About five years ago, when most architecture firms started using better software to design their structures, which allows them to develop in 3D and create construction documents as a by-product, most chose to create another revenue stream and charge their client for the 3D renderings, which eliminated some work for people like me. At about the same time, real estate agents started to reach out to illustrators to render out structures so they could get them on the market quicker.
89 Monadnock House Renderings was created to help sell the home well before construction is complete. Now, there is also a trend that happens. The real estate agents circumvent the design process, probably to save money, so they hire an illustrator, thinking they can make unlimited changes to the rendering until they are happy. This was the case here. I built the model per the CAD plans, but design changes were made on the fly after seeing the rendering. I see that as value-added, but a fee is associated with change.
I allow two sets of grayscale and two sets of color proofs with my service. However, those are architectural visualization revisions (did I model and color correctly per the documents provided) and not design modifications. I don't sell design services, nor do I offer to be used to help design something unless it is agreed upon beforehand. After talking to my peers around the globe, this is the industry standard.
The changes to the 89 Monadnock House Renderings were good ones, and the design turned out to be better, and the real estate agent didn't have any problem getting more money from the developer for these changes.
Over the last two years, I have also seen a trend that people come to me because they can't use what the architect provided. The building information model is suitable for design, OK for construction documents, and equally just OK for a rendering. Most people who come to me want something far more than just OK.
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