I was asked to design and model a castle for this project.​ As an architectural fan, modelling a castle is a dream job!

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I was provided with loose photographic reference for the intended style.​ The client wanted the castle to feature elements from various German locations and Prague. The idea was as each invading nation occupied the castle, they would stamp their architectural culture onto it.

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Unfortunately, the deadline and budget was extremely tight, so I had to employ a modular approach to creating this environment.

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I also had to consider the shots would not be close up so modelling mid to fine detail would not be an efficient use of time for both modelling and further down the pipeline (texturing and rendering).

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Smaller components such as window and wall arrangements were modelled and UVd - and then duplicated to form a larger section of wall.​ Eventually, I had a wall kit to construct larger areas of the castle.

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The initial client request was for the castle to be a quarter of the size as it was only to be seen from a distance partly covered by hillside vegetation.

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As the project developed, closer overhead shots were added and the castle grew far larger than expected.​ Thankfully, this modular approach meant I could quickly and easily scale up the size of the castle.

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The final castle took just 1 week to model and UV - although this was working 14 hour days.

 

Previous design variations and discussions also took a week before settling down to produce the final version.

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A project of this size with changing shots and design requirements should normally be budgeted for a 3 week turnaround, so I was pleased to achieve this model within 1 week.

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A modular approach and pre-planning can help you deal with sudden client changes and a need to massively upscale environments.

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It was an extremely fun project - I just wish I had more time and close up shots to add more detail.