If you work on an architectural visualization or an interior scene in Blender or 3ds Max, the first things you need are three things: realistic materials for walls and floors, convincing natural lighting, and furniture and accessories to fill the scene. Poly Haven is a free library that offers all three together, and every file in it is licensed with almost no restrictions, so you can use it in a client project without worrying about rights.
- A free library with no sign-up: PBR textures, HDRI lighting images, and 3D models.
- On 9 November 2026 it contained 2,387 assets: 997 HDRI images, 869 textures, and 521 models, according to the Poly Haven API. These are the numbers for that day, not a live counter, and the library keeps adding assets continuously.
- CC0 license: commercial use, modification, and redistribution, without attribution.
What do you find in Poly Haven?
| Type | Use in architectural work | Formats |
|---|---|---|
| HDRI images | Light the entire scene with a real sky: a clear noon for façades, sunset for promotional images, and a studio setup for furniture and products | HDR and EXR, from 1K to 16K |
| PBR textures | Stone, brick, concrete, wood, and flooring, with separate maps for each property | JPG, PNG, and EXR maps from 1K to 16K, or a ready Blend, glTF, or MaterialX file |
| 3D models | Furniture, plants, and accessories with their materials | Blend, glTF, FBX, and USD |
Texture maps: what does each file mean?
When you download a texture, you will find several images. Each image describes one property of the surface:
- Diffuse: the surface color without shadows.
- Normal: the small details (stone pores and wood grain) without increasing polygon count. It comes in two versions:
nor_glfor programs such as Blender, andnor_dxfor programs such as 3ds Max and Unreal. Choosing the wrong version turns bumps into dents. - Roughness: how shiny the surface is; black is glossy and white is matte.
- Displacement: real surface depth, useful for brick and stone in close shots, but it increases render time.
- AO and ARM: cavity shadows, and one map that combines AO, Roughness, and Metal to save memory.
How to use it in architectural software
Blender
- Download the texture in
Blendformat and open it, or download the maps and connect them manually in the Principled BSDF node. - Set the real scale: Poly Haven lists the dimensions of each texture on its page. If the texture covers two meters, make the tiling proportional to your wall dimensions.
- For lighting: in World settings choose Environment Texture and load the HDRI file, then rotate the image until the shadows match the sun direction you want.
3ds Max with V-Ray or Corona
- Download the maps in
JPGorPNGformat, and use thenor_dxmap for the Normal. - Connect Diffuse, Roughness, and Normal in the renderer material (VRayMtl or Corona Physical), and enable Roughness instead of Glossiness or invert the map.
- For lighting: place the HDRI file in a Dome Light, since it is unclipped and delivers realistic intensity without manual boosting.
Twinmotion, D5, Lumion, and Enscape
These programs accept the same maps: Albedo for color, Normal, and Roughness. Download the texture at 2K or 4K resolution, as that is enough for most architectural shots and is lighter on the machine than 8K.
The license in simple language
All Poly Haven assets are published under the CC0 license. In practical terms, that means:
- You can use them in any work, commercial or non-commercial, without permission and without attribution (though attribution is appreciated).
- You can modify them and combine them into your project, and even include them in a product you sell.
- The prohibition, according to their FAQ page: do not claim that you are the original owner or relicense them in your name.
- The license covers the asset files only. Site logos, user-uploaded display images, and site text are not included.
Blender add-on: free or paid?
The assets themselves are free from the site. But the Blender add-on that places the whole library inside the program’s asset browser is paid: it is bought once from Blender Market, or it comes with monthly support on Patreon. You do not need it to use the library; it is only a time saver.
Visit Poly Haven and download from the official site ↗
We do not rehost Poly Haven files; download directly from their official site. The data and numbers are from their pages and API on 9 November 2026, and they may change.
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