Visualization company creates 3D floorplans for everything from "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" to "Silicon Valley"
Drawbotics’ isometric illustrations of popular shows such as "Suits," "Parks and Recreation," "The Office" and "Mad Men" demonstrate painstaking attention to detail and an overwhelming amount of love for the subject. In fact, the team spent over 200 hours poring over boxsets, carefully studying the placement of walls, furniture and props which make these environments look and feel real.
We had a quick chat with Drawbotics’ co-founder and COO Axel Guzman about this unique and fun passion project.
What does Drawbotics do when it’s not making TV series floorplans?
Drawbotics is an online marketplace where real estate professionals can order any type of visual or marketing tool to promote their real estate. We do everything from 3D interiors, exteriors to interactive floor plans, photoshoots and brochures. Our goal is to become a one-stop-shop for real estate promotion.
How did you come up with the idea for the floorplans?
We’re big fans of TV shows, and we came across an article with basic 2D floor plans that had gotten quite some views and shares. We decided to take it to the next level and make 3D versions of some shows we enjoy a lot. It started off as a silly idea, but in the end we had a lot of fun doing it.
Was there ever anything that didn’t add up?
Sometimes it was a lot trickier than expected to figure out the layout of some of the shows. The office in "Suits," for example, is spread over two floors which is not something that’s easily noticeable in the show. The reception is on a different level to the main characters’ offices, which seems counterintuitive.
How do you find V-Ray for projects such as these?
V-Ray is really robust software and excellent for almost any project. Despite that, we also try to test other rendering software to see if some would be more suitable for specific kinds of projects.
Did you get any feedback from people involved with the shows?
Yes, we did get feedback! Rich Sommer ("Mad Men’s" Harry Crane) said it: “Looks pretty much like how it was.” Patrick J. Adams ("Mike Ross" from Suits) said: “Wow. This is incredible.” And Graham Linehan (creator of "The IT Crowd") called it “Lovely.”
What’s next for you guys?
We recently started a collaboration with Stanley Brusse, who you probably know from VRto.me, and who has worked with Chaos Group’s Vlado and Blago in the past. Our goal is to focus on combining the newest technologies with 3D. We want to offer qualitative arch viz with a strong technological component at an affordable price.
