Camera-matched Planning CGI Faraday House

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Our Studio is a Manchester-based architectural visualisation studio specialising in planning CGI and verified views. We work with developers, architects, and planning consultants across the UK to produce photorealistic imagery that supports planning approval and communicates design intent with clarity.

We were commissioned to produce Planning CGI and Photomontage visuals for the transformation of Faraday House, a long-vacant building on the A6 in Salford, into 38,000 sq ft of contemporary workspace for the University of Salford's professional services teams. The project forms part of the £2.5bn Crescent Salford masterplan, led by ECF in partnership with the University of Salford and Salford City Council.

Retrofit and reuse - making an existing building fit for today

Faraday House has been part of the University of Salford's estate for around 50 years, originally built as the headquarters of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers. Vacant for several years, the building is next in line for transformation under the university's Campus Connectivity Plan - a programme that has already delivered a new acoustics facility and the Greater Manchester Institute of Technology.

Rather than demolition and rebuild, the scheme retains and refurbishes the existing structure, reflecting ECF's commitment to sustainability and making the most of existing assets within the masterplan. This retrofit-first approach - repurposing a brownfield asset into high-quality, flexible workspace - is precisely the kind of project where planning visualisation carries real weight. Demonstrating how an older building can be modernised without losing its character, while meeting contemporary standards for workspace and public realm, requires imagery that is both technically accurate and visually persuasive.

Planning CGI that supports a coherent submission

Our photomontage visuals were developed to clearly communicate design intent, materiality, massing, and landscape strategy within the existing urban context. The imagery translated the architectural proposals by PRP and the public realm design by Planit into accessible visuals capable of supporting informed decision-making by planning officers and consultees.

Accurate representation of scale, materiality, and user experience ensured the imagery reinforced the planning narrative - demonstrating how the scheme revitalises a long-vacant building and contributes positively to the wider Crescent Salford regeneration ambitions.

Our Studio has delivered planning CGI and architectural visualisation for major developments across Manchester and the UK, supporting successful planning outcomes at every stage.

Visualisation that underpins planning confidence and long-term value

For ECF and the University of Salford, clearly communicated proposals reduce planning risk and strengthen the case for approval. Our planning-led approach ensures that design quality and development viability are presented with confidence at every stage of the process - supporting both the immediate submission and the longer-term return on investment the scheme represents.

This type of planning CGI is particularly valuable for developers and planning consultants seeking to secure approval for complex urban regeneration schemes. Subject to planning approval, work on Faraday House could begin later this year.

Services delivered: Architectural Visualisation · Planning CGI · Photomontage Visuals (Manchester & UK)

Project team: ECF (developer) · University of Salford · PRP (architect) · OBI (interior design) · Planit (landscape architect) · Enabl (planning consultant)

Location
Salford: Architect
PRP: Developer
ECF