Designers and architects create visions of future Valencia for World Design Capital 2022

Promotion: five creative studios have produced immersive designs for the Valencia 360 exhibition during World Design Capital Valencia 2022 that show both dystopian and utopian projections of the city's future.

Studios Quatre Caps, C LAB Atelier, Lloyd Martin, Ex Figura and Rarea Studio were chosen by independent organisation Non Architecture to create a 360-degree virtual image that shows potential visions of what the Spanish city of Valencia could look like in 2030.

Images like Valencia's orchard tomorrow by Ex Figura, top, and New Turia River, above, explore what Valencia could look like in 2030

Half the images, or 180 degrees, show a dystopian version of the future, while the other 180-degree view is of a utopian future.

These pictures try to answer what the city will be like in the future as part of World Design Capital Valencia 2022.

Lloyd Martin combined a cityscape with natural elements in his design called Miramar Tower

The project was conceived through Futur Lab, Las Naves innovation centre, and looks at how technology will affect the physical environment as well as what public spaces will look like in the future and how mobility will evolve.

Each of the five studios created a 360-degree immersive image in a different style, which can be viewed through a smartphone, laptop or virtual reality (VR) glasses.

"To encourage discussion, we asked them to design one half as what they consider to be a utopian future and the other half as what would be a dystopian future," Non Architecture said.

"The images represent relevant issues such as tourism, lack of resources, desertification and natural disasters."

Rarea Studio is another of the five studios taking part with La Malvarrosa, the Valencia's beach

Among the ideas that were created for Valencia 360 are a virtual beach by Rarea Studio and a suggestion for how the city can make use of vertical farming by Ex Figura.

The designers taking part in Valencia 360 were selected for the "disruptive nature" of their proposals and are all young, with an average age at just over 30. This was a deliberate choice by the festival.

C LAB used a friendly graphic style for its immersive design called To be, or to visit, that is the question

"The new generations of designers are able to participate and even lead a debate about the cities we want to inhabit in the not too distant future," Xavi Calvo, general director of World Design Capital Valencia 2022, said.

"Valencia 360, like so many other projects and initiatives promoted by Valencia World Design Capital, intends to build a discourse and generate a legacy that will go far beyond 2022."

World Design Capital Valencia 2022 takes place in Valencia, Spain from 1 January to 31 December. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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Kbb Birmingham 2022 presents latest products from kitchen, bedroom and bathroom brands

Promotion: more than 200 brands are exhibiting their latest products for kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms at Kbb Birmingham, one of Europe's largest design exhibitions.

Taking place 6-9 March, Kbb Birmingham will exhibit "the latest innovations and cutting-edge design", including kitchen appliances, paints, worktops, lighting collections and products for flooring and walls.

The event will also present the latest trends in design, including smart and touchless solutions, recycled and sustainable materials, products and colours informed by nature, black kitchens and unusual tile shapes and designs.

Tile brand Ca' Pietra will be launching a number of tile ranges

"Over the last couple of years, our needs and requirements for the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom space have changed," said Kbb Birmingham creative director Andy Bishop.

"Consumers are looking for good design and style but also practicality and sustainability," he continued.

"Our exhibitors will be showcasing their take on these trends, and we look forward to seeing what they have in store for attendees in 2022."

Verona will showcase a number of geometric tiles

Many brands intend to launch new products at the show, including tile brand Ca' Pietra, which will be launching a geometric patterned tile collection called Loft Vintage.

Lighting brand Häfele will present its Loox 5, an LED lighting system that can be integrated into units and furniture.

Lighting brand Keuco has launched a shower light

Rotpunkt Küchen is set to exhibit several products throughout the event, such as its Memory RI doors, Matt lacquer anti-fingerprint doors and new Fenix colour range.

Tile and flooring brand Verona will also be launching a number of tile ranges, including Grande Slim, a collection of large porcelain tiles for floors and walls.

