A new visualization and creative experience space designed as a resource for builders, architects, homebuyers, and other creators now is open in downtown Coeur d’Alene. Immersive Studio CDA, located at 216 E. Coeur d’Alene, provides a blank canvas to help designers visualize projects at full scale.

With the studio's technology, clients walk through design plans at full scale allowing for adjustments to be made before a project begins, which helps mitigate the need for expensive change orders once construction has started, says Jeremy Decker, owner of Immersive Studio CDA. 

Eight ceiling-mounted projectors are capable of displaying 1:1 floor plans, elevations, and full-scale architectural renderings on two 50-foot-by-13-foot projection walls and a 3,500-square-foot projection floor.

“Architects and designers are generally used to it, but clients might have a hard time visualizing size, scale, and the finished look,” Decker says. 

Australian audiovisual design company Full Scale Integrations installed the projection system, which links together the eight projectors to display up to 3,500 square feet at a time, he explains. Larger floor plans can be shown in sections and temporary walls and other furniture can be moved into the display area to help simulate a floor plan and clarify scale, he adds.

In addition to the projection floor, the 5,000-square-foot studio also features a first-floor lounge and a second-floor meeting area and loft that overlooks the projection floor. Decker, who leases the building, also had a control booth installed and has completed other minor interior finishes.

A vendor showroom is underway on the second floor, where building materials will be displayed, including metal materials by Liberty Lake-based Custom Fabrication Design and electrical lighting materials by Spokane Valley-based Wired Goat Electric LLC, Decker says.

The Coeur d'Alene-based studio opened its doors with a soft launch Sept. 11 and the space has been well-used since opening, he says.

“We're ready to go, and we got people coming in daily to check it out and do some walkthroughs, and already people are finding how valuable it is,” Decker says. “One of the recent clients that was in here made a few changes on some doors that swung into each other and swapped a bathroom to make that cleaner.” 

Use of the studio space can be scheduled on the company’s website or by phone, Decker says. Once clients upload their floor plans, architectural designs, or other documents, Decker prepares them for full-scale projection. Sessions typically take around an hour. At maximum capacity, Immersive Studio CDA can host around five sessions a day, depending on the length of the sessions. Once the session is complete, meeting space is available to discuss next steps or revise plans, he adds. 

Sessions cost $500 for 30 minutes and up to $1,500 for a two-hour extended session, according to the company’s website. The business also offers a bundle package of three one-hour sessions for $1,800. 

Memberships also are available for purchase and include three monthly sessions with the option to purchase extra sessions at a less expensive rate. Sessions carry over if clients don't use all three in a month. Although membership prices vary, Decker says the value is significant for regular users of the space.

He declines to disclose the number of clients or memberships.

The Immersive Studio CDA space is available to host design plan walkthroughs, events, and brand activations. -Ethan Pack

The location of the new studio was selected for its proximity to many members of the Coeur d'Alene design community, says Decker, adding that much of his business so far is attributed to in-person visits and word of mouth, in addition to some social media advertising.

“The design community is just growing down here, and people can walk over,” he says. “I've already had a few clients actually walk over and check the space out and be interested in using it.”

In addition to showcasing building plans and renderings, Decker plans to use the studio space for events, creator experiences, real estate showings, and more.

“Architecture and design is the core business, but we also can do immersive venues for private events, private parties, or brand activation,” he says. “If somebody wants to promote a brand, we can put whatever they want on the floor or on the walls. Or if they want to do projection mapping on something like a vehicle ... we're able to do that. There's a lot of different opportunities with what we have set up here.”

The concept for the studio grew out of Decker’s personal experience designing a home for his family, he explains. Decker has 25 years of experience in the real estate and construction industry, but when building his home, he wanted a tool to help his family better understand the plans, visualize scale, and work through design decisions before construction began.

After discovering 1:1 projection studios and noting that similar spaces didn’t exist in the Coeur d’Alene area, he decided to open Immersive Studio CDA.

“Because it allows you to stand and physically experience the space before it's built, the studio allows homeowners to understand their plans better, which then makes them more confident in other decisions they’re making after that,” he says.