A 2D floor plan rendering is the best way to represent the “human use” of the space proposed in the project; presenting the details designed for each of the environments.

The humanized plan does not require any technical knowledge to understand it with a pleasant and straightforward look. The clients need to imagine themselves inside, making use of this space.

To help you develop quality rendered floor plans, I will present the main differences, development techniques, information, and the quality of the components to be used in your project.

Continue reading to understand the main differences, development techniques, and other information to consider in your next project with floor plan rendered visualizations. 

WHAT IS A 2D FLOOR PLAN RENDERING?

A 2D rendered plan is a graphic representation directed to the public without technical knowledge such as your customer.

For this purpose, the technical information is removed, giving space to textures, colors, shadows, lighting effects, furniture, and other equipment that are all part of that space.

A floor plan visualization should enrich the project, adopt a representation as friendly as possible, and show how the human use of that space will be, giving life to its proposal.

The goal is for the client to feel comfortable with space and give their opinion about the project.

TRADITIONAL FLOOR PLAN x 2D RENDERED FLOOR PLAN 

A traditional floor plan is not the same as a rendered plan. The information represented in each of them is directed to different people.

Therefore, the objective of a project is to transmit the necessary information for its execution, which generally involves a series of professionals, each of whom needs a specific type of technical information.

So how do you know the difference between a technical construction plan and a 2D floor plan rendering?

A floor plan is nothing more than a graphical representation of the building seen from top to bottom, with a perpendicular cut at the height of 1.50m.

This height is necessary to see all the openings, in this case, doors and windows.

A technical floor plan drawing represents a certain level of the work, containing a body of technical information easily understood by professionals in the field, but can confuse a person without technical knowledge. 

No project is the same as another, but we can list some of the most common information found on a floor plan:

• The representation is orthogonal (2D) without perspective;
• The technical scale (size of the drawing) varies depending on the size of the work, usually between 1:50 and 1: 125;
• It must be black and white, but if it is colored, it must be developed in such a way that it can be printed in black and white;
• The construction elements are represented with different line thicknesses (graphic weight);
• It has a series of technical notes (dimensions, text calls, captions, etc.);
• It contains a series of graphic symbols (axes, cut lines, level dimensions, etc.).

We realize then that a traditional technical floor plan drawing is not aimed at everyone but requires a minimum of technical knowledge for someone to understand the content.

On the other hand, a floor plan rendering gives up the denser technical information, being much more artistic than the technical proposal.

Even so, a floor plan rendering needs to pass on a body of information, of course, in a more simplified way. The primary information offered by a rendered floor plan is:

• The representation is orthogonal (2D), but in some cases, it is also presented in 3D perspective;
• It does not need a technical scale; at most a graphic scale;
• It is represented in color and can be illustrated or rendered realistically;
• It presents all the furniture and its composition in the environments;
• The dimensions are shown in a simplified way.

The handling of a floor plan visualization does not require technical knowledge, and its clear and straightforward interpretation being directed to any audience.

WHAT IS A RENDERED FLOOR PLAN FOR?

A 2D floor plan  rendering allows technical information to be presented in an effortless and didactic way to the client, the main points being:

• Dimensions - in general, the customer has no idea of the dimensions of furniture but understands the dynamics of the environments. A 2D rendered plan space allows the client to understand the measures in a much more accessible way;
• Materials and coatings - it is possible to present a good part of the materials and coatings that will be used in the project, providing an overview of how the final proposal will be;
• Layout - the humanization of the layout allows the customer to understand how that space will be used and whether it will meet their needs;
• Reviews - makes the customer's decision-making process clearer and more precise, so that in addition to reducing the number of reviews by the customer, the changes are much more objective.
• Marketing - is usually the flagship for attracting clients in launches of real estate projects, being one of the first items requested by the marketing department.

All this information is presented with objectivity and clarity, leaving no room for doubts, making the client much more confident with the project.

HOW TO MAKE A RENDERED FLOOR PLAN?

The drafting of a floor plan rendering ends up being a very artistic proposal, as the objective here is to delight the customer.

So, we have a lot of freedom to choose the process/technique that offers the most exciting result.

The 2D plan rendering development process can be carried out freehand (requiring some artistic skills) or digitally, using specialized software.

We have the option of working with image editing software, such as Photoshop and CorelDraw, or directly in architectural software, such as AutoCAD, SketchUp, and Revit, the latter being the most used for architectural projects in the current market.

What is the best software for a floor plan rendering? Check out 5 reasons to migrate to Revit!

Even from an artistic aspect, the focus of a floor plan rendering is to transmit technical information in a simple and objective way.

Therefore, to create a humanized 2D representation, it is essential to pay attention to the following details:

• Briefing - it contains all the information collected for the development of the project, so it is an essential document in the process of creating the floor plan visualization;
• Color Palette - the main color pattern of the project usually has an immediate impact on the client, for that we must follow the color palette proposed for the project;
• Furniture - a key part of the 2D rendering; being the element that effectively gives life to the project environments, it is essential to use high-quality blocks;
• Lighting - even if it is a plan view, the brightness of the space and the openings of natural light must be well highlighted;
• The client perceives composition / Layout - all the dynamics of the space through the layout defined for the environments;
• Materials / Coatings - the patterns of finishes of floors and surfaces are usually the most favored in the rendering.

Much of this information we can obtain from the briefing and the architectural project, but where to get high-quality textures and furniture blocks?

QUALITY TEXTURES

The materials and finishes of the project must be represented realistically, allowing the viewer to understand how the final proposal of the project will be.

However, where to find quality textures?

In a project, realistically, we have two types of finishes: natural and synthetic.

Natural finishes, such as wood or stones, can be found in image banks or on websites specialized in materials and textures for 3D projects, such as:

•  Texture Haven;
• CC0 Texture; 
• Share Texture;
• Free PBR

Synthetic finishes are standards created by several manufacturers, such as Portinari Ceramics, Portobello Porcelain, Durafloor Laminates, etc., the great majority of which provide good quality images for application in projects.

The textures must represent precisely the specified materials, and this information is easily found in the project’s briefing descriptive memorial.

HIGH QUALITY FAMILIES

It is essential to use quality families in your project so that your client has a good understanding of the proposal.

However, how can you find editable, light, and good quality families?

It is prevalent to find beautiful models but make the file dense and slow and do not offer any type of adjustment or customization.

Quality families are lightweight and have parameterized features; that is, changes are made directly to the model properties in specific files without remodeling the family.

Fortunately, companies specializing in this type of work offer access to a high-quality library, with different types of models and updated regularly.

To save you the trouble of spending hours researching at Blocks Rvt, you find it all at a super affordable price.

Subscribe to Blocks Club and guarantee the best collections of Revit families to personalize your projects further!

Conclusion

The rendered floor plan is crucial within a project, not only as a presentation resource but as a clear, objective, and simple-to-understand communication tool for your client.

It is essential for a professional to understand the differences between a construction floor plan drawing and a 2D rendered floor plan, also all vital details in the development of a humanized plan.

Now that you understand the main aspects necessary for developing a quality floor plan visualization, how about having access to a vast library of families for Revit? Best of all, every week, a new collection of parametric families is launched, and you have access to everything in real-time!

Be part of the Blocks family!