Clear Communication about Urban Redevelopment Projects
PLAN34 brings redevelopments to life with SketchUp and Twinmotion
Ronald van Bommel has been focusing with his company PLAN34 for almost 10 years on creating powerful 3D visualisations and animations for urban planning, landscaping, and infrastructure projects. For his work — from simple stills to rich 3D visualisations of entire residential areas — he frequently uses SketchUp and the 3D visualisation package Twinmotion. This was also the case for the redevelopment of Vestdijkhove and Van Vrieslandhove in Zoetermeer.
In times of remote working and social distancing, organising physical information evenings for residents became challenging. Nevertheless, thanks to these 3D tools, Van Bommel continued supporting municipalities by informing residents and stakeholders through Teams or Zoom meetings, or via a 3D animation on the PLAN34 YouTube channel.
Participation Starts in the Sketch Phase
For municipalities, PLAN34 mainly works in the sketch and preliminary design phase of project development, where resident and stakeholder participation is key. This happens in close cooperation with the municipality’s designers.
“The municipality provides me with 2D drawings with the assignment to create a realistic 3D visualisation for clear communication towards residents,” Van Bommel explains. For this, he frequently uses high-resolution aerial photos and reference images to make the visualisation as realistic as possible. For the surrounding buildings, he often uses the website Nederland in 3D. “I select the relevant area there and download it for use in my 3D visualisations. Recognisable elements from the neighbourhood I then rebuild based on photos or StreetView images, for example, using the photo-matching tool in SketchUp — even for details such as rooflines.”
Smart Modelling for Large Projects
Projects are developed in SketchUp. Because the use of many objects can slow SketchUp down, Van Bommel works smartly with multiple SketchUp files that together form the complete project. This keeps modelling fast and manageable.
Moreover, this approach offers another advantage: “During the modelling process, imperfections sometimes become visible that were not noticeable in the 2D drawings. By dividing the project into parts, I can quickly replace elements and refine the design together with the designer,” Van Bommel explains.
Finishing Touches Already in SketchUp: Faster and More Accurate
Unlike many visualisation studios, PLAN34 handles much of the detailing of the visualisations directly in SketchUp. “SketchUp draws quickly and pleasantly,” says Van Bommel. Municipalities often work with handbooks that specify exactly which elements — such as lampposts, benches, and bollards — must be used.
PLAN34 requests the 3D files from the suppliers or models them in-house if needed. Paving is also accurately detailed with realistic textures, such as those from Wienerberger, with exact measurements. “A tile measuring 30 by 30 centimetres is genuinely 30 by 30. This is the only way to depict the future situation as realistically as possible.”
Immediate Insight for Residents
Because the complete plans can be experienced in 3D, residents immediately gain a clear picture of their future living environment. Questions like ‘Where can I park my car?’ or ‘How much shade will that new tree cast?’ are answered right away.
The models are also aligned with the correct coordinates to ensure the sunlight angles are accurate. “That significantly reduces objection procedures,” says Van Bommel.
“People know exactly what to expect, and only those who genuinely oppose the plan still file an objection.”
Online Info Evenings as a Full-Fledged Alternative
As physical info evenings were not possible during the coronavirus pandemic, PLAN34 offers an alternative: digital meetings via Zoom or Teams. “We present the plans live and walk through the design online using Twinmotion. This allows us to answer questions directly and explain details, which greatly reduces uncertainties among residents,” Van Bommel says.
In addition to live presentations, municipalities often place an informative video of the project on their website. PLAN34 collaborates with Rob Steltman AVMedia to create comprehensive informative films, combining footage of the current situation with animated visuals of the new plans, complete with voiceovers and subtitles. “This way, a complete and clear impression of the transition from the old to the new situation is created,” Van Bommel explains.
Van Bommel emphasises the importance of clear communication upfront. “Residents are always given the first opportunity to respond to the plans before they are presented to a broader audience,” he says. This approach helps to minimise uncertainties and objections.
Fast and Flexible Delivery of Visualisations
Clear communication starts with a good visual presentation. Thanks to years of experience with SketchUp and Twinmotion, PLAN34 is able to deliver quickly.
“SketchUp works smoothly, and many people who work with 3D have used it before. That makes exchanging files easier, especially with municipalities,” says Van Bommel.
He is also very satisfied with Twinmotion: “Twinmotion supports SketchUp, ArchiCAD, and Revit files and offers useful features such as realistic weather conditions and seasonal changes. That makes my visualisations highly versatile.” Thanks to the excellent integration between SketchUp and Twinmotion, PLAN34 can sometimes deliver a complete visualisation within just one and a half days. “This way, I can also create beautiful, rich visualisations for clients with smaller budgets,” Van Bommel concludes.
About PLAN34
PLAN34 specialises in creating 3D visualisations and animations for public spaces and urban, landscape, and infrastructure projects. Using the latest techniques, PLAN34 transforms your plans into realistic 3D representations — from simple stills to complete models you can walk through, even with a VR headset. Thanks to years of experience at design firms and municipalities, PLAN34 actively thinks along with you from the first sketch to the final design.
