The Hidden Power of Visualisation in Architecture & Design | Helga Heins

In this episode of the Built By Her Podcast, Georgie sits down with Helga Heins, founder of Insight Studio 3D, to talk about architecture, visualisation, moving countries, and what it really takes to build a creative business from the ground up.

Originally from Colombia, Helga shares her journey from studying and working in architecture alongside her father, to relocating to the UK and navigating an entirely new industry, different regulations, a new language, and eventually taking the leap into self-employment.

With a passion for design and 3D visualisation, Helga now helps architects, interior designers, and property developers bring projects to life before they're even built. But this conversation goes far beyond beautiful images.

We talk about:
✨ Moving to the UK and rebuilding your career from scratch
✨ The realities of working in a male-dominated industry
✨ Why 3D visualisation is more than just a "pretty picture"
✨ How visualisation can save time, money and costly mistakes
✨ The impact of AI on creative industries
✨ Going from full-time employment to self-employment
✨ The challenges of finding clients and building confidence
✨ The importance of networking and finding your community
✨ Managing the highs and lows of entrepreneurship
✨ Learning to believe in yourself before anyone else does

This episode is an honest conversation about resilience, creativity, and having the courage to pursue the life you want, even when it means stepping into the unknown.

Whether you're thinking about starting your own business, navigating a career change, or simply curious about the world of architecture and visualisation, Helga's story is a reminder that growth often begins just outside your comfort zone.

Guest: Helga Heins
Founder of Insight Studio 3D

Instagram: @insightstudio3d
LinkedIn: Helga Heins

Producer: @NozzleMedia

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🎙️ Hosted by Georgina McDonald founder of G R Design Studio

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🎧 Produced by Richard Lannen at Nozzle Media
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📸 https://www.instagram.com/nozzlemedia

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:25

Welcome to the podcast, Haga. For those that don't know who you are, what is your name and what do you do? So Helga Heinz. My background is in architecture, so I'm an architect and I do now interior design and 3D visualization for architects, property developers, and interior designers to help them sell their projects. And how long has that been going for? So it's been almost a year. Before that, I have been working for companies, but I've always done it on the side, freelancing. But last year, in June, 13th of June, soon there.

SPEAKER_02 1:12

Oh my goodness. You've only got a couple of weeks then to have one anniversary.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

Yeah, I need to celebrate it. Yeah, what are you gonna do? I'm not sure. Probably working. So what made you go into this world? Into architecture and design. I have always been very creative, like since I was little. I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian first, but I think that didn't, I mean, it didn't work out. And my dad is an architect, so I always saw him, you know, with drawings and at home designing stuff in in public. We went to a restaurant and he would always be drawing stuff. So it was really cool, and yeah, that kind of encouraged me to study architecture in Colombia. So yeah, then life happened.

SPEAKER_02 2:01

So how long were you doing in Colombia before you moved to it here?

SPEAKER_00 2:05

I was doing it for about six years. Yeah, I started working while I was studying in the university, so it was a lot. I was working for my dad, but it it was great because it gave me a lot of experience, which I think in architecture you have to have the experience because one thing it's you know drawing nice things and making nice concepts, and then it's actually making it happen. So it was a bit of both worlds.

SPEAKER_02 2:30

How have you found the difference between being in comedy doing it versus in the UK?

SPEAKER_00 2:34

Oh, it's completely different. I think that one when I moved into the UK six years ago, one of the first things that I thought to myself was like, what am I doing here? Because like we don't we have some sort of regulations, but nothing like building bricks. So it's very strict, and there are lots of rules to follow. And also the construction types are completely different. Like I've never seen a stud wall before. We don't have timber frames stuff, it's all you know, concrete or metal or steel. So yeah, it was very different, and that like that learning how different it is in both countries was one of the biggest things.

SPEAKER_02 3:16

Oh my gosh, that must be a massive learning curve. It still is.

SPEAKER_01 3:21

It still is.