Rotpunkt Küchen will exhibit several products including their matt black kitchens, one of Kbb Birmingham's design trends

"We are looking forward to reuniting the Kbb industry for four days of unrivalled networking and specifying," said Kbb Birmingham sales director Jon Johnson.

"For many of our exhibitors, this will be the first opportunity they've had to showcase their latest products and services, following an unprecedented two years," he continued.

"Kbb Birmingham offers an unbeatable opportunity for our community to meet in-person with valued partners, colleagues and visitors – we can't wait to welcome everyone back."

Bathroom brand Villeroy and Boch will present a number of tiles

As part of the event, organisers Informa Markets have introduced Informa AllSecure, "a series of best practice guidelines and industry standards for all event teams to adopt post-Covid-19".

All of the venue's aisles have been widened to four metres across the floor to allow for distancing. Exhibitor and visitor badges will be replaced with digital ones, which can be accessed by a smartphone.

"Our Informa AllSecure guidelines ensure enhanced health and safety standards," said Johnson. "Whether they are exhibitors, visitors, speakers or sponsors, we want all our customers to come to Kbb Birmingham to connect, learn and do business, safely and with confidence."

Acquabella will present its On-top XL Sink Range

Kbb Birmingham is a biennial event that takes place at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.

For more information or to exhibit or register interest, visit Kbb Birmingham's website.

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Muuto relaunches Fiber Chair with recycled plastic shell

Promotion: Danish furniture brand Muuto has released a recycled plastic version of its Fiber Chair designed by Copenhagen studio Iskos-Berlin.

Muuto originally launched the chair in 2014, and its reintroduction is part of a drive to create more sustainable products using reused raw materials.

Muuto has launched a recycled plastic version of its Fiber Chair

"The Fiber Chair is one of our most popular designs, a modern yet timeless chair," said Muuto.

"Taking the leap from virgin to recycled plastic in its production feels like an ambitious starting point in becoming more circular in our consumption of raw material."

The shell chair is now made from a combination of recycled plastic of which 80 per cent is recycled

Designed by Iskos-Berlin, the Fiber Chair was created as a modern take on a classic archetypal shell chair.

"One of the most difficult and noble disciplines of design is to create simple, well-functioning, and almost ordinary objects that nevertheless have a strong identity," said Iskos and Berlin.

The recycled plastic shell is mixed with FSC certified wood fibres to create a matt and tactile surface

"We designed the Fiber Chair to do just that through a clear sculptural language that refuses to compromise on comfort," it continued.

"It is a chair stripped of all unnecessary layers. The iconic form marries soft, embracing curves with an innovative wood fiber composite, giving the Fiber Chair a unique expression and tactile texture."

The wood fibres are visible from close up

The chair's shell is made from a composite of plastic and wood fibres, which gives it a matt finish and distinct appearance.

80 per cent of the plastic used is recycled from post-industrial waste from the manufacturing of glasses.

The blend of recycled plastic and wood fibres intends to give the chair a unique look with "a fine aesthetic detail making the design come alive with tactility".

Muuto's relaunched chair is available in the exact same colour range as the original chair, including Black, Dusty Green, Grey, Ochre and White with options of oak, metal and swivel bases.

The chair is available in a range of colours including Ochre

"We at Muuto continuously question our approach and methods to arrive at new perspectives on Scandinavian design," said Muuto.

"The new version of the Fiber Chair in recycled plastic is the result of a challenge we posed to ourselves – to reimagine the way we work with recycled plastic."

"To create something strong and durable from recycled materials that could match our distinctive color palette and endure daily wear and tear. This complex yet thrilling challenge led us into novel fields of research, inspiring us to develop a new composite material in the process."

Find out more about the Fiber Chair on Muuto's website.

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Lammhults launches three flexible seating collections

Promotion: Swedish furniture brand Lammhults has collaborated with Scandinavian designers to launch three seating ranges made from resource-efficient materials that can be separated and recycled at the end of their lifespan.

The three collections include a series of stools, an office chair collection and a modular lounge chair range, and are designed to save space for modern, flexible lifestyles.

