5 Bathroom Designs from Vectorworks’ Industry Experts

Bathrooms are a gem in the design of a home, commercial space, or other designed space. Five of Vectorworks’ industry experts each designed a bathroom that showcases the capabilities of Vectorworks Architect and rendered images that highlight the designs.

Check out these bathrooms, learn how they were crafted, and get inspired for your next interior design project.

“This was an exploration of proportions and geometry using a ‘pill’ shape. I started with designing the vanity wall. I wanted to give it depth, and I envisioned recessed lighting. The pill idea simply evolved from the mirrors to the horizontal pill-shaped ribbon that continues around the back corner of the space,” said Luc Lefebvre, product marketing manager – architecture.

Lefebvre kept the 3D modeling process straightforward for this bathroom design, primarily using Push/Pull modeling along with the Taper Face and Fillet Edge tools. These basic modeling functions were perfect for shaping most of the elements in the room.

The bathtub, however, required a different approach to achieve a flowing, curved form. “Because of the variable curvature along the sides of the tub, I turned to NURBS modeling,” Lefebvre said. He started with a series of NURBS curves, then used the Loft tool to generate the shape, making sure to select the option to create a solid. From there, he used the Shell Solid and Fillet Edge tools to refine the final form.

For rendering, Lefebvre chose a nighttime scene to highlight the ambient mood. “I started with no ambient light and gradually added light sources to sculpt the space,” he said. Glow textures were applied to the recessed lighting and mirrors, while low-intensity point lights created a soft, dim effect for the pendants. A subtle bloom camera effect added a hint of atmosphere.

Inspired by a desire to bring tranquility and the outdoors inside, Kesoon Chance, senior industry specialist – interior architecture, crafted a bathroom that blends ease with sophistication. “The approach was to create a simple but elegant space with a connection to nature. Through the color palette, the materiality expressed, and the wall paneling design, the aspects of nature were brought inward,” said Chance.

For the 3D modeling, Chance used a Wall Recess to form a storage niche above the bathtub, ensuring it adopted the same tile texture as the surrounding wall and floor for a seamless transition. The standout feature — a wavy wall panel — was modeled as a single NURBS surface, then thickened using the Shell Solid command. To achieve the panel’s repetitive rhythm, Chance created one iteration as a symbol, then mirrored and copied it, allowing for a detailed yet memory-efficient design. 

In rendering, multiple light sources were used to generate realistic shadows and enhance the scene’s realism. Up-light sconces with glow textures and directional light through the window, paired with a gobo effect on the floor, make the rendering even more striking.

“A simple, clean soaking room loosely based on the Japanese bathing tradition of Onsen was the approach to this design,” said Neil Barman, senior architect product specialist. “This motif, coupled with natural materials within the room and a strong connection to the calming surroundings via a window wall, creates a calming, meditative environment to relax.”

The modeling process mirrored the room’s simplicity. The tub, modeled after an actual hand-made design, was created by importing and tracing design drawings to generate 3D solids. Intersecting solids were subtracted from each other to form the tub’s unique shape. The bamboo-inspired faucet was constructed from extruded circles, shelled for thickness, and split to mimic cut bamboo shoots.

For rendering, Barman used a water texture with bump mapping to activate the water’s surface, leveraging the built-in Landscape Water Renderworks texture.

The Renderworks Camera was also set with a shallow depth of field, subtly blurring the background and enhancing the tranquil mood.

Ryan Butler’s bathroom design is a study of drama and focus, using lighting and materiality to create a striking visual impact. “The approach to this design was to create a very dramatic space via lighting and focus on the bathtub at the end of the space. The reflections from the glass shower volume, the mirror integrated in the lattice, and the translucent sink and tub contribute to the dramatic effects,” said the architect product specialist.

Butler subtracted a grid of cubes from an extruded plane to form a distinctive lattice structure. The vanity was assembled using the Cabinet and Countertop tools, while the faucet and controls were sourced from the Vectorworks Resource Manager. Both the sink and bathtub were modeled as solids, hollowed with the Shell tool, softened with the Fillet Edge tool, and shaped using Boolean operations. 

A glow texture behind the lattice, water textures for the shower, and a reflectivity shader on the floor, glass, and ceiling then created the illusion of an endless grid. After rendering, “in-built” image effects like a sepia filter and warmer color tones were applied to enhance the scene’s atmosphere.

For Sarah Walker’s bathroom design, “The focus was on pattern and texture and how to accentuate that with custom Renderworks textures,” said the senior architect product specialist.

For the 3D modeling, the bathtub was crafted using NURBS surfaces, thickened with the Shell Solid command, and softened at the edges with the Fillet Edge tool. Additional length was achieved by employing Solid Section and Solid Addition techniques. 

The chandelier serves as a central focal point for rendering. The light reflecting off the cove ceiling also adds depth to the final image. Lastly, the inclusion of up-lights via sconces on the walls and targeted lighting over the toilet and shower areas creates a more dramatic and visually engaging effect.

Looking for more inspiration?

Vectorworks University helps you expand your skills, perfect your workflows, and optimize your software for your creative process.