Experience

Geometrik Studio has more than twenty years of experience in architectural practice, and more than 15 years of specialized experience in the area of design visualization. We have worked as architectural designers and have firsthand knowledge of how the design process works. We have worked closely with architects & interior designers, construction & project managers, real estate sales & marketing groups to deliver visual graphics that serve the unique needs of each.

As visualization specialists, we have prepared 3D graphics that support all aspects of a project's development cycle, including schematic design, design development, city & government approval and final marketing & sales. As designers, we have been directly involved in the design of projects and have participated in the critique and review process.

 

Knowledge

Many times, the design process is non-linear. We understand it as more of a helical process where at times, the development cycle of a project can go back to an ealier point and then proceed to a new interpretation. Many times, information is incomplete or is interpreted differently as a project evolves. Different disciplines (e.g. interiors, civil, real estate) may be working in parallel but separate from one another, and as new information becomes available, it becomes necessary to adapt a design to conform to new requirements. We understand this process, and can adjust our work flow and our 3D data to accommodate this type of project evolution.

We are able to apply our knowledge about design to the work we are doing, and can improvise when necessary or follow explicit direction. When information is unavailable or is not yet ready, we can rely on our expertise to keep moving forward rather than bringing the visualization effort to a complete stop. We can plan ahead and anticipate contingencies or adjust our process to accomodate a sudden, unexpected change of scope.

Our firsthand knowledge of the construction process and building technology gives us an architect's understanding of how buildings are put together. We will think about what we are modeling in relation to the final built project. We can effectively reconcile conflicting information and keep designers informed about discrepancies. By informing the design process we can add value to the renderings we produce.

We can work...

• with experienced designers who have very concise ideas about what they want to see.
• with non-designers who may have difficulty pre-visualizing a concept.
• with very detailed information (e.g. complete construction documents & as-builts).
• with very loose information (e.g. the proverbial "napkin sketch").
• with data and information that has originated from multiple sources, disciplines, and software applications.
• with web developers and print media providers to get the graphics we produce distributed effectively.
• as a collaborative partner to assist in forming & developing concepts and improving the quality of design.
• on long duration projects that move more slowly and utilize 3D visualization throughout the entire lifecycle of the project.
• on fast-track projects that require very rapid response and turnaround (e.g. Request for Proposals / RFP's).
  

 

Accuracy

We believe in working as accurately as possible. We understand that there is increasingly more "accountability" for the 3D renderings presented by architects, developers and 3D artists due to the inherent photo-realistic nature of computer visualization. It has become necessary to be able to defend the accuracy and legitimacy of the ideas proposed in 3D renderings. We also realize that designers & planners need to be sure that the images we provide are accurate so that decisions are based on the best visual information possible.

Communication

Geometrik Studio has more than a decade of experience establishing and maintaining long distance collaborative relationships with offices throughout the United States. We realize that the ability to communicate effectively is critical to the visualization process. It is critical to acheiving common goals and to maintaining a project schedule, particularly when project schedules are extremely compressed or when schedules become shortened unexpectedly. It is also critical when the design of a project is in a high state of flux and numerous disciplines are frantically trying to maintain schedule milestones and deadline comittments.

Effective & timely communication is absolutely critical to project workflow, and poor communication can be frustrating for a client and detrimental to a good working relationship.

When our phone rings, we answer it.

When we receive email, we answer it.

Production Capacity

Although small, the Studio's ability to repond to critical timeframes and large scale projects can be enhanced by its association with other artist/designers to scale-up staffing to meet production needs. In most cases, these additional artists and designers have extensive experience in architecture and design, and can work effectively to meet project deadlines and goals.

Please see the Artist Profiles tab for personal profiles of our artist/designer associates.

Geometrik Studio is operated by Tim Fairbanks and is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA.

Tim Fairbanks is a multi-disciplinary artist and environmental designer. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Environmental Design from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1989. Considered a versatile generalist rather than a specialist. He has a diverse background in art, design, architecture, furniture design, illustration and even cartooning.

With more than twenty years experience in architectural practice, his primary focus has been on producing quality 3D visualization and computer graphics and integrating its use into all facets of the architectural design, presentation, and marketing processes.

Before starting Geometrik Studio, Tim worked at a number of large Twin cities architectural firms, eventually settling for nearly 15 years at Opus Architects & Engineers in Minneapolis, MN. Opus A&E is an internally-based subsidiary of Opus Corporation, a national real estate developer. Tim was responsible for introducing the use of architectural visualization to the firm in the early 1990's and became its first dedicated visualization specialist. As Opus Corporation expanded during the real estate boom, it established a network of independent regional offices located throughout the United States. Many of these offices received visualization services directly from Minneapolis, resulting in the emergence of a small, semi-autonomous team of visualization designer-artists working in tightly coordinated effort to produce graphics rapidly and efficiently.

Select the "ARTWORK" category in the image gallery to view some of Tim's personal artwork.

 

Joel Prater is Geometrik Studio's primary visualization artist/designer associate. He graduated with a a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from Ohio State University in 1997. Joel is an artist, architectural designer, and sculptor, with more than a decade of experience in architectural practice. His knowledge of building construction & metal fabrication provides a unique perspective as a visualization artist.

 

Joe Mamer is Geometrik Studio's primary photography associate, and is available to provide custom photography in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan region (Minnesota). Joe is a professionally trained photographer and has worked in the commercial photography industry for over twenty years making catalog, architectural, and interiors photographs, with a recent emphasis on nature and landscape photography. Joe is also an architectural technician and accomplished furniture designer & woodworker. For more information, please visit Joe's photography website.

Geometrik Studio recognizes that budgets are not unlimited, and that the cost of the services we provide needs to be balanced with the requirements and resources of our clients. We also understand that the mixture of design and visualization services we are delivering needs to appropriately suit our clients' objectives.

We can adjust our service to correspond to various scenarios and can adjust our billing & pricing structure to meet budget and creative goals. For many projects, a mixture of flat-fee and hourly billing is the most equitable arrangement since it facilitates budgeting, but is flexible enough to accommodate changes in project scope.

Every project has unique characteristics, such as project scope, schedule, design complexity, and level of completion, as well as the quality and accuracy of information & documentation available. Usually, it will be necessary for us to review and assess available information before making an accurate and fair cost estimate. However, we can make preliminary estimates based on historical averages for project types and the level of design and/or rendering services required.

Design changes & revisions and change of scope can greatly affect the total cost of our service. These contingencies are often unanticipated by our clients (and by us), but we recognize that they will happen. We will accommodate these unforseen circumstances to the best of our ability in the most cost-effective way possible. Part of our cost estimating process takes project "volatility" into consideration so that we can anticipate potential changes in scope and the likelihood of changes & revisions as each project evolves.

Please contact us via email with your inquiries, or via telephone to discuss your project.