The Architecture Academy is a training course that I opened 4 months ago, and recently I held an architecture competition for members-only. It was a chance for students to demonstrate what they’ve learned from the course and compete with other members for prizes.

But the results were so good that I’ve decided to release them publicly.

There were two categories in the competition: Interiors and Exteriors, and everyone was allowed to submit up to 3 images of their scene.

Check it out…

Interior Category: Entries

Finalists

Although these didn’t win, they came close and deserve a special mention…

Created by André

Beautiful clean lighting and natural materials. I like how much detail you put into making the scene look livable, with furniture, plants and decorations. Well done!

Created by Alberto Galant

This scene is simply stunning! Night time interiors are notoriously bad to pull off well, but somehow you’ve done it. I like the waterfall wall as well as the decorative lighting on the right. Really great scene overall. Well done!

Created by Toudou++

Image 2 – Created by Toudou++

Love the clean simplistic look, as well as the bright bold colors that come through the rich wood. It’s a great scene that looks very believable and inviting to the viewer. Great work!

Created by Dirk

A magnificent scene that looks immediately inviting. I love the desaturated look along with the large assortment of decorations. The lighting is great too, although perhaps if it was landing on the couch it could direct the viewers attention. Either way, stunning work

Created by matt.reisgman

Beautiful dramatic image, achieved through heavy use of black elements. The empty, yet liveable scene piqued my curiosity immediately. I also liked that you balanced the textured floor with the ceiling by adding contrast heavy elements.

Created by Luca Stampe

Image 2 – Created by Luca Stampe

Image 2 – Created by Luca Stampe

I love the atmospheric warm feeling that the first image gives off, along with the clean but livable environments. The center fireplace in the last piece is a great focal point. If I could give a critique though, it appears as though the second image isn’t part of the collection due to the lighting being different than the others. But otherwise fantastic work overall. Clearly a lot of work into this

Created by Taka

Awesome vibrant colors! Goes great against the cool winter colors out the window. Beautiful!

Winner: Interior

Ross Franks:

Amazing! Everything from the lighting, modelling and materials are excellent. The visually appealing stairwell in the center of the scene gives the viewer a clear focal point and guides their eyes to the rest of the scene below. Overall a really intriguing and beautifully executed scene. Bravo!

You’ve won:

1-year subscription to 3D World Magazine (valued at $118)
Any item from the Blender eStore
$100 gift voucher for the Blender Guru Store (coming soon)
$200 for any charity of your choice

Exterior Category: All Entries

Finalists: Exterior Category

Although these didn’t win, they came close and deserve a special mention:

Created by François Zoetardt

Lovely combination of nature and wooden materials. The grass looks fantastic, as does the interior and pool surroundings. Really great work!

Created by Highchiller

The sharp contrast and limited color palette give this a simplicitic, yet beautiful look. The cool blue water against the green foliage and white exterior creates a lovely aesthetic look. Well done!

Created by Jai

I like this scene for the story it paints of a modern house at night. The blue lighting and surrounding foliage are great. The natural textures also help to integrate it into the environment. There’s a bit of noise and blurry textures in some places, but otherwise great job!

Created by Laksone

Image 2 – Created by Laksone

Image 3 – Created by Laksone

Incredible! The amount of detail that went into such a vast scene is really very impressive. And the fact that it looks believable at the end is a testament to your skills. My favourite shot out of the three is definitely the second. The harsh sun beating down on a withered bell tower is immediately captivating. The only thing letting it down is the composition, as it isn’t immediately clear what to focus on. But still, an incredible scene that you should be proud of.

Created by Taka

Beautiful story telling. The cool night lighting on the modern exterior is a great look. I like that you’ve lit the interior too. That modern light ball fits the scene nicely. Great job!

Created by Thomas

This beautiful scene almost looks like a photo at first glance. The detail that you’ve put into the lamp post and pathway is extremely impressive. I also like that you’ve added some splashes of red color with in the tree and the doorway. The only thing letting down is perhaps the brick texture which looks a bit tiled. But other than that it’s fantastic. Well done!

Created by tildee

This rather simple looking scene is one of my favourites. The aqua colored water against the white exterior and blue plants give it a modern, yet surreal feeling. The simple angles in the building and stark white material draw the viewer in. Well done!

Winners: Exterior

There was only supposed to be one winner, but I’ve decided to award it to two people.

First Winner: Marcus Pinto

Outstanding! The realism and great control over the lighting and palette really makes this stand out and look immediately appealing. The sharp angles of the buildings and it’s natural materials look great. Really makes you want to visit this place in real life. A fantastic scene that you should feel very proud of. Well done!

Second Winner: Luca Buono

Just stunning! The materials, lighting and surrounding nature are perfect! You’ve done a great job of integrating the building into the environment. The subtle grunge, individual wood planks and perfect grass push this scene over the edge. Bravo!

So congratulations! You’ve both won: