--- title: "Designer Builders Case Study | Gendo" description: "How a residential builder's in-house creative studio upgraded every portfolio plan and cover sheet render without adding time to the process." lang: en json-ld: --- [![Gendo](https://assets.gendo.ai/marketing/homepage/gendo-logo-white.png)](/) [Features](/product)[Solutions](/workflows)[Resources](/resources)[Pricing](/pricing) About [Log In](https://app.gendo.ai/sign-in)[Start creating ](https://app.gendo.ai/sign-up) [Back to Resources](/resources) Story # Photorealistic Portfolio Imagery in Standard Rendering Time How a residential builder's in-house creative studio upgraded every portfolio plan and cover sheet render without adding time to the process. Same time Higher quality at the same time commitment Accurate Nothing changed unless it was specified 3 people In-house creative studio ![Designer Builders project rendered with Gendo](https://assets.gendo.ai/marketing/designer-builders-longview-after.jpg) ![Designer Builders](https://assets.gendo.ai/marketing/designer-builders-logo.png) About the practice ## Designer Builders Team Size 3-person creative studio Discipline Custom residential, occasional small commercial Toolchain Chief Architect, D5 Render, Gendo Clients Typically retired homeowners, closely involved in design Designer Builders is a residential builder with an in-house creative studio of one architectural designer and two interior designers, working on custom homes and occasional small commercial projects. Projects start from builder redlines on printed plans, are translated into Chief Architect, exported to D5 Render for landscaping and lighting, then rendered in Gendo. > "I start a project from builder redlines on printed plans and translate them into Chief Architect. I then export to D5 Render to add landscaping and lighting, then render in Gendo." > > — Andrew The challenge ## Renderings the studio did not want to show Software limitations meant the studio could not produce imagery it was willing to put in front of clients or on its website. Homeowners, most of them retired and closely involved in the design of their home, typically needed physical samples and had to imagine their selections applied to the house before they could decide. The solution ## A portfolio rebuild that needed photorealism The studio was revamping its website and every portfolio plan render, and the owner wanted photorealistic quality. Researching AI rendering led to Gendo, and the deciding factor was accuracy rather than style. "The renderings were very accurate to the original image and did not change items unless I specified so." Andrew, Architectural Designer Workflow ## Better output, same time commitment The important measure for the studio was not raw speed. A photorealistic image now takes about as long as an average-looking standard rendering used to, so the quality step came without a schedule cost. That made it viable to apply across the whole portfolio rather than reserving it for one or two showcase plans. > "I can get a photorealistic image in about the same time as it did to get an average looking standard rendering. Higher quality, same time commitment." Deliverables ## Renders on the drawing sets Front perspective renderings now appear on the cover sheets of schematic design and construction document sets, which was not previously possible. The next step is using Gendo with homeowners directly, to help them select materials, colours and options against their own house rather than from samples. Transformation ## Before & After Drag to compare the transformation Before Gendo The base render carries the plan, massing and material intent from Chief Architect and D5. With Gendo Gendo takes the same view to photorealistic quality without altering the design. ![Finished in Gendo](https://assets.gendo.ai/marketing/designer-builders-longview-after.jpg) Finished in Gendo ![D5 render](https://assets.gendo.ai/marketing/designer-builders-longview-before.jpg) D5 render Drag to compare ![Finished in Gendo](https://assets.gendo.ai/marketing/designer-builders-foxhound-after.jpg) Finished in Gendo ![D5 render](https://assets.gendo.ai/marketing/designer-builders-foxhound-before.jpg) D5 render Drag to compare ## The Impact: A portfolio the studio can show Photorealistic imagery is now standard across portfolio plans and drawing sets, produced in-house within the existing schedule. Impact ## Key Outcomes Portfolio rebuilt Every portfolio plan re-rendered to photorealistic quality No added time Same time commitment as the previous standard renders Design preserved Nothing changes in the image unless it is specified Renders on cover sheets Included in schematic design and construction sets Feedback ## Early days, strong internal verdict Gendo is newly embedded in the workflow, so client feedback is still limited and one client is yet to sign on a set that included the new renderings. Internally the response is clear: the owner, who set the photorealistic standard in the first place, likes what the studio is now producing. > "Gendo understands architectural design so I can spend more time iterating and less time correcting unwanted changes." Andrew Architectural Designer, Designer Builders ## More Stories [View all](/resources/stories) [ ![Víctor Díaz Arquitectos](https://assets.gendo.ai/marketing/victor-diaz-cam-after.jpg) ### Rebuilding a 25-Year Portfolio as Hyper-Realistic Imagery Read story ](/resources/stories/victor-diaz-arquitectos) [ ![Hernández Arquitectos](https://assets.gendo.ai/marketing/hernandez-patio-01.jpg) ### The Clearest Way to Represent a Project Read story ](/resources/stories/hernandez-arquitectos) [Gendo ](#) A living canvas for visual exploration, iteration, and decision-making. ### Product - [Product](/product) - [Pricing](/pricing) - [FAQs](/faqs) ### Company - [About Us](/about-us) - [Career](/career) - [Environmental Statement](/about/environmental-statement) - [Blog](/resources/insights) - [Contact Us](/book-call) ### Connect - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/company/gendo-ai) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/gendo.ai) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/@Gendo-ai) © 2026 Gendo. 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