Illuminens is a specialized studio focused on producing architectural visuals.
We create bold, detail-rich architectural visuals that elevate your projects, set you apart, and help you win.
Many architectural renderings look the same. Familiar angles. Predictable scenes. Few truly stand out. Even fewer manage to break through and truly surprise.
Over the last two decades, the production of architectural imagery has exploded. Tools have multiplied, workflows have been streamlined, and access has widened. In this context, high-end visuals are no longer optional. They are a strategic asset at the heart of how architecture, landscape, and public spaces are conceived, experienced, and communicated.
An architectural rendering is never neutral. It is a deliberate point of view. And every point of view tells a story. Our role is to craft that story and make it resonate.
Light, atmosphere, vegetation, human presence, movement. Every element matters. Rather than documenting a project in a cold, technical way, we believe architectural imagery should do more. It should provoke emotion. It should suggest life, uses, and intensity through a carefully composed scene that elevates the project beyond its physical form.
A powerful image doesn’t just show a design. It tells a story. It captures a moment. It triggers a memory. And that is when the viewer stops looking and starts imagining themselves within the project. That is when the image truly belongs to them.
Looking for a responsive team that adapts to your deadlines and expectations, challenges your ideas, and brings real creative momentum to the table ?
For some, producing an architectural rendering with 3D software is a mechanical process, purely descriptive and technical. We see it very differently. Creating a compelling image starts long before the software. It draws on the eye of a photographer, the precision of a graphic designer, and the craft of visual storytelling.
Our background as architects gives us a deep understanding of a project’s strengths and intentions. Combined with our mastery of advanced 3D rendering technologies, this foundation allows us to build immersive, photorealistic scenes designed to be instantly understood by their audience, whether that audience is a competition jury, a public official, a fellow architect, or the future user of the space.
ILLUMINENS is a creative and communication studio dedicated to architecture, backed by nearly 25 years of experience. We combine state-of-the-art visualization tools with a strong artistic sensibility and a rigorous approach to visual storytelling. Driven, committed, and genuinely enthusiastic, we always strive to create the right image. The one that leaves a lasting impression, sets your project apart, and makes it resonate.
The "Project Portfolios" gather the images of the main projects submitted to us.
Production of 3D animated sequences - MultiLight - Video editing
MODUS OPERANDI
Our approach is built around a few key priorities :
- Meeting deadlines. We place a strong emphasis on respecting agreed timelines and delivery schedules.
- Ongoing dialogue. Regular exchanges with our clients allow us to closely align with their expectations while proposing strong, appealing visual directions.
- Step-by-step validation. Our process is structured to give you clear visibility at every stage of image development and decision-making, including the validation of architectural forms, viewpoints, global lighting principles, and the overall appearance of the projects presented.
- High-impact, high-quality imagery. Our goal is to deliver striking, carefully crafted images that combine precise, detailed representation of projects and spaces with lively, engaging atmospheres.
Our goal is to offer you a vision driven by imagination and a refined graphic approach, shaped through composition, light, and the expressive use of vegetation to support and enhance your project.
We are fully committed to meeting your expectations and supporting your project at every stage.
General Process
We understand the level of flexibility required when producing architectural imagery for clients. Our experience as visual creators has been shaped by the hundreds of images we produce each year. This experience has shown us that ongoing dialogue and a well-defined workflow are essential to delivering high-quality, relevant, and distinctive images within optimized timelines.
Our production process is built around four key principles :
- Receipt and review of project documents.
- Proposal of a coordinated and realistic production schedule.
- Respect for validation phases.
- A relationship based on courtesy and trust.
Coordination & Point of Contact
A single point of contact is assigned at the start of each project. This person serves as the main interface for all exchanges and feedback. They are responsible for consolidating the information provided, as well as the comments and inputs shared by the various stakeholders throughout the assignment.
Modus Operandi
To ensure close alignment with your expectations, we propose organizing review meetings at key milestones to validate progress.
Once the 3D model has been finalized, the production of each image follows three main stages. Each stage includes one to two review cycles to integrate your feedback and observations :
- Selection and validation of viewpoints and verification of modeled architectural forms (1 to 2 review rounds per image)
- Low-resolution preview : validation of materials, atmospheric elements, and overall lighting principles, along with a final check of the 3D model before high-resolution rendering (1 to 2 review rounds per image)
- High-resolution rendering
- « Post-production » (1 to 2 review rounds per image)
The production of certain architectural images and animated films may require specific photographic shoots or filmed sequences.
When needed, we are able to carry out these shoots ourselves in order to ensure consistent quality. Alternatively, we can recommend and coordinate with qualified professional photographers, including specialists in drone photography, to meet the specific requirements of the project.
To deliver high-quality renderings, we rely on extensive libraries of high-resolution visual assets, including: :
- people
- animals
- vegetation from various climates and seasons
- materials and textures
- landscape photography
We also use a wide range of detailed 3D models, such as :
- vehicles
- characters
- furniture
- urban furniture
- sports equipment
- technical and electronic equipment
- plants, trees, and vegetation from different climates and seasons
- various site elements and fittings
All of these resources are fully licensed, with unlimited usage rights for commercial purposes.
This approach allows us to enrich your project visuals with a high level of detail and accuracy, ensuring consistent image quality and visually compelling representations.
Advances in both software and hardware technologies now allow us to produce high-quality CGI films at significantly reduced costs. Tools and techniques such as motion tracking (camera movement tracking), «Multilight» or «LightMix» (dynamic control of lighting atmospheres), and Google Earth Studio (creating animated fly-throughs within Google Earth) open up a wide range of new creative possibilities.
Graphic Design : For us, graphic design is the meeting point between aesthetic exploration and strategic thinking. It is about defining an identity, expressing a vision, and telling your story.
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Competition Presentation Boards : As opportunities to present projects orally become increasingly limited, the quality and clarity of competition boards are now essential to ensure your project stands out and is fully understood.
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Webdesign : Having a modern website is now essential. To make it a truly dynamic communication tool, it must be easy to update and manage without requiring technical expertise. To meet these needs, we build our websites using the WordPress platform, widely recognized today as one of the most powerful and versatile solutions available.
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All images and animations produced by ILLUMINENS are protected by copyright law. In accordance with Article L.121-1 of the French Intellectual Property Code :
- Any distribution or reproduction of original works without the prior consent of the author constitutes an infringement of their rights and may give rise to compensation for damages.
- Any reproduction or representation of the images must clearly mention the author’s name.
- Any modification made without the prior consent of ILLUMINENS constitutes an infringement of its rights. The work produced by ILLUMINENS may not be copied, transferred, modified, published, reproduced, or distributed without its express permission.
As part of its assignments, ILLUMINENS grants the client company unlimited rights of use over time, strictly for the purposes of promotion and advertising of the project specified in the contract, as well as for the client company’s own business activities.
The client company agrees to credit the name ILLUMINENS as «Image Credit: ILLUMINENS» in all physical and digital publications, except in cases where anonymity is required (for example, competition panels for public procurement under the French MOP law)
Any distribution of the images to media outlets (such as publication in local newspapers) or to any other third party must be subject to the prior approval of ILLUMINENS and must include the credit «Image Credit: ILLUMINENS» in each publication.