How does Ceci Bates combine traditional and modern architectural techniques?

Architect Roberth Jordan blends hand-drawn sketches with advanced 3D modeling and augmented reality, offering a full vision of the home before construction.

What role does 3D modeling play in Ceci Bates' home design process?

3D modeling at Ceci Bates is integral, providing a detailed virtual build of the home with real materials and lighting, enhancing both client understanding and construction precision.

Why are hand sketches still used in modern home design at Ceci Bates?

Hand sketches allow for creative freedom and instinctive design development, capturing the initial essence of a home before transitioning to detailed digital models.

Notes From Our Journey

From twenty-six years of building custom homes on Lake Texoma, here we share about our process and what we've learned about design, materials, engineering, and the decisions that shape a home built to last for generations — the questions clients ask us most often, and the answers we give around the table in our design center.

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Blending Tradition and Innovation: Architectural Vision at Ceci Bates

Blending Tradition and Innovation: Architectural Vision at Ceci Bates

Ceci Bates

August 11, 2026

The architectural profession often finds itself divided along lines of tradition and technology. There are those who cherish the tactile engagement of hand sketching, drawing lines imperfectly yet intuitively with pencil and paper. Then, there are those who embrace digital precision, able to model entire structures in virtual space. Each camp sometimes views the other through the lens of completion, arguing what might be lost without their preferred method.

Roberth Jordan, the architect on our team at Ceci Bates Custom Homes, transcends this divide as both an artist and a technician. He describes his approach as being ‘old school with new tools.’ For Roberth, the genesis of each home begins with the tactile familiarity of a pencil. His hand-drawn sketches capture the first whispers of a home’s design, moving faster than any software and allowing room for creativity to breathe.

These initial sketches capture the spirit of a home in its earliest form, and once a concept takes shape, Roberth transforms these sketches into digital reality using ArchiCAD. Here, the home is built virtually in three dimensions, right down to its actual materials, lighting schemes, and interior finishes. This detailed 3D model becomes a cornerstone, ensuring precision and clarity for both clients and our construction team. It is also a bridge to cutting-edge augmented reality experiences, where clients can walk through a full-scale visualization of their future home before a single nail is driven.

This blend of hand crafting and digital innovation is not just a matter of preference or process; it is what makes our work more robust. The hand sketch imagines the possibilities, the 3D model confirms them. This comprehensive approach allows every member of our team, and every client, to see the same shared vision.

At Ceci Bates, we believe that the right tools for home design are those that aid the work itself, not those that merely represent a particular style of practice. We invite you to explore how this seamlessly integrated approach could shape your future home at cecibates.com.

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