Architecture
Mathilde Friis Olsen
Mathilde works with architectural visualizations and hybrid methods. Claibe allows her to test materials and moods early in the process.
How has your education and experience as a competition architect shaped the way you think about visualization?
I started architecture school because I love drawing and telling stories visually with materials, light and atmosphere.
I always want to show the project through the user's eyes and communicate its full potential with atmospheric imagery.
Can you describe the period when you shifted toward a more artistic path and how AI reignited your interest in visualization?
After two years as Head of Architecture at Maanesten, I moved into portrait painting after winning Denmark's Best Portrait Painter in 2024.
AI became a tool for creating reference images and a new way to structure the process like a photoshoot.
When Midjourney introduced the edit tab, I saw the potential of working from sketches and models without long rendering processes. That led to Mathilde Olsen Visuals.
What does your current visualization process look like, and what have you learned in the past year?
I always start with a kickoff meeting to align on mood and the number of images.
If there is no 3D model, I build a simple volume model or work from photos and sketches.
I combine different tools depending on the material, and Claibe has strong potential for changing materials and furniture directly in photos.
How do you work with hand sketches, collage and hybrid methods in your daily flow?
In competitions I have benefited from combining drawings, visualizations and hand‑drawn illustrations.
The methods support each other and create a complete narrative, like the proposal for Børnehuset Olympen in Gladsaxe.
I focus on carrying the project's identity all the way through, whether it is watercolor, collage or realistic visualizations.
What new opportunities have appeared for you after meeting Claibe?
Claibe is a finely tuned toolbox for architects with workflows that deliver strong results quickly.
I see great potential in cleaning a photo step by step and building a new design without 3D modeling.
The interplay between photo and watercolor keeps a project open while still allowing it to be realized in realistic visualizations.
Where in an architect's visual communication process can AI play a meaningful role?
AI makes it possible to discuss materials and concepts early and align on style and expression.
It can also combine references so clients see them in a realistic context.
Visualization teams are often bottlenecks, and AI can handle quick changes without new rendering rounds.
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