Rendered with IRender nXt - Hand Crafted in a 15th Century Workshop

We’re excited to talk with David Crawley, Specialist Joinery Designer & Estimator for Faversham Joinery (UK) Ltd. The company is located in the town of Faversham in southeast England. “Faversham” is of Old English origin and means "the metal-worker's village", but in modern day Faversham it’s the domain of these fine woodworking professionals.

David, along with Faversham’s Managing Director, Robin Dane, were both brought up in the trade by their fathers who taught them everything they knew. Robin’s father started Faversham in 1967 in his back yard, providing locals with traditional windows and doors. Since then, the business has grown to 20 employees and operates out of Abbey Barn, one of the oldest tithe barns in Europe, from where they now sell their products nationwide.

Abbey Barn - Faversham Joinery’s Workshop

Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, David. Please tell us about your joinery business.
We are a traditional joinery company specializing in hand crafted bespoke joinery. Using both modern and traditional methods, we manufacture windows, doors, cabinetry, stairs and more. We are very strong advocates for the conservation of our country’s architecture. We pride ourselves in producing and replicating joinery from grade 2 listed to conservation areas, the same way it would have been done 100 years ago, in a manner which modern machinery cannot replicate.

What sets your business apart from others in this niche?
I suppose it’s our passion for conservation. We replace windows and doors up and down the country. These items are usually very special and not something that can be mass produced. We pride ourselves in giving every property/client the time and respect they require, and will only produce windows and doors that are suitable, or as originally intended.

This definitely sets us apart as we are increasingly finding the erosion of traditional joinery of windows, doors, stairs, etc., in favour of mass production and cheapness, and in turn we are finding that companies are losing the skill base and knowledge that had enabled them to provide a service that replicates the correct period of joinery products required. For example, if you search today on Google for traditional timber windows, I guarantee all the companies that come up, certainly on the first page of results, will have a mass produced window range which they call traditional and or architectural. I’m not saying they aren’t fit for purpose, just that this is where we differ - they don’t offer bespoke joinery.

We are finding more and more customers, prefer their windows to be replaced as they were traditionally intended when the property was built, with, if possible, some improvements like double glazing and or draft proofing. With us, we are not restricted with one or two designs, as some modern joinery companies are, we will judge a property on its merit and replicate a suitable period design.

When did you start using IRender nXt and how does it fit in your operations?
I actually started using your ArielVision program around 2014, then recently moved to IRender nXt for the additional features that come with it. Because of my joinery background, I understand how items are crafted in the real world which enables me to simulate a bespoke joinery design virtually using SketchUp, then complete the vision using IRender nXt. What’s great about your software is how real my models look after they’ve been rendered.

I’m interested to see some of the renderings you’ve done for your projects.
We have produced designs for a variety of projects, and with the aid of your software, provided our clients with our vision for their bespoke products. Examples of the projects we’ve completed include a featured staircase for a high-end designer home company, new builds, bespoke cabinetry, feature entrance doors, feature window seating and paneling, and a full handmade kitchen. All were created in SketchUp, rendered with IRender nXt, then manufactured in our workshop.

What feedback have you received from your clients about the renderings you’ve sent them?
Every client has given us positive feedback. I believe it’s our biggest selling tool because when our clients see the rendered models it gives them confidence in our ability to provide them with what they are expecting.

Are there any features in the software that you find especially useful? As I’ve already said, what I like best about IRender is its ability to provide very realistic renders. It’s also simple to use. It’s as easy to use as SketchUp was when I first used it; a very intuitive program that does not require a degree to use.

What elements do you pay most attention to when you render an image?
I need our joinery products to look as real as possible, so I concentrate on timber grain being correctly oriented and life like.

How can we help you take the rendering experience for your clients to the next level?
I would like the ability to consolidate all the bespoke joinery items we have created in SketchUp and render them into a virtual showroom where our customers would be able to use simple controls to walk around either using VR or an experience similar to maneuvering through a computer game. The outcome being that they would be inspired to imagine the endless possibilities of joinery items that we could provide.

Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, David. It's great to see how IRender nXt is enabling you to bring your designs to life for your clients!

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