SPEAKER_02 3:22

And then what made you want to move away from like more architecture stuff into visualization?

SPEAKER_00 3:27

So I love the 3D models. I love, you know, seeing and creating something and then seeing it like on on a visual and then seeing it come true. And yeah, I've always enjoyed like it's like when I was, I don't know, yeah, a kid, I used to play The Sims. And now people like my partner says, Oh, you're playing the Sims, and I'm like, Yes. I always say that to people when I'm playing Sims. Yeah. And I, you know, I I just really enjoy creating a space and see how it could look without, you know, seeing it first.

SPEAKER_02 4:03

So did you do that a lot when you were an architect, or did it was it something that grew into your job?

SPEAKER_00 4:08

I did it both. So at the beginning, when I was working for my dad, he didn't have that in-house. So then I I was learning as I went because I was quite young and still in uni, but I did brought that into his practice. And he still now sometimes I do his CGIs. Oh and then yeah, in every practice, you know, it's very handy to have the skills to do 3D models because I think in our profession as architects and designers, people really struggle to visualize things, and it's only when you can bring it to life. So yeah, it's it's very important for concepts and you know, then bespoke design.

SPEAKER_02 4:46

So one question that's on my mind is it must not only give you the visualization that you're you're looking for if you can't imagine stuff, but it must be beneficial in saving money in a project.

SPEAKER_00 4:57

Yeah, so uh a hundred percent. I've I have worked with architects that they come with just a 2D drawing, and for example, they have an idea of how it would look, and then when you start doing the model, you realize that things are not working. Like there, you you know, you need some steps here, you need a stair there, this wall isn't working here, or whatever. So it's great because you can see the mistakes that you cannot see on a 2D drawing. And also for clients that are like homeowners, especially, it's great because you can decide on what you like and what you don't like. And you know, I've had this before that uh we're certain about specific design, and then you see it and it's like I'm not too sure about that anymore, you know. So it's great because it helps you uh, you know, come to decisions before you actually spend any money on you know uh furniture or you know, even your blinds or even the small details, sockets on the walls. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 5:55

So that's another thing. You could see it in 3D, and sockets is a good point, and you can be like, actually, I want to put a lamp here, so I don't need a socket, and then you can add that in before it's too late, because doing at that point is a lot easier than doing it when it's built.

SPEAKER_00 6:06

Yeah. I mean, like I say, visualization is not just uh an end like a nice image, it is a tool that helps you come to a design, yeah, you know, make decisions early on, spot mistakes. You know, it's not like oh it's just a pretty picture, like a lot of people think it is, and sometimes it is when you want to sell, you know, a new build, maybe that sort of thing. But when you are working on designing something, it's quite handy to use it. What sort of projects do you think you work on mostly at the moment? Mostly I would say is being residential. I have worked, I have like three different clients. My architect clients, which uh usually they come with a house, a new build, or an existing house with an extension, that sort of thing. And then I also have interior designer uh projects which I've worked directly with the interior designer. Sometimes they propose a scheme and I like put everything on the scheme, and then it's like a conversation between the client, the interior designer, and myself, just to, you know, because you know, I feel like some people think that the design is working, and then when you actually see it, you're like, ah no, it doesn't work. And then property developers, which is yeah, when someone wants to do a new house or a property or a conversion, um, so yeah, that that sort of thing. Mostly residential. I've done commercial before, but mostly residential projects.

SPEAKER_02 7:35

Do you like it because it's so varied?

SPEAKER_00 7:38

I do. I'm trying to bring it down and find more of a niche. I I think that at the moment it's been mostly well, it started being mostly architects, but now it's been mostly interior design and just private property developers that come to me with a project. If you had to niche down, what would you niche into? I love to do more of interiors and also the interior design myself because I love designing as well. So to do both, it's like the best of both worlds. So yeah, I think interiors would be my choice. And also property developers, but I think that it depends on the project. I I feel like, you know, I've talked a lot with people and they come, you know, now they this whole AI thing is gonna take your job and whatnot. And I did have a conversation with a property developer, and they bought this beautiful house, and the visuals were done by ChatGPT, which they look fine, but if you look beyond that, it's you know, all of the images look pretty much the same beige, sofa, very nice, very calm, but there's like a lack of character. So when you get a property that you can actually, you know, put your input and put your design into it, I think that that's great.

