Compiling enough data to produce a visual impact assessment (which includes VVM’s or visually verified montages) is a complex and technical exercise. Much more of a science, than an art.
But here we don’t just do the visual part of reports, we produce all the documentation and supporting materials that get compiled into the Environmental Statement, and our work is fully compliant with the Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment published by the Landscape Institute.
A great deal of work goes into our assessment, including digital ground modelling, collection of zone of visual influence (envelope) data, and existing wide area modelling for reference.
We are currently working with Peel Holdings to produce a detailed terrain model of a substantial area in the North West, and we are relying on satellite photography, O/S data, site specific surveys, photography, and architects drawings and plans.
This sample page from the Central Station VIA indicates the proposed new building, a location map, a grid reference and GPS reading, as well as a summary from the written assessment. There were 65 of these views in total, which resulted in a substantial set of documentation supplied to form part of the full planning application.
Importantly the work is independent from the architect, and even though the architect may be our client in some cases, we need to be extremely thorough.
We were recently asked to verify a very large Manchester city centre scheme that had already been visualised by another company. Armed with the know-ledge that our work may be checked by our competition, we are doubly careful to produce accurate assessments.
Our specialist expertise in Landscape and Visual Impact and contribution to Environmental and Design statements, enables us to produce robust and inquiry-proof assessments that will stand up to toughest scrutiny.
http://www.virtual-planit.com/capability/capability_methodol.htm
