Visual to Virtual - Integrating CAD & Virtual Tour Technology

The Vision

Picture this: A beautifully quaint farmhouse sitting on private land next to a pair of perfectly converted barns, all surrounded by cherry blossom trees and vast panoramic views of the countryside.

Now look to your right and see a grand, purpose-built barn venue, all perfectly finished off with exposed wooden beams, chandeliers and outstanding character features. Place this image onto an idyllic plot of farmland in the heart of the Buckinghamshire countryside and you have Winter’s Tale Country Barn!

Owner of Winter’s Tale Country Barn ‘Christine Hodgins’ had a simple vision: turn her unused land into a location people can experience in a number of ways, from simple breaks away from the city, to offering a grand wedding reception venue for that special day, all the while creating a healthy income.

The Project

A1 Designs stepped up to provide the following services: 

• - Architectural design input (CAD)


• - Creation of photorealistic render images of the proposed build


• - Virtual Tour Experience

The Benefits

• - Personal visualisation and perspective of the build.


• - Assistance during the planning & construction stages of the project.


• - Distribution of plans to project contractors, local planning authorities and nearby residents.

As you can imagine, a location as picturesque as this being built on caused some concern. However, once all parties could easily visualise the end result, any initial worries were quickly transformed into welcomed anticipation.

The build went ahead as planned and with great support from local residents and council members. Our work here was done! Or was it…………!?

Immersive 3D Virtual Tour

Christine invited A1 Designs back a couple of months later to create immersive and interactive virtual tours for both the converted accommodation barns as well as the newly constructed wedding venue. The tours came out perfectly!

The remote location could have made it difficult to attract business, as potential customers for the venue would struggle to visit in person and plan their special day or trip away. Combined with the recent Covid-19 crisis meaning people have been unable to venture out as normal, it’s technology such as virtual tours that are keeping industries like this going and in some cases thriving!

Since creating and launching the virtual tours for the Winter’s Tale Barns, Christine has seen a surge in interest for the venues with a stream of booking enquiries following.