Kvant-1 — Inside the Studio: Workflow, Team and Philosophy

How was Kvant-1 born and what does the name mean?

We were all partners in an earlier Architectural illustration company and decided we needed a fresh start. We started the company at the start of 2020, 3 months before covid. Which was a bit annoying as we could have probably got much cheaper offices if we had waited a bit.

We wanted a short, unique name that would still get a solid score in Scrabble. “Xerox” was our first choice, since an “X” is worth 8 points, but it turns out a photocopier company had already taken it. The biggest problem with Kvant-1? Whenever we tell someone the company's name, we almost always have to repeat ourselves and then spell it out.

How big is your team today and what is the vibe inside the studio?

There are just three of us, but we’ve been working together for about two decades. At this point, the studio vibe has reached a level of being unprofessionally comfortable.

Which project best represents the soul of your studio?

Does the website count as a project? Even that doesn’t really represent us that well due to so many of the projects remaining confidential.

The goal has always been to develop new ways of presenting projects and not just apply a style to everything we do. To somehow be more inspired by the project and by life, and to treat our products more as art pieces. Perhaps this image we made for an environmental agency against drilling in the Barents Sea is an appropriate metaphor for how we strive to find inspiration and meaning in every project.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?

Undoubtedly the main inspiration for each project comes from the project itself. There are also inevitably fads within the office. The new cool thing this week: everybody is talking about topiary (formal hedge trimming characterized by sharp, clean lines, geometric angles, and a neat, highly manicured appearance) as the weather gets warmer and the days get lighter. And next week it will certainly be some other equally nerdy thing.

What is a perfect render for you?

The perfect render is when we look at the “performance” tab in Task Manager and see that every bar is 100 % utilized. To achieve this the scene should have as many polygons as possible. With displacement on those objects as well. The way we look at it, a computer is like a human body, and it needs to work out hard in order to get stronger. A good trick is just to subdivide your models more for optimal gains.

How to create such epic renders like you do?

Thank you for the kind words, we just try to make the things we like, and I believe a lot of the effort is getting the client on board.

When really the images are simply a tool for communicating a project, it’s an honor that people outside the project would even consider them something worthy of attention. So thank you for even reading this far.

Do you ever produce renders that you’re not happy with, and how do you handle those situations?

There are rare times when one of us is frustrated that things aren’t working. However, these problems usually arise from poor communication.

When clients have a strong opinion on an angle, mood or content from the get-go it is our job to get a good understanding of the real reason why they want the image in the first place. We can then work out a more process driven approach to building up the image and what the main focus of the image should be. Failing to communicate this effectively is usually the reason tensions can arise.

How to keep your style while working on commercial briefs?

Clients usually seem to contact us because they like our work and our style, so keeping our style isn't the real challenge. Developing new styles tailormade to the character of each project is usually the challenge.

Does AI-generated art hold the same value for you as manually created work?

As a tool for communicating AI is undoubtedly very valuable. The ability to do complex tasks and come up with seemingly creative solutions with ever increasing control makes it an incredible tool. And value wise, we can just look at the stock market for how valuable they think it is.

However if the question is referring to AI generated content’s value as art itself we think it is of course worth less. There was a time when people would comment “Wow! It’s not a photo?” People aren’t impressed when they see the content as commonplace and easy to achieve. Just like nobody would clap if someone did a forward roll on the ground, but everybody would be impressed if they did a double front flip. Difficulty is somehow bound to perceived value, and AI removes the barrier of difficulty.

Do you see AI remaining a tool, or eventually changing the role of the artist?

It will undoubtedly change the role of the artist, and it is here to stay. How it will change the role of the artist is very hard to say. Will we still be making images that have photorealism as the goal in 5 years time? Particularly when the clients and audience we are trying to convince see less value in the craft behind the imagery itself.

We may be presenting architecture in completely new and fantastic ways as the technical barrier gets broken down.

However, maybe we are the last generation of craftspeople to actually be able to make images the way they were made 2 years ago.

For new artists to learn technical skills, when AI can fix their problems at the click of a button, will require incredible determination and self imposed hardship in order to go through the steps required to understand the craft.

Any plans for a Kvant-1 school or masterclasses?

I wish! We’re busy making images! We are only 3 people!

What is the ultimate target for Kvant-1 in the next 5 years?

We get so enveloped in each project that we really haven’t thought about a 5 year plan. That is something we need to work on! We already have amazing clients and every time we think the projects couldn’t get more exciting someone rings up with something even more mind boggling. We are always striving to deliver our best and are always on the edge of our seats with tight deadlines and our own standards, so we are growing each day.

What is your main tip for artists striving for world-class quality?

Being self critical and self driven are virtues that go far when it comes to personal development. Of course one can always find tutorials, and copy what other people do, but new problems and challenges are eventually going to pop up, and creative solutions will be required. Finding comfort in this realm of uncertainty and development is key once you come to a certain point in your craft.

To see more of Kvant-1’s work, visit their website: https://kvant1.no