How we Won an Architectural Competition – Interior Rendering (Vesterøya School) Length: 1h 7min Course Type: Real-World Case Study Instructor: Cadman (architect & visualisation specialist with 20+ years of experience) Course Overview: This focused course is built around a real competition-winning project developed with HUS Architects and Skanska – one of Scandinavia’s largest construction firms. It’s more than just a visualisation tutorial: it takes you inside the full project development process and shows how powerful visuals and smart design go hand in hand when winning public competitions. From early analysis to advanced Photoshop work, this course is packed with practical insight. You’ll learn how to design a compelling interior scene that communicates atmosphere, intention, and architectural values – and how visuals can actively push a project forward, not just present it. Cadman’s role in competitions often goes far beyond image production. As a former teacher at the Royal Danish Academy (KADK), his courses are designed to bridge the gap between education and reality. You’ll learn what schools often leave out: how real projects, clients, and deadlines shape architecture – and how to succeed in that world. Who It’s For: • Architects working on competitions or early-phase projects • Architecture students who want real-world insight • ArchViz professionals looking to improve design and storytelling • Firms who want to train team members in cutting-edge workflows CPD, Certificates & Architecture Students This course is also highly relevant for **architecture students**, interns, and young professionals seeking to bridge the gap between academic theory and real-world practice. If you are documenting hours for CPD (Continuing Professional Development) or want to include the course in your academic learning portfolio, a **Certificate of Completion** is available. To obtain the certificate, you’ll be asked to submit a brief reflection, example image, or short description of your work based on the course. This is done by purchasing the **2-hour Email Consulting session**, which includes personal feedback and confirmation that you’ve followed and understood the course material: 👉 https://cadman.dk/email-consulting/ This ensures your certificate reflects real engagement and learning – not just passive viewing – and includes an estimate of study time (typically 12–20 hours depending on your depth of use).' What You Will Learn & Why It Matters: • Everything you don’t learn in architecture school: working with real clients, handling deadlines, refining designs under pressure, and presenting to decision-makers • How to light and compose interior views that reinforce your architectural concept • Why your job is to move the project forward – not just illustrate it • How to structure a 3ds Max + V-Ray scene for speed and clarity • How to set up Photoshop for full creative control – with my custom layer strategy • Techniques to balance realism, function, and visual storytelling in competition visuals • How greenery, color, and asymmetry affect realism and perception • Tips for working with architects, landscape designers, and builders in competition teams • Real-world lessons from my collaboration with firms like HUS Arkitekter and Skanska Timestamps (Full Course – 1h 07min): 00:00 – Introduction 00:14 – School culture in Scandinavia, functions and daylight interior 01:38 – What is a good visualisation? And what is our story? 03:22 – Cadman’s role in competitions 04:30 – Correct or wrong design direction 06:20 – The 3D model and how I work with it – and why 07:36 – Lighting design contrasts the form language – and here's why 08:32 – Symmetry or balance? Colors, proportions & weights 09:31 – Your foundation as a productive architect 10:11 – Viewport optimization 10:44 – Polygons & V-Ray Proxy 11:26 – Built-in design & why it works 12:43 – Flexible randomness vs. repetitive patterns – perception of realism in visualisation 14:55 – How to correct tilting perspective lines without peripheral squeeze/skew 16:48 – Designing the interior: form, function AND aesthetics 20:23 – Greenery in interior design? Yes, of course… 22:17 – Squeeze your eyes as a real architect :) 23:50 – Optimization of the 3D model: render and light artefacts 24:09 – Realism vs. the generic – an AI discussion 25:15 – Where to optimize and why 27:17 – Color bleed and other visual tricks – and why it matters! 28:38 – Integrate the viewer in the picture 30:50 – The most effective workflow in competitions 33:45 – Fresh eyes and healthy project development 34:27 – How to win architectural competitions 36:22 – Effective communication in architectural projects 39:36 – The way to manage the 3D model – and therefore the project 40:54 – V-Ray rendering in 3ds Max with PSD Manager (broadly applicable!) 46:31 – Photoshop initial setup – the holy grail of architectural visualisation 51:16 – Achieving Nirvana – total creative control through this Photoshop workflow 53:15 – My fundamental Photoshop structure – a method designed to conquer 54:30 – Photoshop build-up of the winning interior, layer by layer 58:30 – How I integrate AI in Photoshop 59:05 – How I integrate people in Photoshop 59:43 – Correct layer structure to fine-tune the project with render passes 1:00:57 – My final adjustments & conclusion 1:02:08 – Wrap-up & thoughts going forward About Your Instructor Your teacher is a trained architect and visualization expert with over 20 years of experience in the industry. After working at renowned Danish firms like 3XN and leading as Art Director at Tred/Cenario, he founded Cadman in 2009. He has worked on large-scale projects across Scandinavia and taught architectural visualization at The Royal Danish Academy (KADK). Background Admitted to both Danmarks Designskole and The Royal Danish Academy of Architecture in 1999. Began teaching presentation and graphics while still a student, and graduated as an architect in 2006. Professional experience includes: • Internship at Fogh & Følner Arkitekter • Full-time positions at leading firms including 3XN • Art Director at one of Denmark’s top ArchViz studios • Founder of Cadman.dk – a company specializing in architectural competition work and high-end visualization Final Thoughts Architecture is not just about form – it’s about communication, storytelling, and impact. This course teaches you what schools often leave out: how to work with real-world clients, meet tight deadlines, and use visualization to move projects forward. You’ll gain insights from real collaborations with architects and developers, and learn how to design visuals that win competitions – not just decorate them.