Visualising Confidence: Salmon Planning Speeds Approvals and Client Sign-Off with Gendo
Turning rough sketches and basic models into photoreal visuals that accelerate client buy-in and planning approvals.
About Salmon Planning Company
Based in the South West of England for over 25 years, Salmon Planning Company brings architects and planning consultants together under one roof. Their integrated approach ensures planning and design are aligned from the outset, streamlining communication, reducing risk, and delivering projects with efficiency and clarity.
Their portfolio spans residential, commercial, and agricultural projects, each benefiting from a blend of strategic planning insight and architectural creativity.
Meet Matt Green
As Director of Architecture, Matt Green leads design at Salmon Planning. Every project begins with a joint planning and design appraisal, identifying risks and opportunities early. Clients are actively engaged in concept development, and the collaborative approach strengthens applications through planning and building control.
Our collaborative model strengthens applications, facilitates approvals, and ensures every project is guided by a team fully aligned behind the client’s vision.
Visualisation Before Gendo
Although the practice had the skills to produce high-quality renderings in-house, time and budget often limited what could be achieved. Only select projects could justify detailed visuals, despite their clear value in helping clients understand proposals.
This meant trust played a huge role. “The architect often knew the end result would be strong,” Matt reflects, “but getting buy-in from the client could sometimes be tortuous.”
Discovering Gendo
Matt was first introduced to Gendo through a familiar connection—having worked in practice with Gendo’s Co-Founder and CEO, George Proud. Curious about how it might fit Salmon Planning’s process, he and the team quickly put it to the test.
Very intuitive – being able to take very rough initial sketches and transform them into something a lot more tangible is very powerful.
After just a short tutorial, the team was able to integrate Gendo into their workflow seamlessly.
Before & After: Bringing Ideas to Life
Before Gendo
An early Enscape render provided the massing and structure, but lacked atmosphere and realism.
With Gendo
Gendo transformed the same model into a photoreal image, complete with lifelike materials, lighting, and context.
Final Adjusted
A polished Gendo-enhanced version, used directly in client and planning presentations.
Impact on Workflow
The most immediate benefit has been faster design sign-offs. Clients can now see and believe in the concept much earlier in the process:
✅ Accelerated buy-in – concepts signed off far sooner than before.
✅ Enhanced live sketching – Matt’s hand sketches gain credibility when paired with Gendo visuals in meetings.
✅ Time savings – hours of rendering reduced to minutes, without losing quality.
Having the Gendo-prepared image on screen or on the table in early meetings is a powerful touchpoint – we get that client excitement and buy-in much more easily.
Client & Team Feedback
Clients have consistently praised the photoreal quality of Gendo-enhanced imagery, which builds trust and eliminates uncertainty. Even rough 3D models can be transformed into convincing visuals that communicate intent clearly.
Within the Salmon Planning team, adoption has been smooth. Staff share prompts and references to maintain consistency, turning Gendo into a collaborative design tool.
Results
Gendo has already reshaped outcomes across projects:
✅ Stronger client approvals – concepts agreed earlier in the process.
✅ Informed design decisions – material and detail choices made with confidence.
✅ Improved planning submissions – concept imagery that communicates intent more clearly to case officers than 2D drawings.
Now, the Gendo imagery facilitates conviction in decisions. It’s not just the architect saying ‘trust me’ – the image speaks for itself.
Looking Ahead
For Salmon Planning, Gendo has cemented its role as an early-stage concept tool, making it easier to bridge the gap between sketches and conviction. While detailed renderings may still play a role in later project stages, Gendo has carved out its place as a fast, reliable way to win client trust and strengthen planning submissions.
Closing Thoughts
We’ve all been there - where a client isn’t fully convinced by the concept sketch drawing - working with Gendo at the early design stages helps communicate your ideas more successfully, making the concept more tangible.
