Planning & photomontage · case study
Two-Storey Extension Planning Renders
Photomontages of a proposed two-storey extension in its real context, produced to support a residential development application.
- Renders like these, from
- Quoted per project
- Turnaround
- 5–7 business days from approved brief
- Revisions
- Up to 4 rounds included
- You send
- Site photographs, the model or drawings, and the survey data if you have it
A selection from the delivered set.
The brief
The owner needed to show the council how a two-storey extension would sit with the neighbouring house, the trees, the public footpath and the garden, including a drone view over the rear.
Our approach
The proposal was modelled from the architect's drawings and integrated into the client's own photographs and drone shots. A fifth view was added when the planning consultant revised the rear roof, with the dormers removed and the eaves raised.
The result
Five photomontages delivered over three weeks, each camera-matched to the owner's own site photographs.
What this render has to do
A planning officer or neighbour reading an elevation drawing sees lines; a photomontage shows them the house. This set places a proposed two-storey extension into the owner's own site photographs so that its height, roofline and relationship to the neighbouring house can be judged against reality. The views answer the questions a council usually asks: how does the front look, how much separation is there to the neighbour, what is seen from the public footpath, and how does the rear roof sit when seen from above. Because the base images are real, the proposal has to fit them honestly, which is what makes the result persuasive.
Materials, light and camera
Every image is camera-matched to a real photograph, so the extension inherits that photograph's lens, height and light. In the front view the new work carries soft grey render with pale sage trim, a slate roof with solar panels and a small porch canopy, while the garden planting and a mature tree remain exactly as photographed. The drone views look down the garden and across the rear roof to show the neighbouring house and the narrow gap between the properties, and the footpath view shows the gable end and the lower roof with its roof windows. Cloud and sun on the rendered elements are matched to the photographed sky so that no join is visible.
How a set like this is built
A photomontage starts with the photographs, not the model. The owner's own photos and drone shots define each camera position, and the architect's drawings are modelled and aligned until fixed points in the scene, such as rooflines, windows and the footpath edge, match exactly. The proposal is then rendered in matching light and composited, with foreground planting kept in front where it really sits. When the planning consultant revised the rear roof, removing the dormers and raising the eaves, a fifth view was added to show the change. Five photomontages were delivered over three weeks, each camera-matched to the owner's own site photographs.
What to watch for in this type of brief
Planning images are scrutinised, so accuracy matters more than polish. Supply photographs at full resolution along with the time and place they were taken. Ask whether your authority requires verified views, which are surveyed and quoted per project; a standard montage like this one is not a substitute. Keep the images honest: no widened lenses, no hidden neighbours, no trimmed trees. If the design may change during consultation, plan for another view rather than editing an old one, as happened here. The approach also suits granny flats and other small additions. Our architectural visualisation work covers both marketing and planning imagery, and our briefing guide lists what to send. Photomontage is quoted per project.
Questions
Planning & photomontage: questions clients ask
A photomontage is camera-matched to a photograph and shows the proposal in context. Verified views go further: the camera and surrounding points are surveyed so the image can be shown to be accurate. Some planning authorities require them. Both are quoted per project, so tell us what yours asks for.
Send original, full-resolution photos taken from where you want each view, including the public footpath if it matters. Note the time of day and avoid zoom or heavy filters. Drone shots work too, provided height and position can be estimated. We can advise on extra photos before you shoot.
Yes. Because the proposal is modelled, a revised roof or eaves line can be rendered into the same photographs, or we can add a new view, as happened with the rear roof here. Up to four revision rounds are included in the process.
Get a fixed AUD quote within one business day
Send us your plans, elevations or even a sketch. Exterior renders from A$445, interiors from A$345, delivered in 5–7 business days.