INHABIT2

 

INHABIT 1

FINAL

DEVELOPMENT AND COLLABORATION

Real photographs of studio facade are used to give a realistic representation of the space. Low opacity apha channel is used for the window areas, allowing it to be partially transparent.

This is the texture i used for my threshold. It is a combination of solidity, translucency and transparency. The red tile texture from the balcony is used for the torsional moment which reflects the distorted nature of the courtyard.

In distance my threshold closes and becomes unnoticeable as it merge with the studio facade. But when the avatar approaches my threshold, it extrude horizontally towards the avatar, releasing 'the moment'. The avatar experiences the 2 dimensional surface transit into a 3 detrimental space.

Inside my threshold, the avatar see the surrounding view constantly being distorted due the dynamic torsional space. Particle scripts are then added after crayfishyfishyfishy Manx's onion shaped obstructions. The particles are coherent colour with RiRi Rain's threshold. The particles alters the hue and clarity of the surrounding and the ahead studio space.

Working together with RiRi Rain, crayfishyfishyfishy Manx, and Melody snowfield, our threshold will take the avatar across the courtyard to the studio space and back. In the process of crossing between the two spaces the avatar will be challenged to fight her/his way through the obstructions of our thresholds. Once the avatar has pass through the obstructions, and activated the extrusion of my threshold which leads to the opened space studio, they feel a sense of relief and freedom.

THRASHOLD

From the reading, the medieval carnival was like a threshold. It was a period when the commoner became equal with the royal and people with higher status. The commoners were allowed to be unmannered and impolite without being punished. However, when the carnival was over, people had to return to their life status and face hierarchy and reality.

The studio is a space full of freedom, where ideas can be explored and developed without boundaries or limitations through the collaboration and discussion between students and tutors. While outside the studio, like the courtyard, is a confined space full of reality, where ideas are stuck and limited.

So between the studio and courtyard threshold is the distortion of vision which it obstructs our view and perception of the surrounding.

I wanted to create the distortion of vision through a unexpected torsional space. So once you are inside my threshold, your perception of the surrounding will be distorted.

In 3D's Max i shaped a sphere into a flat square.

I stretched and wrapped the square into an irregular hollow cylinder.

Then twist is applied a to the shape.

This is a view from the inside. The dynamic torsional movement of the surface texture distorts the surrounding view and allowing the avatar to experience 'the moment' - sense of approach and engagement.

I collaborated with crayfishyfishyfishy Manx. His floating fragmented sculpties serves a similar purpose to my idea of distortion and obstruction. However our design was too much like a path way or a tunnel, which is not a very strong threshold.


I changed the placement of my threshold from the courtyard to the inner facade of the studio. The new position is in-between point between courtyard and studio. This make my threshold much more appropriate as the entrance door to the studio is replaced my 'the moment' of my threshold.
In order to make 'the moment' more impactive and unexpected, i applied a change in size and opacity per avatar distance script to my threshold. This makes it unnoticeable at a distance, but as you approach, it becomes more visible and extrudes rapidly to engage you.

EXPERIMENT, AND CONSTRUCTION OF STUDIO AND COURTYARD

Creating scultpies and generating scultpie maps using 3D's Max.
The idea of unexpected and random was my main idea for my trashcan project. The combination of move tool and relax tool in 3Ds Max helped me to create unexpected and random shapes.

Later in Second Life, i applied a alpha texture to the sculptie and added a texture script. The script allows the alpha texture to revolve around the surface of the sculptie. This makes the sculptie to change from solid to translucent, and at some point it goes transparent. The motion and the speed of the revolving texture give dynamism to the sculptie.

COLLABORATING TO CONSTRUCT THE STUDIO AND COURTYARD



I reconstructed the 'bus stop' in the courtyard. The size and dimension of it was measured by using anatomical measurements, without the accurate numerical measurements. This allowed me to have a better perception of the space.

Reflexive Architecture Script 1: change size and colour per avatar distance. This script is applied to the columns and tops of the bus stop. As the avatar walk along to the bus stop, the column length varies and turns red. It reflects the movement and distance of nearby avatars, making the bus stop more interactive.

Trash-can

VIRTUAL OFFICE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

FINAL DESIGN

There are four important features to my design – open space, privacy, Eco-friendly, and dynamism.

