AI Rendering for Architecture Teams: Shared Credits, Teamspaces & Client Folders
Rendering tools are built for one person at one workstation. Studios don't work that way. This guide covers how teams run a single shared render workflow in Vizbase — one credit pool, shared teamspaces, folders per client, and view-only links — without buying a license for every chair in the office.
The problem with rendering as a team
In most small studios, rendering collaboration looks like this: one machine has the GPU and the license, so renders queue behind whoever got there first. Outputs live in a shared drive with names like final_v3_FINAL2.jpg. Clients get JPGs by email, feedback comes back in another thread, and nobody is sure which version the client actually approved.
Per-seat licensing makes it worse. Traditional real-time renderers cost €500+ per seat per year, so firms license one or two “render people” and everyone else routes work through them. The render specialist becomes the bottleneck for every deadline. We covered the raw cost side of this in the AI rendering vs outsourcing comparison — this post is about the workflow side.
What a shared render workflow looks like
Vizbase teamspaces flip the model: instead of licensing people, you fund a shared credit pool. One paid plan creates the teamspace; everyone else joins free.
- Teamspaces: shared workspaces where the whole team sees the same projects and renders. Your Personal space stays private — only what lives in a teamspace is shared.
- One credit pool, with caps: the owner funds the pool and sets a monthly cap for the teamspace plus per-member caps. Render budget becomes a number you control, not a surprise.
- Folders:organize teamspace projects by client, building, or design phase, so “where is the approved kitchen option” has an answer.
- View-only client links: send a link instead of attachments. The client sees the render in the browser without an account, and you keep one canonical version.
The rendering itself works the way it does for individuals: upload a sketch, SketchUp export, or photo, the AI detects every element in the scene in seconds, you set materials per element, and a photorealistic render comes back in 30–60 seconds. If you are new to that workflow, the architects overview and features page cover it end to end.
Why only one person needs a plan
This is the part that changes the economics. Teamspaces come with every paid plan, starting at Starter (€29/mo). The owner upgrades, creates the teamspace, and invites anyone by email — teammates join on free accounts and render from the shared pool. A five-person studio does not need five subscriptions; it needs one plan sized to its monthly render volume.
Compare that with per-seat real-time renderers: five seats at €500–600/year each is €2,500–3,000/year before anyone counts the GPU workstations. A Studio plan at €109/mo (175 credits) covers a typical small firm's presentation output for €1,308/year — and every designer renders directly instead of queueing behind the license machine. See pricing for the full tier breakdown.
There is also a small kickstart: when an invited teammate accepts, you both get 15 bonus credits (one time, per account). A new team's first material studies are effectively free.
Setting it up — three steps
1. Upgrade and create a teamspace. Any paid plan unlocks it. Name it after the studio or a project — you can run several teamspaces side by side.
2. Invite teammates by email. They accept, land in the teamspace with a free account, and can render immediately from the pool.
3. Set caps and folders. Give the teamspace a monthly budget, set per-member limits where it makes sense, and create a folder per client so projects stay findable.
From there, day-to-day collaboration is unremarkable in the best way: a designer renders material options during a client consultation, drops them in the client folder, and sends a view-only link before the meeting ends. For how firms fold this into existing CAD workflows, see the firm integration guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do my teammates need a paid Vizbase plan?
No. Only the person who creates the teamspace needs a paid plan (Starter and up). Teammates join with free accounts and render from the shared credit pool the owner funds. This is the main structural difference from per-seat tools, where every user needs their own license.
How does the shared credit pool work?
The teamspace owner funds one pool from their subscription credits. Every render a team member generates draws from that pool, and the owner sets two kinds of caps: a monthly cap for the whole teamspace and per-member caps. That means an intern can have a 10-credit monthly limit while a project lead renders freely, and the budget stays predictable.
Can clients see renders without creating an account?
Yes. Any render can be shared as a view-only link. The client opens it in a browser — no signup, no login, no watermark walls. For client presentations this replaces the export-attach-email loop entirely.
Are my personal projects visible to the team?
No. Your Personal space stays private. Only projects inside a shared teamspace are visible to its members, and you can organize those with folders per client or per project phase.
Which plans include teamspaces?
Every paid plan — Starter (€29/mo, 30 credits), Pro (€59/mo, 75 credits), and Studio (€109/mo, 175 credits). Annual billing takes 15% off. Free accounts cannot create teamspaces, but they can join one and render from its pool.
How does the 15-credit referral bonus work?
When you invite a teammate and they accept, you both receive 15 bonus credits. It is a one-time bonus per account — inviting ten people does not stack it — but for a new team it effectively covers the first rounds of test renders.
Ready to render as a team?
Create a teamspace on any paid plan — your teammates join free.
GET STARTED FREE