Story at a glance:
- Architecture firm KeurK used Enscape to visualize an ambitious project with high-quality renderings.
- KeurK working with Henning Larsen to design the new headquarters for the European Medicines Agency.
- Enscape is a real-time visualization and virtual reality tool that plugs directly into modeling software.
“Thinking the city and creating healing architecture by developing alternatives for the 21st century from a humanist, positivist, and ecological perspective.” These principles guide Olivier Riauté and his team when working on projects.
More than 10 years ago Riauté founded KeurK in Lille, France. His firm specializes in architecture and visualization and takes on many projects, from product design to urban planning. His interest in 3D modeling and enthusiasm for technology led him to incorporate real-time visualization within architectural projects.
He shares how discovering Enscape, a real-time visualization and virtual reality tool that plugs directly into modeling software, helped him successfully deliver an urban sanctuary for the Metropolis of Lille.
An Urban Sanctuary for the Metropolis of Lille
The Biotope project aimed to create a space of green wellness in the middle of an urban environment for the employees of the European Medicines Agency. Rendering courtesy of KeurK
In 2017 KeurK took on a project with Danish architecture firm Henning Larsen to design the new headquarters of the European Medicines Agency. The project was called Biotope, a name that gets its meaning from the Greek definition of a “place of life.”
The project’s goal was to create a space of green wellness in the middle of an urban environment for the employees of the European Medicines Agency.
“Health, wellness, and sustainability are at the heart of KeurK and Henning Larsen’s projects. Our intention was to reflect this in the design, from the facades’ orientation to the building’s vegetation. It was, after all, to be the new headquarters of the European Medicines Agency,” Riauté says.
The team had to work within a tight schedule, and to make things work they had to ensure design decisions would be made on time. This is where using Enscape proved to be valuable.
Clear Communication with Quality Renderings
Real-time visualization has made the process of illustrating architectural designs easier and faster. It translates 3D models into something tangible and understandable for people with limited knowledge of technical architectural aspects.
Riauté says renderings created in Enscape were pivotal in getting important decisions made on time. “We had to show our clients good content regularly; we met with them every two weeks. The renderings communicated what we thought was best for the design, which determined the decisions. The project was completed in a record 18 months, and Enscape was vital in making this happen successfully.”
A Better Understanding with a Virtual Experience
Giving clients virtual tours of the design enabled Riauté and his team to show them details on a bigger scale. Putting clients in an immersive environment gave them a better understanding of what the building will look like once constructed.
“Using VR allowed us to make an impression. It helped us show small details and helped people who weren’t versed in construction understand it better. For instance, we could show just how monumental the staircase would look in the atrium,” Riauté says.
Designing with real-time visualization allows clients to get involved in the creative process. The idea behind Biotope was to create a space that conveyed health and renewal, and Riauté and his team were able to accomplish just that.
Natural light, fresh air, and greenery were prioritized in the design process, as shown in the layout of the building. A sunlight-filled atrium, open-air balconies lined with courtyard gardens, and a terraced green roof cover the building’s footprint.
A Flexible Way of Working
Rendering courtesy of KeurK
While known to be used within the conceptual phase of the architectural design process, real-time visualization can be beneficial throughout the entire design process.
“Enscape helped us collaborate on-site and with the construction team,” Riauté says. “Used with our BIM model, we could communicate our concept easily and keep everyone up to date. It gave us a flexible way of working together.”
Real-time visualization lets you communicate ideas better and helps you get to design decisions quicker. Anyone curious about new ways to enhance design workflow can sign up for Enscape’s 14-day free trial.
