As The Imagineers, we are involved in this project—commissioned by the province of Drenthe and under the responsibility of Prolander—to develop a visual concept for the area. In this article, we’ll show how, as an independent party, we use honest, realistic imagery to help facilitate dialogue among stakeholders.
Buffer Zuid covers an area of approximately 220 hectares and is designed to better retain water and restore the hydrology of the Bargerveen. By creating counterpressure against the groundwater flowing out of the peatland area, desiccation is prevented, and the raised bog is given the opportunity to recover and continue to develop.
In addition to these ecological objectives, attention is also given to integrating the project into the landscape and, where possible, allowing for recreational use. This makes the project not only functional but also valuable to the surrounding area and its users.
We translated the design into twohigh-quality 360° visualizations of the project area. Both images are rendered from a bird’s-eye view and provide a complete and cohesive view of the surroundings.
We used drone photography as a basis, onto which the future situation was carefully and realistically superimposed. Thanks to the 360° perspective, the visualizations provide insight not only into the interventions themselves but also into the broader context of the landscape. This makes it possible to experience the project area as a whole, rather than from just a single vantage point.
To make the impact of the plans even clearer, the visualizations are linked to our Stakeholder Engagement Platform. This platform allows users not only to view the images but also to actively navigate through them and experience them in context.
A key feature here is the ability to switch between different scenarios. Users can easily toggle between the current and future situations, making changes to the landscape immediately visible and understandable. This helps bring the consequences of the interventions to life, without requiring any technical knowledge.
What makes this project special for us is the way the visualizations were created. For the first time, we used artificial intelligence not as an experiment, but as an integral part of our workflow.
Our basic approach remained unchanged: we translated the design from CAD drawings into a 3D model, built the foundation, and enriched it with materials such as grass, water, and soil structures. The landscaping plan was also initially developed in the familiar way.
From that point on, we used AI to further refine the visualizations and take them to the next level. By directing AI to focus on aspects such as vegetation, perspective, and scale—and by having it account for area-specific flora and fauna—we created images that are even more realistic and compelling.
This approach offers clear advantages: it accelerates certain parts of the process, enhances visual quality, and makes it possible to align even more precisely with the intended final outcome.
The example below illustrates how AI elevates our visualizations to a higher level. Based on the same 3D foundation, AI provides greater detail, a more natural look, and a more immersive experience of the future environment.
With the delivered visualizations and the integration with the platform, Prolander has a powerful communication tool at its disposal. The combination of realistic images and interactive functionality makes it possible to present complex spatial challenges in an accessible way.
Especially in projects where landscape, ecology, and technology converge, it is essential to make information understandable and insightful for a broad audience.
Marike van der Paauw
Area Development Specialist
Southeast Drenthe
Buffer Zuid demonstrates how important it is to look ahead and make that vision visible. For us, this project also marks an important step in the ongoing development of our own approach, in which technology and craftsmanship are increasingly and intelligently combined.
In this way, we continue to create visualizations that not only show what’s to come but also help us make better choices for the living environment of tomorrow.