Key takeaways:
- Enhanced realism: AI-driven enhancements improved vegetation translucency, lighting, and water reflections.
- Massive time savings: Scattering Tool reduced tree placement time by 50%
- Faster design iterations: Real-time rendering enabled quick material swaps and client approvals
It all began with a question: Can we push our visualizations further?
For TERROIR—a collective of architects and urbanists dedicated to strengthening the connection between people and the places they inhabit—this pursuit goes beyond the built environment. It extends to how design is communicated and experienced. For them, visualization is more than just representation; it is an essential part of the design process, shaping how atmosphere, materiality, and spatial qualities come to life.
TERROIR has always utilised multiple rendering tools in design and representation tasks, each with its strengths and weaknesses. They therefore decided in 2024 to integrate D5 Render into their workflow, given the need for "a tool that felt intuitive, fast, and expressive." D5 Render turned out to be an interesting discovery.
Exploring D5 Render: A New Dimension in Visualization
TERROIR’s first major test of D5 Render came with the visualization of a luxury spa, set within the rolling landscape of a golf course. The goal wasn’t just to create beautiful images—it was to express the spatial experience of the project.
What Stood Out?
- Material Realism – The way light interacted with surfaces, from the translucency of leaves to the sheen of wet ground.
- Effortless Atmosphere Building – AI-enhanced details removed the need for extensive post-processing, allowing the team to focus on storytelling.
- Water & Reflection Quality – From still pools to moving waterfalls, reflections felt more natural and nuanced than in previous workflows
“D5’s AI-enhancer brought everything to life—grass, trees, even wet surfaces. It allowed us to design through rendering”
Mastering Large-Scale Landscapes: The D5 Scatter Tool in Action
As designers who work across large urban and natural landscapes, TERROIR often faces the challenge of rendering vast sites without losing detail. A recent project required dense forest coverage, a task that previously took days to execute.
With D5 Scatter, the team cutdown tree placement from days to hours. The software’s intelligent distribution tools made it possible to balance realism with efficiency.
- Customizable Density & Variation – Instead of placing trees manually, the team set parameters and let the software handle the complexity.
- AI Atmosphere Match – Environmental lighting adjusted seamlessly, making the scene feel naturally integrated.
- Real-Time Adjustments – Instant previews meant decisions could be made on the fly, speeding up iterations.
“Previously, we placed trees one by one or in batches. In D5, we define the logic through a surface, and the software scatter sit across the specified surface—it’s incredibly intuitive and efficient.”
Faster Iterations, Smarter Decisions
At TERROIR, architectural visualization is not just about creating compelling images; it’s a design tool that helps inform decision-making. D5 Render’s real-time rendering capabilities and livesync with Rhino have dramatically accelerated their workflow.
It’s integrated HDRI and effects function like a built-in mini-Photoshop, allowing for precise atmosphere control and realistic enhancements reducing time in post-production.
Looking Ahead: A New Standard for Visualization at TERROIR
For TERROIR, switching to D5 Render wasn’t just about speed—it was about unlocking new creative potential. The ability to produce high-quality renders while not compromising efficiency and speed was the perfect balance we were looking for.
With the growing complexity of architectural projects, the studio believes that real-time rendering is no longer an advantage—it’s essential.
“D5 Render allows TERROIR to think through making—where visualization becomes an active part of the design process, bridging concept and experience in real time with efficiency.”
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