Lammhults has released three seating ranges

"Our design philosophy can be summed up with two words: space matters," said Lammhults.

"So, it's no coincidence that this year's new products from Lammhults have been designed with careful attention paid to space and surroundings."

Atlas Air is an office chair with an aluminium frame

For the office chair collection, Copenhagen-based designers Johannes Foersom and Peter Hiort-Lorenzen created the Atlas Air, which comes with a mesh seat or a quilted cushion in a fabric or leather option. All of its components are separable to facilitate repair, maintenance and recycling.

Each chair is made from a recycled aluminium frame and according to Lammhults, the material options make the design lightweight and environmentally friendly.

"A cast, recycled aluminium frame reduces the seat's weight and environmental footprint and the seat is made of wear-resistant mesh, which contributes to the chair's slender, lightweight appearance," said the brand.

The Sunny armchair can be equipped with a small side table

For the lounge chair collection Gunilla Allard and Note Design Studio designers, Kristoffer Fagerström and Joel Fjällström have updated Sunny, a modernist lounge chair by adding a side table.

The plush chair has a u-shaped foot base which means it can be combined with additional Sunny chairs in a variety of seating configurations. It is available with or without armrests and customers can choose whether to add castors.

This same u-shaped base can connect to the table leg, creating a conjoined table and seat product.

Sebton's series of stackable stools are called A22

The final range in Lammhults' collection is a series of stools and barstools by Stockholm-based designer Anya Sebton.

Called A22, the seats are made entirely from steel, with the leg frame consisting of curved steel tubes in three different diameters.

This same tubular steel frame runs around the back edge of the seat, creating an integrated handle so that users can easily carry and move the stool. In addition, an add-on cushion is designed to wrap the seat surface like a scarf.

A22 stools can easily be stacked on top of each other, creating additional space when they are not in use.

To view more about the seating collections visit Lammhults' website.

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HP calls for "seamless remote working" for architects and engineers

Promotion: technology brand HP has identified how its range of large-format printers can support architecture, engineering and construction professionals working from home.

As remote working has become the preferred option for many since the pandemic, HP is focused on improving connectivity for teams working across different locations.

Recognising the importance of collaboration in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector, it has identified how its products can support a concept of "seamless remote working".

HP printers can support team communication when working from home

"Creating the spaces and workplaces of tomorrow is the great challenge of today; to design and build spaces for people to work and live in that are more secure, sustainable, and inclusive," said HP.

"Because the fixed office is no longer a given, hybrid spaces are the ways in which we will live and work in the future," it continued.

"Success lies in having the means to stay connected, creative and healthy while working from home."

Printers can support integration between physical and digital working

Industry research suggests that two thirds of construction firms will retain home working after the pandemic, while 77 per cent of professional architects plan to work from home to save money.

HP has developed guidance to show how its large-format printers can support these remote working setups.

Printed drawings can help to reduce communication errors

It firstly advises the use of high-spec computer hardware, to enable fast networking and cope with various software packages such as BIM, augmented and virtual reality, and 3D design tools, which can put a strain on operating systems.

It suggests that HP large-format printers can support integration between physical and digital working, helping to make sense of complex plans and reducing errors.

"Digital representations are useful but can introduce errors by confusing distances and relative positions, whereas printed versions are unambiguous," said HP.

HP large-format printers allow users to print from anywhere

These printers can also support collaboration, by creating opportunities for real-time brainstorms and white-boarding.

Connected tools make it possible for users to print from anywhere, from any device, while built-in scanners make it easy for sketches or hand-annotated drawings to be shared with colleagues.

[

Read:

HP DesignJet Studio is a piece of "furniture that prints"

](https://www.dezeen.com/2020/12/18/designjet-studio-hp-printer-technology-promotion/)

Endpoint protection is incorporated, to offer optimal security from hackers.

The guidance also advises a focus on wellbeing. Tips include substituting a commute for a morning walk, creating an ergonomic workspace and making a conscious effort to improve nutrition.

Built-in scanners allow colleagues to share hand-annotated drawings

"Reliable and intuitive technology" can support all of these activities, according to HP.