Open Space
I was strongly influenced by the articles in ‘Journal of facilities management’ where they talk about the crucial impacts of interior layout and indoor environment qualities on the occupants. Architectural designs with bad ventilation and temperature control can have an affect on occupants’ health while poorly designed layout can affect occupants’ productivity. For example, a small open-plan office with crowded people tends to have higher room temperatures and poorer ventilation.

I took a strong consideration of these negative impacts and came up with a solution to my design that ensures the indoor comfort and productivities of the occupants.

My office has three levels and 4 main areas.

Down at the first level of my design, the reception area, I used aluminium screens for the façade and the interior roof to provide maximum ventilation to the enclosed space.

The selection of material and the design of the pattern were inspired from my first journal, ‘The Canadian Architect’. In the article ‘Crystal Clear’ the architect wanted materials ranging from clear to translucent to enhance the light quality of interiors.

The textures were made by using alpha channels in Photoshop.

Up we go to the second level; to ensure good ventilation I have partially enclosed the space with a slanted glass façade and a tensile roof. In between, the curving wall separates the space into two main areas – a large conference area and meeting areas.

The curved wall serves many purposes - It act as sound barer and visual barer avoiding distraction from the other side of the space which can affect the productivity of the occupants. The curved space created between the glass façade and wall further separate the meeting area into two smaller areas as the curvature of the wall virtually creates another 'imaginary' barer within the curved space. By using the curved space instead of putting a wall in between, material and cost can be reduced.

The partially enclosed space and curved space allows fresh air to flow across and throughout level two providing good interior ventilation and temperature control. This will ensure healthier indoor environment to the occupants.

The material used for the curving walls are mostly timber with a little bit of steel on the edges. Timbers are also used for parts of the floor. Timber gives a nice comforting feeling to the occupants and may affect their mood and productivity positively.

Texture of the timber and steel are all self-made from photographs using Photoshop.

Privacy
Inside the meeting area the inner face of façade glass are presentation screens showing information about my journals and my design processes. They are media textured with the URL of my blog.

Privacy is vital to some offices because it allows the occupants to have sensitive discussions such as company strategies or personal things. To ensure my design provides both privacy and sunlight to the office occupants I have applied an opacity variable script to the glass façade and the tensile roof. So my design can be exposed to public during an informal meeting and be private during a formal meeting. I have added whisper scripts to my furniture to inform people how to vary the opacity.

“Say ‘shade’ for privacy, say ‘noshade’ for exposure”.

Eco-Friendly
From my second and third journal ‘Journal of Facilities Management’ and ‘Urban Design International’ I have learned that is it very important to reduce the cost and energy consumption of buildings and to increase the space of green. In my design I have used materials such as timber and stone to make my design more sustainable. The tensile roof is used to reduce cost. Tensile structures are cheaper than tile roofs or any other kinds of roofs; it provides shelter and good indoor ventilation.
Also LED lights are used to reduce energy consumption. To further save the energy consumption I have considered switching the lights off when unused. I achieved this by using a “on” and “off” switch script. This will ensure energy is saved during day times.

The presentation screens can also be turned off, just by saying “screenoff”, and to turn them back on say “screenon”.

Up we go again, to level three, the green area. This is a public area where people can come and relax under the sun and enjoy the view. The idea of green was inspired by the article “More green space in a denser city” from my third journal “Urban Design International”. Green architecture has many benefits to the environment and the health of people. Most importantly green architecture is a killer to greenhouse gas emissions, protecting our planet from global warming. So ensuring my design is green I have covered the entire level three with grass, as well as parts of the entrance stairs and level two floors.

My design is also self-sustained. The suspended three sided presentation screens placed between the façade and curving wall picks up the wind flow from the curving space and rotates, transforming energies and producing free electricity.

Okay, down we go back to level two. The elevator is made by using an elevator script. The elevator shell is in a tube shape because circular shapes takes up less space than edged shapes.

Dynamic
The combination of curving walls, slanted façades and rooftop lights offers a dynamic enclosure to the curving space. Furniture like tables and reception desk also has dynamic shapes and patterns.
Note that all the chairs (except roof chairs) are one prim generated with sculpt maps. This makes my design more sustainable 'virtually'. I made a teleport hub to the sky to view my design from the bird’s eye view. From this view you can see my design connects and interacts with neighbouring green designs.

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CONSTRUCTION SNAPSHOTS

Construction of Tensile Roof
Construction of Level 1 Entrance
Construction of Level 3
Construction of Level 2

Construction of Level 1