What programs do they use to make these renders? Urban architecture.

[SamiChi]

Hi, I was wondering what programs/applications do they use to make urban concept render/illustrations?

Example;
http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/03/12/shanghais-international-cruise-terminal-cooled-by-the-river/shanghai-international-cruise-terminal-2/

http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/01/15/floating-mega-arcology-for-bostons-harbor/

http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/08/18/noah-mammoth-pyramidal-arcology-designed-for-new-orleans/arcology4/

http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/05/18/dragonfly-urban-agriculture-concept-for-ny/

I really like sustainable urban architecture concepts, and would like to learn how to do that. I'm sure there are more than just one, but what are the more popular ones? And what type of major would this fall under at a college? Illustration? Architecture? Urban Planning?

Thanks guys

[hippl5]

A couple look like 3D to me.

The programs used could be:
3D Studio Max
Maya
Lightwave

Or others programs, but it doesn't matter.

As for major, I'm not sure.

If you want a free 3D program, go here.

http://www.blender.org/

[JeffX99]

Yeah - mostly 3D modeling nowadays. Architectural Illustration (also known as Architectural Visualization) is generally within architecture programs at schools but definitely includes elements of illustration coursework. Good luck!

[Kraus]

Google V-Ray for shits and giggles. It is a rendering program in conjunction with 3DsMax and who knows what else. Makes the pictures you show look like 80's cg. Replicates lighting through physics (litteral photon scattering). Deffinetly something to aim for. But you need to actually build the architecture you gonna render, so it's most likely a 3D animation course first and then an architect hires your ass.

[QueenGwenevere]

so it's most likely a 3D animation course first and then an architect hires your ass.

I really really really really don't think so. I think if you're doing any real work in the field of architecture, you need to know about architecture. Architecture, industrial design and engineering all require specific knowledge in the field, because they involve making real things that need to actually work without, y'know, collapsing or exploding and killing people. So it's a lot more than just making pretty pictures. After getting your degree you may even need to pass some kind of extra certification tests to get real jobs in the field (engineers do, I know that. Not sure about architects.)

I think the major you're probably looking for is either architecture or some subset of whatever the architecture department offers. See what different schools offer, and check the portfolios of the different departments to see if they have the kind of thing you're hoping to do. Colleges might even list the types of software you'd learn in an architecture major.

In our school architecture was a five-year degree (compared to the other departments which were four-year degrees,) and involved a lot of practical architectural knowledge in addition to architectural rendering skills.

Incidentally the current standard for industrial design is SolidWorks (3D CAD/rendering software) - I don't know what architects use, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was architecture-specific 3D software these days.

[nofu]

judging by their architectural nature they might very well be made in AutoCAD but there are probably cheaper programs that can do that.

[Kraus]

Then i'm not sure what he wants to know, how they made those pics or how to build one in real life..

It's true though, many architects are awesome enough to learn 3D software on their own to present their projects better (besides defaults like AutoCad). But urban architecture of that caliber is more like building companies suplying 3D artists with general info to build a model to showcase on a billboard, while architects worry about making it stand.

[QueenGwenevere]

The pretty renderings that architectural firms show to clients need to be accurate, therefore whoever makes them needs to know enough about architecture to understand an architect's instructions and render them accurately. Traditionally, such renderings were done by the architect, and they probably still are in most cases (they certainly are in every architecture exhibit I've ever seen, past or contemporary...)

Anyway, it sounds like the OP is interested in coming up with urban architecture concepts, not just rendering someone else's concepts. For that, they'll need some hardcore architectural knowledge.

[nofu]

Then i'm not sure what he wants to know, how they made those pics or how to build one in real life..

It's true though, many architects are awesome enough to learn 3D software on their own to present their projects better (besides defaults like AutoCad). But urban architecture of that caliber is more like building companies suplying 3D artists with general info to build a model to showcase on a billboard, while architects worry about making it stand.

AutoCAD has pretty thorough 3D rendering possibilities actually. At the current age there are several courses dedicated to 3D modeling in most architecture degree programs and older architects often take courses in 3D rendering so (at least the first two) these were quite likely made by real architects.

[JeffX99]

Architecture, industrial design and engineering all require specific knowledge in the field...

I think the major you're probably looking for is either architecture or some subset of whatever the architecture department offers. See what different schools offer, and check the portfolios of the different departments to see if they have the kind of thing you're hoping to do. Colleges might even list the types of software you'd learn in an architecture major.

In our school architecture was a five-year degree (compared to the other departments which were four-year degrees,) and involved a lot of practical architectural knowledge in addition to architectural rendering skills.


Exactly...excellent advice. Do your homework and get a feel for A) what the career is like day to day B) what schools have the best programs. Then work super hard to get there.

Be aware of what is going on in the field as well, right now I think it is struggling a bit due to the ease of rendering and visualization software (3D). This isn't to say there aren't jobs there, it has just changed a bit in the last 15 years. One arch-viz friend of mine actually set up the digital rendering/visualization studio for Michael Graves (google him), which sort of put him out of a job! He moved into game environment production which of course his studio was incredible with. Another friend went the other way, from games to being an interior lighting specialist for a firm in Oregon.

To sum up, I think what you're interested in is an excellent career and you will probably find there are a lot of opportunities, they just might be in other areas and fields. Good luck!

Forgot to add some links - google: architectural visualization - tons of stuff.

http://www.digitalartistawards.com/judges/architectural-visualisation
http://www.cgarchitect.com/
http://www.archiform3d.com/

[SamiChi]

Thanks for all the replies guys. Well right now I'm a sophomore for industrial design. Before deciding on what field I wanted to study, architecture was definitely one of them, but I was quickly turned off by what architects actually do. I think I just want to come up with concepts and draw. I don't want to get into the engineering part, been through that already. I do enjoy learning and discussing topics of viability, but just not getting into numbers and stuff too much.

I'll check out the links, thanks guys.

[Kraus]

Architecture is heavy indeed. But then once again to come up with structure concepts and render them in 3D requires simply your observation of what allready exists and some creativity. The examples you showed are outside shots, which means the innerworkings of are not even rendered beyond boxes with some plucked in people to illustrate it better.
These are concept renders for a reason, because the actual blueprints of the whole damn thing don't need to be represented. Make the size ratio proportionate to everything else in the scene and you got a 3D model of a believable building without going into the architectural integrity of it. 3D is something you can learn home though with appropriate motivation.