property CGI?

Updated

3D architectural visualisation (often called property CGI) is the production of photorealistic still images and animations of a building or development before it is built. You commission it when you need to win planning approval, present a design to a client, or sell units off-plan. The practical steps are: assemble your plans and site context, decide on image count and type (exterior, interior, animation), request a fixed-price quote, then brief the studio on views, materials and revisions. Expect per-image pricing to drop when you order a multi-image package, and expect a minimum image count to qualify for the lowest rate.

What property CGI covers

A typical architectural visualisation studio produces:

  • Exterior CGI — the building in its site context, used for planning submissions and marketing.
  • Interior CGI — room-level renders that show finishes, lighting and layout.
  • Animations — short fly-throughs or walkthroughs for sales suites and investor presentations.
  • Planning visuals — images framed to show massing, scale and impact to a planning authority.
  • Marketing CGI — hero images for brochures, hoardings, websites and portals.

CG Inspired, a UK studio, describes its output as "planning visuals & marketing CGI's for architects and developers," covering interiors, exteriors "and more." That scope is a useful checklist when you approach any provider: confirm which of these you actually need before asking for a price.

What CGI is used for

Three uses drive most commissions:

  1. Planning approval. Visuals help a scheme communicate massing and context to a planning committee or authority.
  2. Client and stakeholder presentations. Architects and developers use renders to demonstrate a design or a prototype product before construction.
  3. Selling a development that doesn't exist yet. Off-plan sales depend on buyers being able to picture the finished home or commercial space.

If your project is at planning stage, ask for planning-oriented views; if it's already consented and you're marketing, ask for hero marketing images and interiors. The brief changes the camera angles, the level of surrounding context, and the finish.

What to prepare before requesting a quote

Studios quote fastest when you send a complete pack. Prepare:

  • Architectural drawings — floor plans, elevations and sections.
  • Site context — location, neighbouring buildings, landscape, and any site photography.
  • Image list — how many exteriors, how many interiors, and whether you need animation.
  • Material and finish references — brick, cladding, kitchen specs, flooring.
  • Intended use — planning, brochure, website, or sales suite, since this affects resolution and framing.

CG Inspired states that sending plans gets you a "fast fixed-price quotation, often within 30 minutes." That speed depends on the pack being complete, so treat the list above as the minimum.

Pricing: what to expect and how packages work

Published pricing in this sector is usually per image, with a discount for volume. CG Inspired advertises "from £195 per image," with the asterisk noting this applies "when ordering as a multi image package" and that a "minimum number of images apply."

That structure tells you two things to check with any studio:

Question Why it matters
What is the single-image price vs. the package price? The headline rate may only apply at volume.
What is the minimum image count? A two-image job may not qualify for the advertised rate.
Is animation priced per second or per project? Animation is usually quoted separately from stills.
What's included in revisions? Extra rounds can change the effective price.

Ask for a fixed-price quote against your actual image list rather than comparing headline rates, since package thresholds differ between studios.

Questions to ask a CGI studio

Before you commit, get answers on:

  • Turnaround. How long from approved brief to first draft, and to final delivery?
  • Revisions. How many rounds are included, and what counts as a revision versus a new view?
  • Portfolio relevance. Have they visualised projects of your building type and scale? Ask to see exteriors, interiors and planning visuals specifically.
  • Experience with your sector. CG Inspired cites 20+ years in the property sector and clients including Taylor Wimpey, Bovis Homes and David Ball Group — relevant if you're in residential development.
  • File formats and resolution. Confirm you receive images sized for print, web and planning submission.
  • Who owns the images and how long they're retained. Useful if you'll reuse them across campaigns.

A practical commissioning sequence

  1. Define the use: planning, sales, or presentation.
  2. Build the image list and gather plans, site context and finish references.
  3. Request fixed-price quotes from two or three studios using the same brief.
  4. Compare on package thresholds, revision policy and turnaround, not headline rate alone.
  5. Approve a brief with camera angles and materials before modelling starts.
  6. Review the first draft against the brief, then consolidate feedback into one round.
  7. Sign off finals in the formats you need for print, web and submission.

The main pitfall is an incomplete brief: missing site context or finish references is the most common cause of slow quotes and revision cycles. Send everything at the start, and confirm the package minimum before you assume the advertised per-image rate applies to your job.