Architectural design catapults into the twenty-first century with digital-visualization software designed to permit creation of realistic 3D renderings at a fraction of the cost of traditional images.

In the first century B.C., the Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius penned De Architectura, the classic multi-volume work on his craft - a work that has stood the test of time and is still prized by modern architects for its all-inclusive treatment of architectural principles and standards.

According to Vitruvius, architecture must not only be durable, but it must also be useful and beautiful. Or, to coin a phrase, “both decorative and functional.”

Architecture incorporates more than just a building’s exterior; it encompasses the interior environment and its overall flow, as well. You should use your space to its best possible advantage; and, like professional developers, realtors and architects, you should consult a professional design firm to handle your updating or renovation design work.

When choosing a design firm, look for a company that uses cutting-edge technology and can provide you with the most realistic architectural renderings possible. Look for a firm that can convert standard CAD drawings into striking three-dimensional renderings that look amazingly lifelike.

An architectural firm on the brink of tomorrow’s technology can assess your space and will know how to work with you. Such a firm will develop an interior plan that takes into consideration the architectural integrity of your building’s exterior, while reflecting your personal taste, style and flair.

When engaging a design firm, you need someone who will work efficiently and flexibly, someone with the vision and creativity to explore new ideas, someone with a gift for working with spatial design. Above all, you need to work with someone who can show you what he or she is envisioning. Ideas are great, concepts are marvelous - but the old saying is also true: A picture is worth a thousand words! You should work with someone who can provide 3D renderings and visualizations - even animations.

And you want someone who pays attention to the details. Your architectural renderings should include realistic environmental elements - like trees and bushes, landscape-design components even sidewalks with teensy people walking along them.

And of course, you want all this in a cost-effective package that won’t leave you without funds to complete your project. Surprisingly enough, hiring a professional architectural design firm skilled in using this revolutionary technology can be more cost effective than using a firm that does all its work by hand, or with outdated design software.

Oh, and before you turn up your nose and insist that his writing has outlived its relevance to modern design, consider this: Vitruvius was truly a Renaissance man, a real visionary! Centuries ahead of the invention of lawn mowers and gazebos, the first section of De Architectura addresses subjects that now fall under the realm of landscape architecture.