CGarchitect Joins the Chaos Family

Many of you may know this, but CGarchitect didn’t begin with a plan. I just knew we needed it. 

Anyone who was around archviz in the early 2000s could feel the pull. Our ranks were growing, and the need for what we did was becoming more important. But we were also fairly cut off from one another. We didn’t have a home or single connection point like the VFX and games communities did. I wanted to change that. And looking back, it seems obvious why this site took off, but at the time, I didn’t see it coming. I didn’t even have that ambition. I was working in production, like many of you, and just wanted there to be something for us. 

Over the years, that “something for us” feeling has been my guiding force, and it’s led me in some interesting directions. I co-founded a school and publishing company, started a competition, and built up a platform that helps people share their ideas and work. The thing I never expected to become my life has been my North Star for over 20 years, and it has been amazing. Our community is vast, talented, and filled with some of the biggest personalities on the planet. We belong together and I’m glad we found a way to create something that nurtures those connections.

And as wonderful as that feels, I’ve also realized in the last year or so that I’ve reached the pinnacle of what I can do by myself. CGarchitect needs more and I think I’ve found the best way to get us there.

So today, I’m announcing that I’m stepping away and handing over the reins to Chaos. 

As you can imagine, stepping away from CGarchitect was not an easy decision. It's been my baby for two decades, but I know it's the right one — not only for me, but our community, as well. 

To start, they’ve been there since the beginning. In fact, the only reason I was able to make this my full-time job was because I became a reseller. Besides being a great way to see what the community is into, being a reseller also meant lots of conversations with Chaos about their goals. Doing this gives you a good read on where a company’s heart is at, and Chaos’ has always been in the right place.  

If you’ve ever interacted with Vlado on the forums, you know how much they care about our opinions. That’s probably one of the reasons their products always rank so high on the rendering surveys. They’ll bring that same level of care to CGarchitect, only with more resources than I could ever offer. 

At this point, you’re probably wondering what's in store for CGarchitect and how things might change. If so, I have some great news for you.

You might remember when I relaunched the site in 2019 with a better system for sharing your content. This was the first time I introduced paid memberships, mainly to pay for the costs of running the site. Whether you were a Pro or a Recruiter, these subscriptions came with special advanced features that were only accessible to you. Today, Chaos is making them free for everyone.

The Story Builder, AI search tools, job recruitment platform — all free. When I redesigned the site, I was trying for a combination of Behance, Medium, and LinkedIn, only tailored for our community. Now, there are no limits. CGarchitect is finally a completely free and open platform that’ll help you share your work, connect with others, and build your career in the best way possible, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

I'm also happy to tell you that Lon Grohs, a long-time friend, and familiar face in the architectural visualization community, will be running the site day to day. Lon is the Director of Creative and Communications at Chaos and a former Principal and Creative Director at award-winning archviz studio Neoscape. He’s also been President of the American Society of Architectural Illustrators, a juror for multiple international competitions, and one of the first to win a CGarchitect 3D Award. You'll probably meet Lon at a conference or event if you haven't already, and I hope you'll welcome him with the same open arms you’ve always extended to me.

Like I said, I’ve been thinking a lot about impact and how sometimes that requires moving beyond the one-man show. So why not work with one of the most innovative companies in the world? Today, I’m also announcing I’ve taken on a new role as NVIDIA’s new Senior Developer Relations Manager for Digital Content Creation. This way, I can make that big impact and be your man-on-the-inside, guiding the cause of architectural visualization. 

In practice, this means being a liaison between NVIDIA and leading 3D graphics companies around the world (including Chaos)! So we’ll all still be in touch; I’m going to need your insights to help make everything work as one, now and in the years ahead. 

And that goes back to a bigger point. Although I won’t be running CGarchitect, I’m still looking forward to being part of the community. I love this community; why would I ever leave it? I, like the site, am just evolving. 

And you are too. The landscape has changed so much since 2001. But here’s what I know…no matter what happens in regards to technology, social media, or some other big event, the constant of our community is the people. Our willingness to share and support each other is what has helped us grow stronger, and that will never change.

Chaos will help you here, I’ll help you from afar, and you’ll support each other. And together, that adds up to something really good.

Thank you for being a part of one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Jeff