If an architectural company has an urgent need to cut on costs, it can be said that outsourcing of 3d architectural rendering has arrived like a deus ex machina. It is not the trend for companies in titanic Western economies to provide 3d Palm Springs architects renderings anymore. Companies in emerging economies such as China, India and The Philippines, have inoculated that 3d architectural renderings should be outsourced to them. The competition between the providers of this service has become so fierce that there are already hundreds of firms offering this service in emerging economies. Architects are also imbuing the idea of outsourcing, as it is becoming a competitive criteria to present certain buildings before they have been constructed.
The main reason for outsourcing, is the very attractive prices provided by companies in emerging economies. Due to the low labour costs in such countries, it is not uncommon to see architectural renderings for around $300 per image, whilst companies in developed countries often charge $2000 or more. Thus there is no reason to muddle away with costs. Although some skeptics have the chutzpah to call their quality mediocre, this is far from the case. Countries like The Philippines are well-known for having a large pool of talented 3d artists, which are frequently being demanded by large animation companies, such as Dreamworks and Warner Bros.
It aids clients, shareholders, contractors and others involved in the design and execution process to better know the intent and beauty of the design. Creating a rendering of an architectural design is a more detailed way to explain and sell ones design. The architectural renderings may also be used as marketing and promotion in advertisements and brochures. Hand drawn works are thus slowly being phased out of the architectural design environment, although it is still being used by architects and designers during the preliminary stages of planning and design development.
The growth in 3d architectural rendering services is also a result of the growth of the global construction industry. According to consultancy Davis Langdon, all the major Western European countries experienced a growth of 2-4% of their construction spending in 2006-2007. The same tendency was seen in Australia, where a growth of almost 4% was reported, whilst several Asian countries experienced a similar trend. The only exception was the U.S. where a decrease of almost 2% was seen. The biggest market per se is still the U.S, so it remains a highly interesting market for architectural renderings. Since outsourcing leads to Brobdingnagian savings, it is here to stay, and it can undoubtedly lead to a pungent feeling of control over costs.