The short answer
We are a conceptual design agency specialised in the visualisation of archaeological and scientific content. Our main focus lies in creating informative graphics and animations for exhibitions, conferences, and research projects. Being archaeologists ourselves, the scientific reconstruction and 3D visualisation of ancient architecture is our main area of expertise.
Sandra Grabowski, M.A.
Graphic design, 3D visualisation,
Near Eastern Archaeology and Philology, Prehistoric Archaeology
Dr. Sebastian Hageneuer
3D visualisation, Archaeoinformatics,
Near Eastern Archaeology and Philology, Prehistoric Archaeology
The long answer
What got us started in 2008 was our shared idea of making science more accessible to a wider public. Before becoming archaeologists, we received our primary education in the field of graphic design (specialisation: corporate design) and IT technology. This fruitful combination of scientific insight, a designer’s eye, and technical expertise enables us to bring these ideas to life.
Scientific illustration
We believe that really good design can only result from excellent conceptual groundwork. For this reason, we regard conceptual design as the essential foundation for every project.
Our aim is to communicate science in a way that makes it equally fascinating to a scientific and a non-scientific audience, young and old, in order for it to be presented in exhibitions, presentations, and publications.
What is most important to us is the creation of high-quality work; work that is well thought-out and instantly understandable. The way we see it, our work is a success when it inspires people to reflect and discuss.
When working with you, we place great value on face-to-face contact and good communication. Listening closely to your ideas and wishes, it is our primary concern to truly understand your project’s objectives in order to find the best form of visualisation. We work very methodically and like to experiment with new ways of presentation, valuing the finest detail and never losing sight of the big picture.
As a small creative team, we have a wide network of friends and specialists that help us to fulfil every project’s requirements. We are experienced in working with scientists, research institutions, and museums and are skilled in supervising the entire project coordination if needed.
Architectural reconstructions
Since archaeology is our passion, we have specialized in the reconstruction and visualisation of ancient architecture, which we regard as an important contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage.
Virtual 3D-models make it possible to communicate a lot of information at a single glance. They are not only useful in presenting research results in an appealing way to a larger public (in exhibitions, conferences or publications), they are also an extremely helpful tool in the research process itself.
This is because 3D-models allow the testing of many different hypotheses and the clarification of questions that are difficult to investigate on a theoretical level, such as: proportions and scale; lines of sight; the relation between architectural elements or buildings; the integration of architecture into its environment; internal lighting conditions; the movement of air and people within the architecture; and many more. Most of the time, more than one possible solution for a reconstruction arises from the gathered evidence. Flexible 3D models help to illustrate all ideas and information that lead to each possible individual reconstruction.
As archaeologists, we know that the goal of a scientific reconstruction is not to make a final statement about what reality appeared like in the past. The goal is to discover what assumptions can or cannot be made on the basis of the material and textual evidence, and the technical requirements.
In trying to reproduce each step of the building process, and by considering the building materials, techniques used, and the function of the architecture, we are able to contribute new questions to the scientific discourse. In our work, we often find that theoretical preconceptions about ancient architecture, sometimes held true for years in the academic discussions, are promptly discarded when making the effort to actually rebuild the architecture step-by-step. In doing so, we see ourselves as virtual experimental archaeologists.