"By relying on the right environment, routines and equipment, such as large-format printers, AEC professionals can maintain productivity, collaboration and relationships with team members and clients who are also working remotely," it said.

"Technology and collaboration will help talented teams redesign and rebuild the world more sustainably and effectively."

_For more information about HP's DesignJet range,visit the brand's website. Register now for HP's AEC webinar series, which aims to explain how leading specialists are helping to build a better world through smarter design and construction. _

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Smart devices are "essential" to the changing function of the home says Samsung Design

Dezeen promotion: Samsung Design has launched a "design vision" called Together for a Better Home, which aims to demonstrate how connected homes and smart devices can improve day-to-day life.

Together for a Better Home explores how the role and function of the home is changing.

According to Samsung Design, the home has evolved into a space that encompasses both leisure and work activities, where "working from home, taking remote classes, and joining online meetings are becoming routine".

"Creating a suitable environment for the user by connecting every device within the house is becoming essential," said Samsung Design.

Samsung Design highlights how digital devices can provide better at-home experiences

"More and more people are active in online classes and group study sessions," Samsung Design said. "Even if we are apart, the experience of sharing our daily lives continues online."

Samsung Design intends to highlight how digital devices, such as smartphones and tablets, enable people to enjoy "conveniences in limited spaces, which result in greater efficiency in work and daily life".

"Even when we are physically separated in our individual homes, we can still enjoy moments together and pursue pleasant experiences in working and learning," the brand said.

The home has evolved into a space for leisure and work activities

Together for a Better Home shows how people today require experiences that are flexible and allow them to undertake their day-to-day activities efficiently.

As an example, Samsung Design points out that people used to work in offices, study in classrooms and work out in gyms. But since the onset of Covid-19, the division of space and its purpose is "fading" as houses encompass all needs – with the help of digital spaces, the brand believes.

"Newly emerged online-based services defy space limitations and allow us to be 'together' in our respective spaces," Samsung Design said. "A new daily life of working, learning, and enjoying time with colleagues and friends at home is becoming a reality."

The brand's design vision aims to highlight the need for spaces to become more flexible and how smart devices that are connected to the home are becoming "essential".

Samsung Design explores how the role and function of the home is changing

Together for a Better Home focuses on how digital devices can provide a better at-home experience when a device recognises the context behind users' activities.

"A user can simply move to the living room to attend a meeting on the TV, and family members are automatically notified to avoid distractions," said the brand.

"Furthermore, the robot vacuum cleaner stops operating, and the TV automatically connects to the video conference when the meeting request is made. These are the traits of Samsung Design's home of the future."

To learn more about Samsung Design visit its website.

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Salboy to create swimming pool and spa in Victorian arches under Manchester Central

Dezeen promotion: property developer Salboy has unveiled plans to convert the Victorian arches under the former Manchester Central railway station into luxury facilities for a new residential tower.

Salboy is working with Manchester-based architecture practice SimpsonHaugh on Viadux, a development that will create 399 one- and two-bedroom apartments over 40 storeys, as well as a separate office tower.

A swimming pool and spa will feature beneath the brick arches

The Grade II-listed arches will be transformed into high-end facilities for residents, including a swimming pool and spa, a lounge bar and a residents' entrance lobby featuring an aquarium.

Design studio Lister&Lister is designing the interiors. Visuals released by the developer show the brick vaults celebrated with atmospheric lighting and sensitive glazing details.

Other facilities will include a residents' lounge bar

"The vaulted spaces are on a huge scale and are absolutely majestic," said Salboy co-founder Simon Ismail.

"We wanted to incorporate this historical element into the project and use them to create the most luxurious and unique facilities in the city."

The entrance lobby will feature an aquarium

The Viadux site has a rich history, having once been the location of a Roman settlement. Manchester Central opened on the site in 1880, with the brick vaults serving as the train line until the station's eventual closure in 1969.

