“Rather than finding the absolute best tool, focus on finding the one that aligns most with your team.”
—Andy Christoforou, Senior Applied Technology Specialist at KPF
Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) is a leading architecture firm, known for its innovative and award-winning designs that have redefined cityscapes worldwide.
As the powerhouse behind 6 of the world's 13 tallest buildings, KPF is constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible in architectural design.
Early Challenges
Prior to using D5, KPF faced several challenges in their design visualization process due to the limitations of established 3D software:
- Limited features and AI integration
- Poor quality of photorealistic render
- Not scalable with large-scale, high-profile projects
Adopting new software also presented challenges:
1. Ensuring seamless integration with the existing Revit and Rhino workflows
2. Minimizing the learning curve for the team
Resolving these hurdles was crucial to empowering their architects and elevating their workflows, so KPF knew that finding the right solution could be a transformative step forward.
Discovering D5 Render
Their search led them to D5 Render, a real-time rendering engine that promised to redefine their approach to design visualization.
"We knew D5 was something special," said Andy Christoforou, KPF's Senior Applied Technology Specialist and a licensed architect. Focused on R&D and identifying emerging technologies to enhance the design workflow, Andy Christoforou and Sharel Liu from KPF Design Technology team assessed how D5 could address their existing challenges. "D5 Render offers features optimally tailored to the needs of workflows we’ve been seeing from teams," Liu added.
Upon testing D5 Render, the team quickly recognized its potential to transform their workflow.
Why D5: the Solution
Higher quality in less time
D5 Render's real-time rendering capabilities allowed KPF to produce high-quality visualizations much faster than before. This efficiency enabled the team to iterate quickly and present polished designs to clients on a tighter schedule.
One standout example is KPF's recent work on the SOHO Gubei project, where the team was able to create stunning, photorealistic visualizations that captured the project's architectural elegance and materiality.
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AI functionalities
KPF had already begun to embrace emerging technologies like AI as part of their core design workflow. "D5 Render's AI-driven rendering capabilities aligned perfectly with our vision for the future of architectural design visualization,"explained Christoforou.
- AI Atmosphere Match
The team was particularly impressed by D5 Render's ability to generate photorealistic outputs according to a reference image, a game-changing feature that could dramatically accelerate their design iterations and client presentations.
- AI-generated Material Texture Maps & MORE
D5 Render's automated tools took care of tedious tasks such as texturing, which designers typically dreaded, and freed them to focus on the creative aspects of their work, simplifying the overall process.
Tool compatibility
D5 Render provides livesync plugins for mainstream modeling tools like Revit and Rhino, ensuring seamless integration into KPF's existing workflows.
Additionally, D5 Render supports the import of various asset types, enabling designers to enrich their projects with a wide range of resources.
Scalable firm standards
The ability to create and use presets in D5 Render, along with access to both D5 Render and team-curated assets, helped KPF standardize their visualizations across different projects. This scalability ensured consistent quality and style, regardless of project size or complexity.
Implementing New Software
Integrating D5 Render into KPF's design workflow was a smooth and collaborative process. "With the help of the highly responsive support team from D5 Render, teams were able to smoothly get up and running."
- Ongoing Adoption
Thanks to Andy and Sharel's introduction, dozens of designers in the pilot program tested D5 and found it to be the most suitable tool for them. They have begun incorporating D5 into their projects, and the software's adoption is spreading throughout the company. Early adopters have already accumulated several convincing success stories, creating a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) among their colleagues. As a result, more employees are turning to D5, and now over 100 of KPF's 600+ staff members are either users or familiar with the tool.
- Onboarding
Driving the adoption of a new tool involved significant effort from Andy, Sharel, and the D5 Render team. They organized webinars and workshops within the company to introduce the workflow. D5 provided beautifully crafted Scene Express files for learning, and high-quality tutorials, which offered new users quick resources and a clear path to proficiency. A large internal community group was also formed at KPF, where members exchange tips, progress, and successes with the software among peers and enthusiasts.
Results
Time
As KPF often handles large-scale scenes requiring urban context blocks or natural environments, D5 Scatter addresses this need by providing the function of quickly populating areas with high-quality vegetation assets and saving hours of manual work. Assets like interior parallax models, which simulate detailed interiors with one click, help to significantly reduce tedious tasks. Camera movement templates, multi-editor editing, and other features in D5 Render, along with its industry-leading real-time rendering algorithms, all contribute to the reduced rendering time.
With D5's AI Atmosphere Match feature, tasks that used to take a week to produce multiple client drafts can now be completed in an afternoon, cutting iteration time by up to 80%. This enhancement has significantly boosted communication efficiency both internally and externally.
Cost
Improved project turnaround times allowed for better allocation of team resources and increased project capacity. Reducing reliance on outsourcing for renderings also saved significant time and cost, typically in the tens of thousands of dollars per project.
The use of D5, along with its license upgrades, has removed obstacles for new users, minimizing the costs associated with learning and adaptation.
Creativity
D5 Render’s user-friendliness empowers more staff to create high-quality visualizations. This accessibility allowed KPF to leverage the creative potential of the entire team, fostering greater innovation across projects.
"D5 Render has been a transformative addition to our design workflow. It's not just a tool – it's a strategic partner that has helped us raise the bar for what's achievable in architectural design." —Sharel Liu, KPF Design Technology Team
Next Steps
D5 Render’s superior development support stands out to KPF. While most software vendors took over a year to address feedback and product requests, D5 consistently responded and implemented feedback within 2-3 weeks. D5 Render’s swift turnaround time, regular updates, and responsive technical assistance ensures quick issue resolution and continuous feature enhancements.
As a forward-thinking firm, KPF values innovations that elevate the design process—a vision shared by D5. KPF and D5 Render will continue deepening their collaboration by further integrating D5 into KPF’s workflow and jointly advancing product development with the aim of bringing more convenience and inspiration to the architecture and design sector.
