VELUX A/S
Three years
Windows, Pixel Streaming
Unreal, Radiance
For our client VELUX, we developed VELUX Design Studio, a high-end platform for planning and visualizing roof spaces that combines real-time technology, physically based rendering, and data-driven configuration in a single seamless application. The goal was to fundamentally rethink the traditional advisory workflow and significantly reduce the gap between data collection, visualization, and customer decision-making.
The application is built on a custom engine build based on Unreal Engine 5, specifically optimized for architectural visualization. By extending the engine with real-time Lumen calculations for dynamically generated meshes, the system enables physically plausible global illumination even for fully procedural geometry. Changes to room shape, roof structure, windows, or materials are immediately reflected in lighting and spatial perception.
The entire room geometry is procedurally generated and fully parametric. Users can define room layouts such as rectangular or L-shaped spaces and configure a wide range of roof types, including flat, single-slope, double-slope, three-slope, and four-slope constructions. Key parameters such as roof pitch, knee wall height, and structural dimensions can be adjusted in real time, allowing even complex roof scenarios to be created and modified instantly.
A comprehensive configurator enables the precise placement of more than 20 VELUX products in various sizes, along with additional elements such as façade windows, dormers, doors, and structural roof components including ridge boards, rafters, purlins, and joists. This is complemented by a large furniture library with over 180 items, categorized by room type such as kitchen, living room, office, children’s room, bathroom, bedroom, and dining area. This allows not only structural planning but also the realistic staging of complete living environments.
Visual customization is fully flexible: materials for roof, ceiling, walls, floors, and interior linings can be freely adjusted. In addition, time of day and sun orientation can be modified dynamically, enabling users to explore different lighting conditions and atmospheres instantly. Users can freely navigate the space, compare design options, and capture high-quality screenshots directly within the application.
For high-end presentations, an integrated path tracing renderer complements the real-time view with photorealistic image quality, including accurate global illumination, reflections, and material behavior. This allows interactive planning and final visualization to coexist within a single workflow.
A key feature of the application is the integrated Indoor Climate Score, which combines daylight and ventilation analysis into a single metric. Based on the current configuration, it provides immediate feedback on expected indoor climate quality, supporting informed decisions early in the design process.
Through Pixel Streaming, the application can be accessed directly in the browser without local installation. This enables seamless usage across devices and supports both in-person consultation and remote collaboration. Designs can be shared via link, explored independently, and easily discussed with others.
The system also includes a role-based workflow: while design advisors work in an efficient editor environment, customers interact with a dedicated viewer experience that allows them to explore different design options, compare solutions, and understand before-and-after scenarios.
A connected CMS enables centralized management of projects, users, and content within a scalable architecture. The platform is fully localized and supports multiple languages, including English, French, German, Dutch, Danish, Italian, and Spanish.
With VELUX Design Studio, we created a digital solution that unifies technical planning, real-time visualization, indoor climate analysis, and browser-based delivery in a single platform, making the entire roof space design process significantly more efficient, transparent, and engaging.
