From Epic Games' Build: Architecture 2021. Image Courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects
Epic Games operates one of the world’s largest games, Fortnite, and also develops Unreal Engine, the most advanced real-time 3D creation tool that powers Fortnite and is used in industries beyond games. Over the last few years, more professionals in architecture and related fields are using Unreal Engine to bring stunning, photorealistic worlds to life.
In an exclusive interview with ArchDaily, David Weir-McCall, Architecture Industry Marketing Manager at Epic Games, shares his insights on the use of digital technology, such as the likes of Unreal Engine, for collaboration and co-design within the field of architecture, engineering, and construction.
Metaverse is the name used to name an immersive, collective and hyper-realistic virtual environment, where people will be able to live together using 3D customized avatars.
It was coined by writer Neal Stephenson in his science fiction book “Snow Crash”, published in 1992. The work tells the story of “Hiro Protagonist”, a character who in real life is a pizza delivery boy, but in the virtual world – called metaverse in the story – is a samurai.
Over the past year, NFTs have entered the realm of architecture, prompting conversations over the role of the profession in the future digital economy. From the design of digital real-estate to exhibitions and architecture events exploring its value for the practice and established architecture firms embracing the new medium, NFTs have been embraced by the profession as the promise of a new form of creative production. Discover a round-up of architecture's experiments with NFTs so far, together with a series of Archdaily articles shedding light on the topic.
Imagine yourself welcoming your colleagues to a business meeting at your home. The table is set next to the infinity pool, under the shadow of a huge curved metal structure reminiscent of Zaha Hadid's most audacious designs except for the complete absence of pillars. Hovering in the air, the roof completes an idyllic setting for this mansion on a rocky hillside. The house was recently acquired as an NFT and is digitally accessed via encrypted code. That's right, this is your virtual home. The physical one is a small 40m2 apartment in the center of one of the busiest and most polluted cities in the global south.
Mars House designed in May 2020 by Artist Krista Kim, has become the first sold digital NFT home in the world. The 3D digital file that can be experienced in virtual reality, was just acquired. Rendered using Unreal Engine, a software used to create video games, the house can be experienced in VR, but could also be experienced through augmented reality (AR) environment in apps. A structure comprised of light, Mars House generates a healing atmosphere, with a musical accompaniment by Jeff Schroeder of The Smashing Pumpkins.
On behalf of IAAC, I’m glad to announce to you that the OTF:3D Printing Architecture program has extended the application deadline until April 19th for 2 FULL scholarships for next academic year. This is a great opportunity to learn about novel technologies for sustainable design and construction, thanks to additive manufacturing.
With the scholarship program we want to strengthen relations with local Universities or Research Centers in interesting contexts such as Moçambic, Zimbabue, Angola, Etiopia, Tanzania, Somalia, Angola, Camerun, Nigeria, Somalia, Kenya and many more. It's a long term project, that wants to establish long and strong relations
Linear patterns in interior spaces are prevalent throughout northern and western Europe. Not only to create texture but also to define space and direct the eye. Here in New York, 3-dimensional walls, ceilings, and surfaces are being utilized more and more to add contrasting form and scale to interior spaces. Moreover, the current obsession with anything mid-century modern has led to a resurgence of linear and slatted pattern-making in many forms.
Lumion has always set out to define what rendering should be: fast and stress-free with exceptional results. Now, with the latest version of its 3D rendering software, Lumion 9, it’s easier than ever to show off your 3D models in a living environment, with beautiful, real-life skies, an endless variety of landscapes, and exceptional lighting and materials. Oh, and rendering takes minutes, not hours.
The Ritterman Building. Image courtesy of bpr architects.
For bpr architects, BIM Level 2 is becoming business as usual. This medium-sized, employee-owned firm based in the UK focuses on how good design can add value to a client’s vision. Led by Directors Paul Beaty-Pownall and Steve Cowell, the firm specializes in three core sectors: higher education, rail stations, and regeneration.