SPEAKER_02 8:56

Do you think that with ChatGPT though, that would make it harder for people to understand the value of it? Because he could obviously see the difference between the ChatGPT result and then what you can produce. Yeah. But do you think that would become harder for the people that may have just been like, oh, I just wanna know what those walls look like, and they just whack it in?

SPEAKER_00 9:11

Yeah, definitely. I think there are clients for everything. I mean, I I love using ChatGPT, I use it every day. But I think it's specific to certain tasks. It's great for concept design, it's great to maybe think about an idea, but when it, you know, when you actually want to do what I do, it doesn't really work. Like, you know, the human interaction and that human eye to it and that bespoke design. Like, you know, you can tell how hundred times the Chat GPT put that bench red or whatever, and it's gonna keep trying to do it different every time. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:50

But it isn't just photos that you produce of CGI, is it? You can do full walkthroughs. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:56

I do like recently with property developers, they quite like doing the walkthroughs. I'm doing one at the moment for a project in Stratford up on A. Oh yeah. And it's three flats, no, it's like fi 15 flats, and I'm doing three flats with the walkthroughs, showing every flat with kind of different style designs, which is quite nice because it's like, you know, if it's someone is recording the something that isn't there, so yeah, I do all of it interior, exterior, steel images, walkthroughs. Trying to do a 360 like panoramic. Yeah, I think I'm not a fan of those. It depends, I mean, on the project, yeah. What every project needs is different. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:41

So when you build the model, so you obviously do it within like a software. Do you say for that one where you've got three apartments, it's out of fifth 15. Yeah. Do you have to build the block for all 15? No. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 10:54

I no, I've done that before, but it's a learning curve. Okay. You can get so hang up on the detail of the detail that it's like, you know, you're just gonna show what's inside the flat. Why would you model the whole building? And I do model like the context, and if you're looking out of the window, like what's outside, the you know, the streets or whatever. But yeah, I I I target it to model what I need and what I'm going to see. Because yeah, before I think when I started, I was modeling every single detail, and then you get this huge file, and it's like it's not moving. So yeah, you learn from that.

SPEAKER_02 11:30

How long do you think it takes you to like model up a flat?

SPEAKER_00 11:34

Actually, I think I'm very quick. I I think I mean I've been working in architecture and all of that for more than 10 years. So, and I have always done a model. So I think it could take me a day and maybe two, one, a day and a half if I'm just doing that.

SPEAKER_02 11:54

Yeah, yeah. Full on. No breakfast. Yeah, entirely.

SPEAKER_00 11:58

But my turn around of projects is usually about a month to six weeks, because I it's like a conversation between myself and the client and the revisions and so what made you go to work for yourself? I uh yeah, I mean, I've always been very ambitious. I've always tried to do something on the side, like have something for myself. And I think last year I started getting quite busy on my freelance side of things. And yeah, I came to a point where I was just working all day, then going back home to carry on doing work and then working again in the morning. So it was just a lot, and I I thought, like, you know, if I don't try it now, I wouldn't might never know if if it's gonna work out. And it took me a while. I mean, I think it took me like six months to actually, or maybe ten months to actually be like, okay, I'm gonna do it.

SPEAKER_02 12:55

It's quite scary though, isn't it? Like quitting a job. Yeah. There's some weird security in it.

SPEAKER_00 13:00

Yeah, yeah. I mean, yes and no. I mean, uh I think that it's obviously, you know, you have a salary and you have some sort of um backup and someone there like mentoring you, I guess. And that's the nice thing to have. Whereas when you're on your own, it's like, you know, your salary becomes your yearly salary, and you panic the months that there's no work, and but there there are months that you earn a lot more than what you were earning before. So it's yeah, it's a different mindset that you need to follow.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

I guess every hour that you work is your money, so it's funny.

