Welcome to the Visualizing Tomorrow series, where we explore the cutting-edge technologies shaping the future of architecture and design. In this series, we delve into the tools and innovations that are revolutionizing our industry, bringing new perspectives and capabilities to the forefront of our work at STG Design. From virtual reality to advanced rendering techniques, each installment highlights how these advancements enhance our design process and deliver unparalleled value to our clients.

In this installment, we focus on the integration of drone technology in architectural design and planning. Drones have become an indispensable tool in our workflow, offering new ways to visualize, survey, and document our projects. Join us as we discuss how drones transform site analysis, improve design accuracy, and enhance construction monitoring.

How has drone technology transformed architectural design and planning?

Lukas Machaj: In our experience, it mostly helps with gathering site information. Employing a drone prior to the design phase of a project allows us to get a better grasp on the existing conditions of the site. Before drones, if you didn't have a survey, you relied on historic satellite images, which could be years apart. With drones, we can obtain up-to-date site conditions in real-time.

Matthew Feaga: Also, from a visualization standpoint, drones make it much easier to capture context scans and photos for modeling and rendering. We’ve talked at length about the cool things we can do with 360-degree photos in the other articles in this series, and our drone makes capturing those very easy.

Lukas: In our rendering software, we use the photos and photospheres taken with our drone as environment maps to make everything feel more realistic. We get better lighting conditions, backgrounds, and reflections. Also, photogrammetry gives us 3D models that can be integrated into various design software, although they can be heavy.

Matthew: (Interrupting) Sorry, there's a cricket. Do you hear it? (Pause for cricket) You can leave that in the article.

Tell us more about site analysis.

Lukas: Surveyors can use drones to create an official site survey, but we only do photography in-house. Photography won't replace a survey, but it supplements it effectively. It helps communicate site conditions to designers, owners, and clients. You'll still need a survey for precise measurements, but simple photography is an efficient way to gather and share site information.

What improvements have drones brought to the back end of the design process as the project enters construction?

Matthew: Besides site analysis and visualization, we’ve seen contractors doing some cool things with drones on larger project sites. While we personally use them for mostly design-related purposes, we’ve seen examples of contractors using scans, photos, videos, etc., to check built conditions versus drawings, evaluate progress, and perform other coordination tasks in ways that seem pretty awesome. You can put eyes on a job site much more easily than in the past.

You mentioned scanning —can you expand on how this works and how you use it?

Lukas: The best and fastest way to digitally replicate a real-life object is to capture the object itself. This can be done with actual scanning using lasers or Lidar or by using photogrammetry. Our drone relies on photogrammetry, which basically takes a lot of photos of whatever we’re scanning, usually buildings, objects, or site topography, and uses math and other tricks to generate a 3D model. We can use that scan model in our design models and visualizations. It's not survey-level accurate, but it provides enough detail for most of our needs.

Matthew: True scanning is preferable for accuracy, but it's expensive and requires additional equipment and expertise. Many drones, even at the prosumer level, can perform photogrammetry scanning, making it accessible and cost-effective.

Lukas: Depending on the method, we get point cloud files or meshes. Point clouds are literally clouds of scan points and can be cleaned up in various software. Meshes are less easily editable but still useful.

How do you navigate the regulations and compliance requirements for drone usage in architectural work?

Matthew: Luke and I both got licensed. You register with the FAA, learn to read aeronautical charts and other fun stuff, understand the rules, and pass a test. Big picture, you need a license and have to register any drone flown for commercial use. And buy insurance.

Lukas: Before any flight, we use apps linked to the FAA to check for temporary flight restrictions and ensure the airspace is clear for our intended use. It usually isn’t a problem, but special events can create interesting circumstances. President Joe Biden’s visit to Austin caused additional restrictions.

How do you ensure safety and privacy while flying?

Lukas: It's crucial to get permission before flying over private property and avoid flying over people, roads, or parking lots. There are specific rules that are points of emphasis in the licensing test, but we tend to err even further on the side of caution. Risky maneuvers aren't worth it. Weather conditions are also a major factor, so we only fly when conditions are optimal. The toughest challenge is aligning weather conditions with availability. You can't plan for the perfect day, so you have to be ready to go when conditions are right.

Matthew: Sometimes finding a secure launch site is tricky because you never know who is hanging around public spaces, and we always send two people for safety. Privacy is an interesting topic and hasn’t really been an issue for us. We don’t typically fly close to private residences because of the kind of buildings that we do, and we wouldn’t do anything that a normal photographer wouldn’t do legally or ethically. The same rules apply.

What future trends do you foresee in the use of drones and photogrammetry in architecture and design?

Lukas: My predictions are that camera quality will improve, and onboard safety measures will become more efficient. More automated scanning and photogrammetry processes will produce optimized models that easily integrate into rendering software.

Matthew: We’ve seen drone technology advance rapidly over a relatively short time period. I'm curious about future regulatory changes and whether functional licensing tests will be required. Usually, some bad event eventually ruins the good times, so we’ll see what happens.

Did you see the drones flying during the 4th of July fireworks?

Matthew: Yes, they were everywhere. I’m waiting for something bad to happen at an event like that to spur those additional regulations.

Lukas: We already see drone shows at events like South by Southwest; I bet drones could eventually replace fireworks for safety reasons. Did you see where fireworks shot into the crowd TWICE recently in Utah? On the 4th of July and just last week.

Matthew: Yeah, there’s no way drones are less safe than fireworks. There are so many fireworks accidents every year.

What's your favorite thing about flying a drone, or your favorite thing about learning how to fly or having access to a drone?

Lukas: My first experience flying a drone was a birthday gift. It was incredible to see the city from a new perspective. I now fly my drone whenever I can, especially on vacations or in new cities.

Matthew: Unfortunately, I’m a bit too cautious of a flyer to truly enjoy it (laughs). But I love what it unlocks for our design capabilities. The drone’s automation features, and our training make everything very easy; it’s just a personality thing. Safety first!

Closing Statement

As we continue to explore the future of architecture and design in the Visualizing Tomorrow series, we see that drone technology offers transformative benefits from site analysis to construction monitoring. These innovations allow us to capture reality in ways that were previously unimaginable, enhancing our design process and delivering more accurate, realistic representations to our clients. Stay tuned for our next installment, where we dive into another exciting technological advancement shaping the future of our industry.