"We have all this architectural history underground while rising above will be spacious modern apartments, fitted to the latest and highest specification right in the heart of the centre of the city," said Ismail.

Viadux will create two towers on the central Manchester site

This history created a number of challenges for engineer Renaissance and construction partner DOMIS Construction.

Before work could begin on site, an archaeological team from Salford University carried out a 12-week dig to uncover any remnants of the Roman settlement.

Then, in order for the new structure to stand separately from the brick vaults, specialist rigs had to be used to dig 273 foundation piles, creating a superstructure supported by reinforced columns.

The new structure will stand independently from the heritage-listed arches

"The scale of work going on underground is breathtaking," said Rob McLoughlin, senior project manager for DOMIS Construction.

"And while it involves intervention to create the foundation platform for the towers, it is also preserving and opening up the arches, which will be an integral feature of the development."

Residents will also have access to a private gym and yoga studio

Viadux is earmarked for completion in 2024. As well as the facilities in the arches, residents will have access to a range of other amenities including private dining, a karaoke bar and a gym.

There will also be flexible co-working spaces and lounge areas, so that residents can easily work from home.

Landscaped gardens will link the two towers, while public spaces will surround the buildings.

Co-working spaces will feature in the residential tower

A limited allocation of off-plan apartments for Viadux are now available, with prices starting from £265,000 to £650,000.

For more information about Viadux, visit the Salboy website.

Visualisations are by OurStudio

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Driving the Human presents 21 visions for sustainable cohabiting

Dezeen promotion: a multi-species refuge made from mycelium and a project exploring how bacteria can be used as an architectural tool is included in an upcoming event by Driving the Human, which will examine how humans can live in symbiosis with other species.

Titled 21 Visions for Eco-social Renewal, the hybrid event is hosted by Forecast and will take place from 15 to 17 October in Berlin's Radialsystem cultural centre, as well as online in the form of a digital broadcast.

The exhibition includes projects by Indian artist Sonia Mehra Chawla (above) as well as Brazilian designer Clara Acioli (top image)

The event will showcase twenty-one case studies selected from an open call, which was held at the start of this year and elicited more than a thousand proposals by designers and artists from 99 countries around the world.

The chosen concepts intend to address some of the most pressing topics of our time including the circular economy, artificial intelligence, and the resurrection of indigenous knowledge, in a bid to explore how humanity can move from a parasitic to a symbiotic relationship with nature.

Nonhuman Nonsense has proposed a Universal Declaration of Martian Rights

"In their diversity, these Visions for Eco-social Renewal reinforce perspectives where collaboration and interdependency become essential, determining factors for life and survival on our planet," said Driving the Human, a joint three-year collaboration between various scientific, art and design institutions across Germany.

Among the proposals on show is Universal Declaration of Martian Rights by design collective Nonhuman Nonsense and Server Farm by artist James Bridle, who suggests building a computer out of – and in collaboration with – plants.

The Server Farm project by James Bridle proposes building a computer out of plants

Similarly, Brazilian designer Clara Acioli explores using living plants and fungi to create a hive for native bees, while a project from the Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment examines how bacteria can be used to create living interfaces and integrated into architecture to communicate information about the surrounding environment.

Other concepts focus more on reimagining interpersonal collaboration, with Turin-based Andrea de Chirico exploring how native materials and knowledge can be used to form everyday objects as part of new hyperlocal supply chains. The full list of projects can be explored on the Driving the Human website.

Andrea de Chirico's Superlocal project explores the local, small-scale production of everyday items

The exhibition is organised by Driving the Human, a joint project by mentorship programme Forecast, research institute Acatech, the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design, and the ZKM Centre for Art and Media.

In the next phase of the project, seven of these 21 concepts will be developed into tangible prototypes, which are set to be presented in December 2022.

Driving the Human: 21 visions for Eco-social Renewal takes place from 15 to 17 October 2021 at Radialsystem in Berlin and online at drivingthehuman.com.

