How Marstudyo uses real-time rendering to align stakeholders, compare scenarios, and move projects forward with confidence

Key Takeaways:

• Real-time visualization helps teams align faster by testing design options instantly instead of waiting on static renders.
• Marstudyo cut revisions from 6–7 rounds to just 1–2 by improving clarity, not simplifying design.
• Shared visuals create a common language across architects, clients, and non-technical stakeholders.
• Faster decisions lead to real business results: more wins, more inquiries, and stronger marketing materials.

Studio Overview:

• Location: Istanbul, Turkey and Vienna, Austria
• Team Size: 11
• Studio Type: Boutique architectural and design studio
• Project Types: Residential developments, lifestyle-oriented housing projects, and mixed-use architectural projects, often involving large sites and scenario-based concept design
• Modeling Tools: Revit (primary), plus SketchUp, Rhino, Blender

In architecture and real estate, most delays don’t come from construction.
They come from uncertainty.

Projects stall when stakeholders can’t clearly see the impact of design choices. Revisions multiply—not because designs are wrong, but because clients feel unsure.

Marstudyo, a boutique architecture and design studio, recognized this early. Their work is deeply conceptual and scenario-driven, but they understood a key truth: ideas only move forward when they help people decide.

That realization transformed their approach to visualization.

Designing Choices, Not Just Spaces

Marstudyo’s design process begins with people, not plans—asking how spaces will be lived in, moved through, and felt. For every project, they build multiple life scenarios instead of pushing a single “solution.”

For a residential development outside Istanbul, the team presented three complete design options:

• One for families with children
• One for young couples
• One for full-time residents

Each version explored not just aesthetics, but different spatial needs, rhythms, and financial implications. This made design a strategic choice—not just a visual preference.

But to make that comparison useful, they needed a fast, flexible, and accurate visualization tool. Their traditional workflow couldn’t keep up.

Why Traditional Tools Fell Short

Before adopting D5 Render, Marstudyo relied on a mix of Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, Blender, 3ds Max with Corona, and Lumion. While capable of high-quality output, the workflow was slow and rigid.

Renders took hours. Revisions meant full rework. Designers waited overnight for updates. Clients struggled to interpret static images. Comparing scenarios? Practically impossible.

“With traditional renderers, you leave the computer running overnight and get two outputs in a week. With D5, we can explore twenty.”

— Timur Irmakoglu, Founder of Marstudyo

Why D5: A Decision-Centered Shift

Marstudyo didn’t adopt D5 for novelty. After extensive testing and peer feedback, two factors stood out:

1. Speed that matches design thinking

D5 let the team test lighting, materials, and atmosphere in real time. Scene variations could be explored in minutes—not days.

“If we get 85% of the quality in one-fifth the time, that’s a better business decision. Clients don’t care about tiny differences in realism—they care about understanding.”

Also read: Real-Time AI for Small Rendering Firms: Efficiency Boost

2. AI tools that reduce friction

D5’s AI-assisted tools reduced friction in material setup, lighting balance, and scene refinement. Instead of fighting the software, the team could focus on intent.

This made visualization an active design instrument, not a passive output stage.

A New Workflow Built Around Decisions

D5 became central to Marstudyo’s design process—from early concepts through to final presentation.

They now use D5 to test scenes, compare layouts, explore materials, generate animations, and validate ideas quickly. This shift allowed them to present three fully developed concepts in three weeks—what used to take a month for one.

“When you work on a concept too long, you become blind. D5 helps us see direction again.”

Also read: D5 Widgets | Merge Rendering Projects for Better, Easier Arch Studio Teamwork

From Revisions to Alignment

Before D5, six or seven major revision rounds were standard. Today, most projects align in just one or two.

“With D5, what we put in is what we expect to see, so clients and designers are aligned much earlier.”

Fewer revisions mean better decisions, made sooner—something that directly benefits the business through:

• Less unbillable work
• Shorter timelines
• More predictable delivery
• Greater capacity without increasing headcount

Visualization as a Decision Room

Instead of static images, Marstudyo now uses D5 animations to walk clients through spaces—showing light, flow, and atmosphere in motion.

“When clients see the animation, they don’t just like it—they understand it. That changes the entire conversation.”

Crucially, D5 enables non-architect stakeholders to engage meaningfully. The founder himself, who does not come from an architectural background, uses D5 visuals to lead client discussions and close deals.

This removes a common barrier in project teams: the translation gap between design language and business language.

Also read: Full guide on how to make cinematic animation in D5 Render

When Visualization Extends Beyond the Studio

As confidence grew, the team began using D5 outputs for marketing and business development. One animation is now live on digital billboards across Istanbul—a job that once required weeks, now done in days.

“Last year, this would have taken years of effort. With D5, we did it in a week.”

Visualization evolved into a multi-purpose asset—serving design, sales, and marketing simultaneously.

Business Results That Follow Better Decisions

Within one year of adopting D5 Render:

• Projects won doubled (100% increase year-over-year)
• Client inquiries increased 5–7x
• Visualization quality became the #1 reason for new outreach

All of this happened without increasing headcount or ad spend.

Conclusion: Designing for Commitment

Marstudyo’s experience shows that the real value of real-time rendering isn’t just speed—it’s clarity. D5 Render became more than a presentation tool. It became a framework for decision-making.

For studios navigating complex projects, the lesson is simple:
The best visuals aren’t the ones that look best. They’re the ones that help people decide.

In Marstudyo’s case, that insight reshaped not just how they design—but how they do business.

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