Is 3D Architectural Visualisation

Some would argue art and some would argue science but I would argue it is actually a bit of both. Think about it like this. We need to master the science behind a software application to give us the ability to create the art. But we also need to be good artists to understand the results we want our software applications to output. So, in essence it is a scientific art form.

Wikipedia describes art as the process of deliberately arranging items (often with symbolic significance) in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music, literature, film, photography, sculpture, and paintings. The meaning of art is explored in a branch of philosophy known as aesthetics, and even disciplines such as history and psychology analyze its relationship with humans and generations.

Traditionally, the term art was used to refer to any skill or mastery. This conception changed during the Romantic period, when art came to be seen as "a special faculty of the human mind to be classified with religion and science".[1] Generally, art is made with the intention of stimulating thoughts and emotions.

Understanding parameters such as light wattage values, luminance values, bounced light, ambient occlusion is all very scientific and calculated but understanding when the results we get from these settings are incorrect or unnatural or simply unwanted fall into a more artistic category. It takes a trained eye to indentify when the tones are too muted or saturated and when the dark areas are too dark or the light areas too light.

Over the years I've seen many people who have a great technical ability and many people who have a great artistic ability but to be a truly great 3d architectural visualiser you need to have both qualities in abundance. A great 3D visualisation artist must understand their tools, how they function and what they do, they must be truly observant of the world around them and devote much of their time to simply examining light and shade in the real world.

So, is Architecture itself a science or an art? Architects designs are controlled so much these days by building codes and planning regulations that quite often they struggle against the system to try and create something unique. All too often their great designs are compromised by poor planning decisions. I often find it hard to understand why an architects design is deemed worth or unworthy by a Town Planner who has zero architectural design training.

In any case I see art as something that has no boundaries, limitless and requires no logic. It is subjective! It differs greatly from design as design requires reason, design has guidelines and rules that should be adhered to. People create art for themselves, people design for the benefit of others, but this perhaps getting a bit off topic. Design is neither art nor science and should perhaps be covered in a different article.

Perhaps it is enough to say that 3d architectural visualisation is a scientific form of art and design. Art with a distinct set of rules which must be followed.