Entourage

Entourage is the collective name for everything in an architectural image that is not the building but completes the scene: people, trees and planting, vehicles, street furniture, pets, and indoors, books, cushions and everyday objects. The word comes from French, where it means surroundings. None of these elements are part of the design, yet they shape how the image is read.

Why entourage matters

Its first job is scale. A person standing next to a door tells the viewer the height of the entrance instantly. Its second job is story: children playing in a garden, people sitting at a cafe or a table set out on a balcony show how the space will be used. The same building looks like a cold model on an empty street and like a living place with well-chosen figures.

Practical points

Entourage should speak the same language as the project. Business suits around a family home or beachwear in an office feel wrong. The lighting, shadows and perspective of people must match the scene, and with an eye-level camera their heads should sit close to the horizon line. Overcrowding, on the other hand, smothers the architecture. 3D figures are placed in the render, while 2D cut-outs are usually added in post-production. For how props shape a space, read about using accessories in architecture.