SPEAKER_00 13:34

Yeah. Yeah, and that's exactly what like I I I talk to a lot of people that I've known, and some of them are uh self-employed, they're have been doing their own business for a little while, and everyone is like, do it, you know? Yeah, like you're gonna be working sometimes more than what you used to be working before, but it's your own project, it's your own money, it's your own stuff. So it's gonna be rewarding at the end of the day.

SPEAKER_02 13:58

Yeah. You change anything.

SPEAKER_00 13:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:00

Do you ever get back?

SPEAKER_00 14:01

I don't think I could go back. I keep saying to my partner, I don't know if I need to come up with a new plan. But I don't think I I I I think I work with architects as well, like on a freelance basis and interiors. And if I separate uh maybe like two days max uh a week to do that, but whether I could go back full-time uh to an office job and just focus on someone else's project, I don't think I could do it.

SPEAKER_02 14:32

Do it. Okay, no, not my thing anymore. So when you started your own business, what like was there anything you were so shocked by or because you've actually learned quite a lot. You've come from Columbia where you've had to learn all the new rags, you've had to learn all the new processes, and then you've just gone and thought, actually, I don't want to work in a business if I'm gonna start my own business. I can make my life a little bit harder. Yeah. How have you found all of those processes?

SPEAKER_00 14:54

Yeah, I mean, it was a lot. I mean, obviously, moving from Colombia was I think the biggest challenge, then adjusting to work and the language, because I knew English, but I didn't knew the technical English for work, so that was another adjustment. And then when I yeah, I mean I've been here for six years, and the last year that I went on my own, I think it was quite hard. I knew I was gonna do a lot, and I had to do a lot myself at the beginning. But I think when you actually have to do all of those things at the same time and still like admin and find clients and network and uh do the work and all of the that was like, oh my god, I was going a bit crazy.

SPEAKER_02 15:40

How did you find like finding clients? Because that's another thing that is so different in a job, you kind of just get handed work or handed projects. It's fun for yourself when you're on your own. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:49

I it was I'm quite lucky because I feel like I've because I've worked with a few people, um, some of them even have been clients from that I've worked with before, but one of the architects, which I'm really grateful for, and then it's someone has recommended me with someone else, which is great. Um, and recently, I mean I think it was this year, like in January, a lot of new inquiries started to come in from networking, really. So that's like, yeah, it's great. Like, it's tough. I think that it's about building that relationship with other people, not just like I'm Helga and I do CGIs. And a lot of people have that expectation that you're going to network and hand a business card, and then the next day you have 10 projects, and it's like it doesn't work that way. So it's tough, but I just think you know, it's a you have to keep you know talking to people, getting your name out there, and you're very good at networking though, you go to a lot of networking and stuff. I I try. I think last year I was doing a lot more, especially when I started like in June, July, August last year. I was going to everything. Everything. And I was like, okay, I have to stop. Because at some point it's also like it's not cost efficient as well. Like you pay 40 pounds for a meal and then you have to buy the drinks, and you have to go here and there and everywhere. And does it really it's giving you something back? So now I try to pick and choose the ones that you know it's not just to find a client in networking. I think it's finding the like the right people that you want to surround yourself with. So yeah, I go to Build My Hair. And yeah, a few others, but it's more like tailored to what I align with, really.

SPEAKER_02 17:40

How do you find networking in your industry? Because I can imagine it's quite a male-dominating industry given it's full of construction people.

SPEAKER_00 17:48

It's tough. I mean, I think sometimes it it can be very tricky, especially if you're female that well, you know, five foot one and my face doesn't look my age sometimes. And it's it's very tricky because they they are like they take seriously. Yeah, I mean, it's like basically working with a child. I remember when I first moved to the UK six years ago, and I went to side with uh the architect, and they were looking at me, and uh so people thought I was the daughter of the architect. And I'm like, I'm not, I'm I'm I'm here to work.

