About Our Architectural Rendering Services

Scott Smith’s passion for design started in high school. Traverse City High was one of the few in the country that offered AutoCAD classes and Scott signed on, seeing it as an interesting option that blended both math and art. While still a teen, Scott applied his entrepreneurial bent by using what he was learning to help local businesses with their CAD needs. Throughout high school and college, he continued to expand his abilities and skills. As technology developed, so did Scott’s dreams for an architectural rendering company that specialized in 3D services and, in 2001, J. Scott Smith Visual Designs, Inc., was born.

Solving people’s problems is what Scott likes best about his job, specifically through the translating aspect. He likes the “aha moment” when a homeowner finally understands what the architect’s plans have shown all along. Or the excitement people express when their vision has finally been captured and they can now share it with others.

In addition to loving what he does from 9 to 5, Scott enjoys spending time with his wife, Aubrey, and six children. Born and raised in Traverse City, MI, Scott can be found exploring all parts of Northern Michigan and beyond, spending the summers camping, and fishing when he can sneak out of the office. He also enjoys cigar smoking, talking theology around a fire, and reading.

He doesn’t really have a bucket list but in conjunction of his love of studying the Old Testament, Scott would love to explore Mesopotamia and Levant (modern-day Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and certain adjacent areas) and other inaccessible places.

With a master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Michigan, Chris Clinton has worked in the field of architecture for more than 20 years. After college, he started as a drafter at Cornwell Architects in Traverse City and then became a licensed architect. He has been at J. Scott Smith Visual Designs since 2015 using his architectural rendering services.

As the oldest of three boys, one of whom is Chris’s twin, Chris grew up in Traverse City. With the exception of his youngest brother, who works in New York, many of his relatives still live in the area. A significant part of Chris’s family has included American Eskimo dogs – Callie, Lily, and Lila.

Chris likes to continue advancing his knowledge by learning new techniques of architectural rendering. He enjoys 3D modeling as well as lighting the scene; making materials; and adding vegetation, furniture, and props to make the rendering as realistic as possible. He gets fulfillment out of not only seeing the client’s project transformed from 2D drawings into a realistic 3D rendering but also seeing the client’s reaction when they see the finished product.

One item on Chris’s bucket list is related to his job – he would like to design his own house and have it built. He also enjoys making stained glass panels using traditional techniques, and rounding out Chris’s interests is traveling. He has taken many trips to New York to see his brother and hopes to one day tour the castles in the United Kingdom.