Architectural design catapults into the twenty-first century with digital-visualization software designed to permit creation of realistic 3D renderings at a fraction of the cost of traditional images.

Mention "architectural rendering" and most people conjure up images of weary-looking little men hunched over drafting tables, toiling laboriously to execute every meticulously drawn line perfectly Maybe they'll even envision ancient Roman architect Vitruvius painstakingly poring over De Architectura, struggling with every word and illustration in his lengthy tome.

But shove over, Vitruvius! Gone are the days when draftsmen and architects hunched for endless hours over drafting tables, painstakingly adding detail after intricate detail to their architectural renderings.

Architecture no longer simply refers to a building's exterior structure. Nowadays, it also relates to the interior environment and overall flow of a living space. If your building's interior doesn't live up to the expectations of its exterior, you may not be using your space to its best possible advantage. That's when developers, realtors and architects know it's time to consult a professional design firm to make valued recommendations.

And lest you believe you need to rely on a firm that just shows you pictures on paper, you should realize the age-old art of architectural design has taken a monumental leap into the technological age with the advent of 3D architectural conceptualization and rendering. A modern design firm should be able to provide photorealistic architectural renderings - the finest renderings today's state-of-the-art technology can provide.

An appropriately equipped design firm will have the capacity to convert CAD drawings to lifelike 3D renderings. This firm should also be able to evaluate your space and work with you to develop an interior concept that suits your taste and style - while respecting the existing architectural style of the home, room or office.

You need someone who will undertake your project efficiently and with the flexibility to try new ideas, someone with a vision and capacity for spatial design. But all the ideas in the world don't do a bit of good if you can't see what the designer is envisioning for your space. You also need a design professional who can convert ideas to actual renderings - ideally, a professional who can provide animations and 3D visualizations and renderings.

You'll want to work with a firm whose staff employs state-of-the-art design technology, especially when it comes to the details: landscaping features, sidewalks and vegetation - elements so realistic you'll expect tiny people to emerge from the buildings and begin walking to their miniature cars in the parking lot!

But you don't want to pay an arm and a leg. You want something cutting edge, yet cost efficient and practical. Oddly enough, a professional architectural design firm skilled in providing 3D renderings could be less expensive than a traditional design company that drafts with outdated software - or by hand.

Oh, and lest you pooh-pooh the notion of his relevance today, Vitruvius was a man of real vision, a man ahead of his time. Centuries before the invention of the lawn mower and decorative lawn gazebos, he was on top of these things. The first of his Ten Books encompasses subjects that now come under the purview of landscape architecture.