akzit

Just saw that HKS has a specific Viz department, not only as auxiliary to the main arch firm but as an independent department that not only offers viz services but also animations, web design, VR, etc.

http://www.hksviz.com/

Any of you guys know of any other departments like this in other architectural firms, like SOM, NBBJ, Gensler, etc.

If any out there knows or works in one of this deparments, please post some epxeriences of wokring in such a deparment.

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"That you are here--that life exists, and identity;
That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse."
Walt Whitman

Jeff Mottle

The company I am helping to launch right now started as an in-house design/viz department and will be a seperate entity in the next few months. What specifically did you want to know?

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Jeff Mottle
CGarchitect.com

akzit

Thanks for asking Jeff. My intent is to get an idea of how many and wich firms have this sort of specific department established, be it a specific viz department or a separate "office" in itself like the one from hksviz.

Is it just only the big name firms, like HKS, SOM, Gensler, NBBJ, etc or is it also the same (maybe on a smaller scale) for mid to smaller firms.

The reason is that I am looking to moving to another bigger city , with a better and bigger market for my skills (architecture and viz). Dont have any one city in the US set, but trying to see what is out there and where. What are the "hot" markets.

Some of the cities that we are looking into are (but not limited to): Houston, San Antonio, Denver, Phoenix, LA, San Diego, Seatle, Philly, Boston, etc... NY would be very nice and as Joseph said in another thread is always a hot market but with a family with small kids it could be quite a change. Maybe even Canada? I like it that up there you guys are more progresive than us 50 states down here (too many red states down here, LOL).

Thanks again!

__________________
"That you are here--that life exists, and identity;
That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse."
Walt Whitman

Wanna_be_architect

Where are you from Jorge?

I know Texas, but what city?

akzit

El Paso. Down here in the border with Mexico.

__________________
"That you are here--that life exists, and identity;
That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse."
Walt Whitman

Charles Gaushell

Based on my experience of practicing traditional architecture for 13 years, I would be surprised if many firms would use a viz company tied to another firm.

The same problem almost always occurs when architecture firms are tied to engineering firms - the general additude is "I'm not helping those guys by working with their engineers - and they will see what we are doing"

A little paranoid (not me), but a fact of business.

I would think being separate is a better option in the long run - like my company, Paradigm Productions.

But hey, I'm all for everyone else doing the combo route and losing work to the independant companies! Of course I'm a red stater.....

akzit

Cole, how are things in Dallas? What about San Antonio?

Charles I dont think satelite viz departments of bigger architectural firms are going for the architectural viz market. I would imagine that being such big companies they have more than there share of arch work. I think they are going for a bigger and broader market, sort of lie you are doing going to museum, law and even the "hot" medical bioinformation (seems that it is getting a hot market).

But this is exactly what I would love to here from you guys, what is going on in this satelite viz departments of architectural firms? What are the "hot" or growing city markets? etc...

Tim Nelson

You should check these guys out. Seems like a pretty cool company. http://www.littleonline.com/flash/index.html

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Tim Nelson
timnelson3d.com

mrcamper

Yo, azkit!! Don't forget Dallas!

If you are interested in 3d architectural delineation, then an in-house environment is really the place to be for pure creativity, but also lending itself to an albeit a very busy work environment.

Almost every architectural firm I know has a "mostly dedicated" 3d production person.

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A Noble life demands a noble architecture for noble uses of noble men. (FLLW, 1953) http://www.archengine.org - my Real Time blog - http://www.rtranger.com

akzit

Nice site TIm, thanks. By the way good luck with the second challenge!

Pat, you are so right in saying that in the in-house enviroment one gets to experiment with diffrent techniques or presentations delivery but also work under a tight deadline. I imagine that in viz firms as well in architecture the tight deadline is always there.

I am one of those "mostly dedicated" 3d persons in this firm, but I would love to be able to work and experiment more on the 3d viz aspect of the architecture bussines.

Being able to work on the 3d wihile working on design and seeing how the 3d affects the design process is so exciting! Many architects say and repeat that 3d is only another tool just to present or make "pretty pictures" but they dont see the full imapct that 3d has on the whole process of architecture design and construction.