From art school in Dunedin, to crafting architectural images and videos for iconic buildings, we speak with Rueben Derrick about his return to Aotearoa and launching his own studio – SwanOwl.
It was at art school in the South Island where Rueben Derrick, director of SwanOwl, first sparked a fascination with architecture.
“I distinctly remember a friend of mine leaving art school to study architecture and that fostered a curiosity about architecture. At the time, I was making experimental video pieces but I was being introduced to the considered simplicity and clean lines of architecture and modern design – it was alluring,” he shares.
After moving to London to make music videos, the possibility of architecture was still in the back of Rueben’s mind: “I started making a portfolio of architectural visualisation which appeared to be a utopian world of a single image that I could take time perfecting the details – the opposite of the world I was in. I submitted my portfolio to an agent in London.”
This saw Rueben land his first job working for Grimshaws, bringing visuals of Paddington Station, Heathrow Airport and the St Botolph Building to life.
“Detail is where the most gains in realism are made and this is a dance of time and iteration,” he says of his work. “You often have to revise and try variations that a client will never see, but that process is where the quality of an image is forged.
“An image is made up of thousands of subtle cues that your eyes process in less than a second. When an image passes enough of these, the gatekeeper that rules the brain will let it pass as a ‘photo’ and the immersion into my client's vision has begun; the magic has started.
“We often take this for granted but if you stop and think about it, it’s quite special letting someone see into the future and I help facilitate that.”
Rueben crafts images that celebrate the potential of a project.
When an image passes enough of these, the gatekeeper that rules the brain will let it pass as a ‘photo’ and the immersion into my client's vision has begun; the magic has started.
Spending 18 years in London, Rueben worked as a visualiser producing content for architects including Sir David Aday, Ron Arad and Richard Rogers; visualisation studios such as The Boundary and Cityscape; and brands and buildings including the Eden Project, The Shard, The Leadenhall Building (Cheese Grater), Selfridges, Red Sea Project, Msheireb Downtown Doha, Avenues in Kuwait, and Vivobarefoot Carnaby Street. He also collaborated with Nokia and World Cup stadiums, and worked on animation projects along the way.
“I also felt a lot of pride in helping produce images for Saltwater Greenhouse, a finalist in Elon Musk’s Xprize. I like to think my images are playing a role in solving some of the world's environmental issues,” says Rueben.
“I enjoyed working alongside architects and designers and I have many friendships from my time as a internal visualiser, but eventually working in a dedicated studio and also acquiring my own clients started calling and the next jump in quality and detail unfolded,” he says, and this came in the form of a return to New Zealand.
“When I left New Zealand, I don’t think this industry existed. But I was thinking about quality of life and how I want to raise my son, and the feelings of going home started to become more and more strong. It was nice and refreshing to think that there was now an industry I could return to.”
Following 18 years abroad working in the industry, Rueben has returned to New Zealand to share his talents with local architects and designers.
Working in a dedicated studio and also acquiring my own clients started calling and the next jump in quality and detail unfolded.
On return to New Zealand and settling in Nelson with his family, Rueben brings with him close to two decades of experience. After collaborating with One to One Hundred, he has now launched his studio: SwanOwl.
Dedicated to crafting architectural image renders and videos, Rueben says it’s invaluable for him to spend time becoming familiar with a project’s mood boards, materials, drawings and sketches before starting on the render.
“It might be obvious, but imagining the space in your mind and seeing if there are any conflicts in aesthetics or materials that need discussing with the client helps me understand my client's vision and gives me a head start in the project.”
The textures, shadows and details in Rueben's renders make it hard to believe they aren’t photographs.
I love the illusion of making something look real. It’s that simple for me. If you can’t tell it’s not real, I’m happy.
“I like work which is landscape focused. It produces a far more pleasant image and shows an atmosphere if you can see some kind of foliage in it,” says Rueben.
While Aotearoa’s landscape and architecture is different to the UK, the process for creating renders is the same for Rueben.
“I prefer to be given as much information as possible that’s relevant. This helps me paint a more accurate picture of what you want the client to see. Also, chatting about your intended audience can play a significant role in what camera angles to go for. Marketing images often benefit from emotive shots to drive purchasing. Or, does your project need to communicate a specific feature of a design?
“New Zealand has its own aesthetic but it also references major design trends from around the world. I hope my international experience will permeate into the work I produce for clients. I love the illusion of making something look real. It’s that simple for me. If you can’t tell it’s not real, I’m happy. If it can communicate an idea and express desire or allure, I’m double happy.”
Now that Rueben has brought his skills and introduced his studio to New Zealand, his next project is collaborating with Nelson-based architectural designer Keni-Duke Hetet from Waka Group Architecture to envision a way of creating a more family-focused cycle/pedestrian connection between Nelson city and Tahunanui Beach.
“We want to offer the community something exciting.”
