Style Transfer Tools for Architecture

When presenting architectural designs to clients, more realism isn’t always better. In fact, photorealism can sometimes limit imagination or focus too much on surface detail. That’s why many designers adjust the visual style of their work during early stages. Using stylized versions of a design helps highlight mood, tone, and creative intent.

RunDiffusion’s Runnit platform includes several tools that let you easily change the style of your image while preserving structure. Whether you want a watercolor feel, a modernist sketch overlay, Ink drawing or a hybrid of historical influences, these tools can help you generate beautiful and coherent alternatives quickly.

Why Style Transfer Matters in Architecture

Helps clients focus on the concept, not just materials
Supports creative exploration in early phases
Makes it easier to show different options without redrawing
Prevents over-attachment to unfinished details
Allows for visual storytelling and mood setting

When to Use Style Transfer

Style transfer is especially powerful in architecture for:

Presenting the same design in different regional or cultural styles
Turning images into sketch, ink, watercolor, or painting styles
Quickly generating stylistic alternatives for client feedback
Creating softer, mood-driven versions of detailed designs
Applying multiple artistic styles across different zones of one image

Four Runnit Tools That Help You Transfer Architectural Styles

Each of the following tools is available directly in the cloud through your Runnit dashboard. No installs or hardware requirements. Just log in and start creating.

1. Style Transfer Tool

Apply a reference style to your design while keeping the layout intact.
The Style Transfer Tool allows you to combine a base image (like a render or sketch) with a reference style image. It adjusts textures, color, and patterns while preserving the structure.

Example: You have a modern hotel render and want to give it Mediterranean warmth. Upload your render, choose a reference with stucco and tile, and you’re done.

Why it works well:

Preserves the base image’s geometry
Ideal for quick concept variants
Clean and simple interface

To use the Style Transfer tool simply upload a Subject Image and a Style Reference image. Your style Reference will be applied to your Subject image.

2. ChatPGPT Image Edit

Change style using natural language prompts.

This tool lets you describe what you want in plain English. Upload an image and write a detailed prompt. If using prompt only a simple prompt will suffice. If you use a reference image for the style be very specific with your prompt specifying which elements from the reference image to use.

Why it works well:

Great for early client feedback
Because it is powered with an LLM you can can use natural language prompts.

Prompt: Make this image into a soft watercolor image with soft colors

2. Gemini 2.5 Image Edit (Nano Banana)

A powerful editor that applies stylized changes based on text or reference inputs. It’s fast and precise it is one of the best tools for maintaining accurate structures.

Why it supports cohesion:

Respects original structure and layout
Applies changes cleanly and cohesively

Prompt: Change the painting to an oil painting

3. Flux Kontext Pro

Flux Kontext Pro is designed for precise style transfer. It can change an entire image globally or just specific regions of an image, it allows you to apply new styles to specific areas of an architectural image, such as façades, rooftops, or environments, while keeping the rest of the scene consistent.

Why it supports cohesion:

Zone-specific style transfer ensures styles do not bleed across areas
Original geometry and perspective are preserved

Prompt: Make this into a charcoal drawing but keep structures the same

Prompt: Make this into a colorful acrylic painting but keep structures the same, use vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows

Summary

Style transfer is a powerful way to present architectural concepts without relying on photorealism. By changing the visual style of a design into watercolor, ink, pencil, painting, or mixed treatments, architects can emphasize mood, storytelling, and creative direction while keeping geometry intact.

RunDiffusion’s Runnit platform offers four dedicated tools for this workflow: Style Transfer Tool, ChatPGPT Image Edit, Gemini 2.5 Image Edit (Nano Banana), and Flux Kontext Pro. These cloud-based tools make it simple to restyle architectural images either globally or by region, producing polished and cohesive results ready for client presentations.

Further Reading