Inspire and Design Program is starting its first kitchen design contest, Architects and Interior Designers are invited to show their talents and deliver their most beautiful Kitchen designs.
Augmented reality provides us with new research field of architecture. Now you do not need architectural models. We can see the building as it is with all the details as a virtual model. These properties of augmented reality give us new opportunities. For example, we can compare the buildings from different regions of the world, from different eras in the same scale. We can make collections of buildings, unimaginable compositions.
You've seen the floor plans offamous TV homes, but this fun new endeavor from Drawbotics is something a little different. With detailed 3D models of offices from Parks and Recreation, Suits, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Mad Men, The IT Crowd,Silicon Valley, and, yes, The Office, the marketing agency provides a new level of familiarity with the sets of these cult workplace TV shows. Take a break from your own office and check out each model after the break.
Augmented reality has always been said to become the monster of the two realities between VR and AR, with the caveat that AR had to navigate adoption. Surprisingly, it’s gone from a distant innovation to being used frequently on a daily basis.
If you’ve seen someone eagerly glued to their smartphone while walking, with airy music playing in the background, then they’re likely playing Pokemon Go. The app that launched this summer has everyone using their phones like metal detectors and the fandom is growing by the second.
Utzon Center, Aalborg, recently opened their newest exhibition - FATAMORGANA - about Jørn Utzon’s mythical unbuilt project for Silkeborg Museum intended to house the art and private collection of the Danish expressionist painter; Asger Jorn. The exhibition unfolds the museum, which never was realised. A museum where art meets architecture and Utzon and Jorn worked on the edge of the possible!
Model of the Eiffel Tower in Minecraft. Image via LanguageCraft
With more than 70 million copies sold worldwide, it would be unfair to refer to Minecraft as just a simple game of textured boxes in a pixelated 3D world. After acquiring the makers of the game (Mojang) in 2014, Microsoft announced on Tuesday, January 19 that it also acquired MinecraftEdu, the official educational version of Minecraft, which is used as a creative tool in more than 10,000 classrooms in 45 countries around the world.
The infinite possibilities that the game offers have led millions of people around the world to make and share their greatest creations: cities, buildings and even the reinterpretation of historical structures. Minecraft's impact was recognized in 2015 when the Centre Pompidou dedicated an exhibition to its creative potential for children and adolescents.
We've rounded up 15 of the best models created on the platform. And if you use Minecraft, you can download most of them (via an external link provided by the creator) to add to your own account.
Aysu Aysoy and Roman Hajtmanek have been announced as the winners of the ArchDaily + IIDEXCanada Virtual Spaces Competition, which sought proposals for un-built, fantastical spaces. The designs were then developed into virtual spaces by Invent Dev as a part of a virtual reality exhibition at IIDEXCanada.
Learn more about both of the winners, after the break.
Last year, we featured a post about Sketchfab, the online platform that allows users to display their detailed 3D models through a browser display. Digital models can be uploaded to Sketchfab in over 27 file formats, from .3ds to .dwg, and are viewed online; downloading them is not required. Since our last post, Sketchfab has only grown in popularity, with users from multiple disciplines all over the world uploading their digital work for display. One such user is Soy502. An informal Guatemalan news website, Soy502 has uploaded models of eight of the twelve stadiums that will host FIFA World Cup matches in Brazil this year. These include Das Dunas Stadium, Arena Amazonia Stadium, and Mineirão Stadium. See them, as well as five others, in intimate three-dimensional detail after the break!
Adobe has unveiled a major update to Photoshop CC (Creative Cloud) with the hope that a "radically simplified 3D printing process" will make their software the "go-to tool for anyone who wants to print a 3D model." Their new software allows for designers to create a model from scratch or refine an existing design leading to perfect print ready 3D models. Since one of the most common problems with 3D printing is the human errors in virtual modeling, Photoshop includes automatic mesh repair and will insert a support structure if necessary to ensure that the model will print reliably and without faults.
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