GEORGIAN HOUSE, HOLT

Ensemble, the architects for Georgian House in Holt, asked for images that would do more than show a proposal. The aim was to help the clients imagine living there long before construction was complete. Ensemble’s design takes cues from local precedent without feeling pastiche, pairing traditional details with modern construction and a considered palette of materials.

Production

I began with the architect’s ArchiCAD model as a base, then took a deliberately painterly path. Rather than produce a photorealistic render, I created images that nod to Humphry Repton’s Red Book illustrations, referencing his palette and compositional choices. A basic render set the underlying perspective and lighting. From there, every surface—brick, timber, glazing, planting—was hand‑painted in Adobe Photoshop using concept‑art brushes and a tablet.

This approach kept edges gentle and allowed small details to guide the eye through the frame. Tiny touches carry more weight in a painterly image than in a full CG plate: highlights on brick arrises, softened reflections in the window panes, curtains sitting just behind the glass, and planting that feels native rather than generic. Those details give the images a human quality while keeping the architecture legible.

For the clients, the images offer more than a façade. They suggest how the house will feel to approach, and how the garden will soften the edges over time.

The result

The result is a pair of illustrations that sit comfortably in a planning pack and resonate with the clients on a more personal level. They are modern in their clarity, traditional in their tone, and specific to this house in this place.