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Diamond Schmitt and Therme Group to transform Toronto's Ontario Place into wellness destination

Dezeen promotion: Diamond Schmitt Architects and resort developer Therme Group have unveiled plans to overhaul the lakefront Ontario Place in Toronto by adding swimming pools, botanical gardens and art experiences.

The Therme Canada Ontario Place masterplan sees the 1970s-built entertainment park transformed by combining the existing landmark architecture with new public spaces and cultural attractions.

New additions will include a huge glasshouse filled with plants and swimming pools, a flower-shaped exhibition pavilion and a lakefront beach.

The lakefront Ontario Place in Toronto will be transformed with swimming pools, botanical gardens and art experiences

"Diamond Schmitt's design for Therme defines a future for urban places that aspire to strong connections in nature to enrich the human spirit," said studio co-founder Don Schmitt, who is based in Toronto.

"The architecture is exuberant, connected to water and the open landscape, grounded in indigenous knowledge and engaged in the heritage and legacy of Ontario Place," he said.

Ontario Place is best known as a site of experimental architecture. Built as part of the legacy of the 1967 Montréal Expo, its buildings include a triodetic dome known as the cinesphere and three pods suspended above the surface of the lagoon.

The masterplan sees the 1970s-built entertainment park transformed into a water and wellness destination

The future of the site has been a topic of city-wide debate since it stopped operating as a theme park in 2012, given the significance of its heritage and its connection to Downtown Toronto.

Therme Group's ambition is to bring Ontario Place back to its former glory as a tourist attraction but to open it up to a wider audience by making it more publicly accessible.

As a global leader in wellbeing resorts – with past projects including Therme Bucharest – the developer believes that water-based experiences are key to this revitalisation.

"The future of Ontario Place will be defined by how successful it can be connecting people to the water," said Therme Group CEO Robert Hanea.

"Through our technology and by engaging the community, Therme and our partners will add a new architectural landmark that will play a role in bringing more people back to the waterfront, capturing the original spirit of Ontario Place from 50 years ago," he said.

The masterplan combines the existing landmark architecture with new public spaces and cultural attractions

Diamond Schmitt worked closely with Therme Group's in-house design team Therme ARC on the masterplan.

The main Therme Canada Ontario Place building, built from energy-efficient, bird-friendly glass, will combine swimming and wellness facilities with botanical gardens.

The Therme Entrance Pavilion will be formed of three transparent vaults, inspired by the form of a trillium flower.

Torkwase Dyson is an artist

This space will host a programme of multi-sensorial art installations and sustainable infrastructural solutions curated by Therme Group's cultural arm, Therme Art.

Therme Art works with a network of artists, designers and architects, such as DRIFT, Torkwase Dyson, Refik Anadol and Stefano Mancuso amongst many others, to develop site-specific projects.

"The design for Ontario Place invites us to explore all of our senses and supports opportunities for ongoing internal and external liberation practices connected to nature," said artist Torkwase Dyson.

Stefano Mancuso is a plant scientist and professor at the University of Florence

Across all Therme facilities, including Therme Canada Ontario Place, there will be functional plant-based solutions that intend to purify the air inside the buildings through natural processes and cycles observed in plants.

This function has been informed by urban botanical solutions provider Pnat, led by plant scientist Stefano Mancuso. The concept was shown in Mancuso's installation called Mutual Aid at the 2021 Biennale Architettura in Venice.

The installation shared how humans and plants are interconnected through processes of mutual exchange which promoted discussions at the Wellbeing Culture Forum, Therme Art's platform of interdisciplinary discourse founded in response to the global pandemic in 2020.

"We created Botanical Solutions, a joint venture between Therme Group and Pnat whose plant-based solutions will be widely used in the Toronto project," said Mancuso.

In addition to solutions designed to improve air quality, the scheme also includes 32,000 square metres of public space, including the new beach, green spaces, wetlands, and an enhanced network of pedestrian and cycle paths.

Renovations to the cinesphere and pods will make these spaces more accessible, and a new bridge will be installed to connect the West Island with the mainland.

