Should you hire an expert?

Design visualization is no longer a luxury. Clients expect it. Design competitions require it. How will you meet this challenge? You can spend thousands of dollars on software, hardware and training - with no guarantee the results will meet your standards. Or you can bring in ARCHITECTURAL IMAGING, and be confident that you have saved money and ensured consistent high-quality results.

If you are considering using in-house staff for 3D work, or if you are already doing so, you would do well to count the cost:

• Using an experienced in-house CAD user (such as a Job Captain or Project Architect) means asking that person to squeeze in more work in additional to their regular project responsibilities. His/her projects will suffer from lack of attention and coordination. Moreover, because of that person's high billing rate, less time will be allocated to 3D work, and quality will suffer.

• Using a junior in-house CAD drafter who learned 3D in school may seem to be a cheap route to 3D, but consider this: he/she may not have the architectural experience and design maturity necessary to produce quality images. You may find that work has to be repeatedly redone before it is something you would want to show your client.

• Hiring a full time 3D illustrator is not practical for all but the largest firms. Often such a person will be forced to do regular CAD work, resulting in dissatisfaction all around.

Still not sure about outsourcing? Try this exercise. Multiply the billing rate of the person on your staff who would do 3D work by the amount of time it really takes that person to complete a visualization project. Chances are ARCHITECTURAL IMAGING would actually be cheaper.

No five-figure technology outlays. No staff scheduling headaches. No gambling on an untested solution. By using ARCHITECTURAL IMAGING you will know the cost at the outset. And you can be sure about the quality of the end product.