SPEAKER_02 18:22

A real person, a big girl.

SPEAKER_00 18:23

So yeah, it's I it definitely builds a tough skin, and it you know, you have to be out there and confident, I think, when they see that you're confident on what you're saying, and you're you know, you have that presence. I think that that starts shifting, but it is tough. I mean, it is tricky because I mean at the end of the day, I think maybe 70%, 80% of the industry is male, guys. So yeah, it's tough. Is that the same in Colombia? Yeah. Yeah. Not when I was in uni. Weirdly, we were I think the if the class was like 20 people, maybe like 14 were girls, and only six guys were only six other people were guys. So I I don't know why in uni it wasn't like that, but working with my dad, like we had it was a 15 architect people, I was the only woman and the secretary. Oh well. And then if you went to, you know, to speak with other consultants, engineering, when you went to site, it was all male, all guys.

SPEAKER_02 19:36

So yeah, it's you got a thick st skin from a very young age then.

SPEAKER_00 19:41

I try. You know, I I try to build it. I I'm still building it.

SPEAKER_02 19:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:47

So yeah. That's best.

SPEAKER_02 19:49

How else do you find with like running business, you're getting your leaders left, obviously, networking's a big one for you. I see you a lot on social media. You're pretty good on social media.

SPEAKER_00 19:57

I try, I'm trying to be active in LinkedIn. I must say, like one of my goals or goals for it last year was or this new year, was that I'll be more um into social media because I think what I do as well, it's quite visual, so it could be quite appealing for people. So I try to do LinkedIn because I think it's great for business to business and that sort of thing. I have to be more open to the Instagram, it's just very time consuming. Yeah. Um so yeah, most of my leads, I I I'm I I just go and ask people to go for a coffee. And I just really like have a chat with with an architect or with a property developer or interior design or anyone that is looking for a project. And and then yeah, I've had a lot of calls that someone said, Oh, I met someone in this networking event, and she passed on your details, and then the project came through. So yeah, it's been a bit mixed referrals and also new people through networking or sometimes social media. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:03

Um the master way forward, but also what a good excuse to go into like all the coffee shops.

SPEAKER_00 21:08

Yeah. I was going to the same one and and then I came like the the person that works there was like, ah, hi Helga.

SPEAKER_01 21:15

It's you again. And I went, I don't know if they they knew that I was there like for work, and it was a bit like I'm every because also it's a lot of guys. I was there like every week with a different guy. It was just a bit like this is looking a bit weird, but you know, it's yeah, it was data. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:34

I mean so you've awarded that coffee shop then.

SPEAKER_01 21:36

Yeah, you haven't been back.

SPEAKER_02 21:39

And it's great, it's in town, but yeah. And what would you say your biggest struggle has been like since starting? And your and your biggest success, I guess, as well. And my basic biggest success.

SPEAKER_00 21:52

I think one of the biggest things, the challenges, was that understanding everything that you have to do on your own and trying to do it whilst doing a job. Yeah. So yeah, all the admin stuff, all the accounts, all all the social media, all and it's so time consuming that you also have to like learn to prioritize and you know, okay, maybe set time aside for specific tasks, specific days, because it does take Take a look a long time to try to do everything yourself. And I think that's been one of the most challenging. And also at the beginning, not now anymore, but it was trying to meet new people. Like it was so awkward just to try to, you know, go to someone and be like, hi, I'm Helga, and I can help you with this or that. And I think now I'm more, you know, a bit more relaxed on it. But I think that was one of the biggest challenges. Yeah, literally.

SPEAKER_01 22:57

Literally.