The masterplan combines the existing landmark architecture with new public spaces and cultural attractions

"Therme is grounded in the planned expansion of public park space," said Diamond Schmitt principal Gary McCluskie. "It honours and celebrates Ontario Place's history, including the pods and cinesphere."

"We designed the West Island of Ontario Place to connect people to the water year-round," he stated. "Our design weaves three themes, expressed through architecture: exhibition pavilions; natural forms; and greenhouse architecture."

Once complete, Ontario Place is expected to attract three million visitors every year and become a linchpin of the city's post-Covid transformation.

Throughout the project, Therme Art will work with local Toronto communities with the aim of improving lives with culture.

"Therme Art will work closely with Toronto's local scenes, through synergic expansion in relation to the environment and its communities, by proposing long-lasting alternatives for the improvement of people's lives at the core of cultural enhancement," said CEO of Therme Art and Vice President of Therme Group, Mikolaj Sekutowicz.

To read more about the project, visit Therme Canada's website.

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Siemens' NX visualisation software helps "deliver better products faster and more efficiently"

Dezeen promotion: the NX Render from Siemens Digital Industries Software allows designers to quickly visualise how products will look and function before they are made.

Siemens designed NX Render to enable designers and engineers to streamline their design process and prevent "massive amounts of money being spent on prototype products that will never see it to market".

According to Siemens, in the traditional visualisation workflow, designers spend a lot of time exporting their 3D data into third-party applications for the rendering process.

When using NX Render, users can create photorealistic renders with one computer model in a single software, removing the need for third-party tools and physical prototypes.

The process can "speed up the time taken to produce your first image by up to 90 per cent," said Siemens.

NX Render creates photorealistic visualisations

"Visualization and virtual reality are changing the way we all interact with the physical world through an enhanced digital lens," Siemens said.

"Having the ability to know how something will look and feel before it is actually created is a leap forward for all, especially businesses."

Siemens used NX Render to model a user's Bosch coffee machine

"NX software is a flexible and powerful integrated solution that helps you deliver better products faster and more efficiently," added Siemens.

"NX delivers the next generation of design, simulation, and manufacturing solutions that enable companies to realize the value of the digital twin."

The NX Render can also be used to create different visual scenes including backgrounds

The first step to using the NX software requires setting up a detailed model of the product and a scene in which to place it. At this stage, Siemens encourages referring to real-life versions of similar products to ensure accurate detailing.

Once the 3D model is made, users can then apply photo-real materials finishes to individual components and surfaces or entire bodies.

Realistic material finishes can be introduced

Once the model is covered, tweaks can be made to the materials and decals – digital stickers for logo or details – can be applied to the surfaces to help bring the scene to life.

Lighting can also be manually adjusted to create more realistic images, or altered using built-in "system scenes" that emulate lighting conditions of specific environments.

"Lighting in NX Render is physically-based – meaning the virtual lights and environments behave in the same way lights do in the real world," explained the brand.

Decals or stickers can also be added to surfaces

Alternatively, lighting conditions can be set using "high dynamic range imagery" (HDRI), which works similarly to system scenes but offers a wider range of dark and light shades.

"HDRI's can add a level of realism that a system scene can't achieve but may take longer to configure," Siemens explained.

Lighting is also alterable to help bring the images to life

To generate the final high-quality renders from the 3D model, users can place a camera within the scene. The placement and lens size of this camera can be altered, allowing users to test angles while also helping them to identify where amendments may be needed.

A "field of view" tool has also been incorporated, which Siemens said generates renders that replicate how the human eye interprets real-life scenes. This enables designers and engineers to take virtual 3D photographs of products before they are made.

"This technique considers peripheral vision and the real-life parameters that happen around us subconsciously," the company explained.

Final renders are generated by placing a camera at different angles

At this final stage, the software guides users through any last-minute tweaks that may be needed before processing. The resolution quality and style of the final render can be adjusted depending on its desired purpose, such as a quick review with colleagues to final presentations.

To find out more about NX Render, start a free trial or watch Siemen's webinar, visit its website.

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Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Siemens as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership contenthere.

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