SPEAKER_00 22:58

But no, I think it's yeah, it's more like, you know, it's if you are in a room with the same person, it's because you all have something in common, you know. So I have great experiences. I have had weird experiences where I just end up in the bathroom crying. Oh no. So it's a weird experience. I you know, it just people can be rude sometimes. And you know, uh there are good days and there are bad days. So I I had that, but I th like at the end of the day, it's like, are you gonna let that you know it it's on them, it's not really on you. You're just there trying to, you know, meet new people, be friendly. I mean, you know, they are there doing the same thing. So yeah. I think that is time management for because obviously I'm not from the UK and before I used to only go to Colombia like once a year, and now it's like okay, I I went in February and then I went again in April. And you know, having been able to say, you know what, I I don't want to work this month and well, I don't not that not that I don't want to but that I have the freedom to allocate my projects in specific time frames and organize it around what I want to do. I think that's like w one of the biggest things that I think. That's really hard as well. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:27

Like because time can just go. You can start at nine and next minute it's like four o'clock when you come and done.

SPEAKER_00 24:33

I when I went to Colombia in February, the first time this year, I had loads of inquiries while I was like at the beach. So which was great, but it was like okay, like the January was really quiet because obviously everyone is after Christmas and all of this. And then I I was there like okay, I'll be back in two weeks, I'll call you. But yeah, that that was quite nice. Like that that has been nice just to organize my time and not depend on someone else uh to see if I could or could not do it.

SPEAKER_02 25:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:06

And yeah, I think I mean there's many things like something else was just buying a car recently. Yeah, like I know it's not big, and I know a lot of people buy a car when they are you know 18 or whatever. But I think because I moved to UK and I've never needed to have that, I I I have my license and everything, but it was quite nice. And actually when I bought that, I wasn't driving on my own. It was felt like quite an adult. And I was like, you know, it felt right. It felt like I felt quite content with myself. Like, you know, I'm in a place where where I feel happy with what I'm doing, and that it's you know, you can see that it's working.

SPEAKER_02 25:43

So I think that's a master achievement than buying a car and like feeling like, oh, yeah, don't move.

SPEAKER_00 25:48

Yeah, yeah, that that was good. Good days.

SPEAKER_02 25:52

Not crying that day. Yeah, yeah, that was a good day. So for someone who's looking to either go into industry, what sort of advice would you give them?

SPEAKER_00 26:01

Into the goes into architecture and designation.

SPEAKER_02 26:05

Yeah, everything.

SPEAKER_00 26:07

I think it's just go for it. I mean, I think you can't think so much to think, you know, is it gonna work, is it not gonna work, what am I gonna do if it doesn't work? And it you're you know, I think it's just shifting that mindset and uh it's it sounds easier than it is because I still like you still overthink things, what you're doing is the right thing that I'm doing it. But I think it's just really going for it and believing in what you're doing. It's you know, you're you're you just believe it in yourself. If if you don't believe it in yourself, it's never gonna work out.

SPEAKER_01 26:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:45

So I think you know, focus on that it's going to work, that it's not gonna be easy, there's gonna be loads of challenges, there's gonna be days that are really not great, but there will be more days that are great and that you're gonna be like, you know, yeah, I'm doing right. Yeah, yeah. The highs be really high, but the lows be really low.

SPEAKER_02 27:05

Yeah, you have a complete contrast. So for someone looking to teach your services, where can they find you?

SPEAKER_00 27:12

So I'm on Instagram at Insight Studio3D and my website, which is the same insight.com. And yeah, or on LinkedIn as well, as my name Helga Heinz. Um yeah, anywhere.

SPEAKER_02 27:27

I guess any coffee shop. Yeah, in this coffee shop in Java.

unknown 27:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:32

So for anyone who is looking to visualize a space, design a new space, you're the person to go to.

SPEAKER_00 27:39

Yeah, definitely. If you if you want to yeah, find look how something is gonna be before it's even, you know, built or anything, so that's my place.

SPEAKER_02 27:49

Amazing. Well, thank you so much for joining us. Yeah, really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 27:53

Thank you, it's been great.