Archinect - News

Autodesk launches VR tool for reviewing BIM models with Workshop XR

2023-11-16T19:24:00-05:00

Autodesk has unveiled a virtual reality tool described as an “immersive design review experience for the AEC industry.” Named Autodesk Workshop XR, the tool offers multiple users the ability to explore design models in real-time using Meta virtual headsets, including abilities to flag and update issue items.

“Workshop XR will transform how architects and building engineers plan and review projects,” said Nicolas Fonta, Senior Director & General Manager, XR at Autodesk, in a statement. “Most building projects that go over budget do so because issues are discovered once construction has begun. We’ve heard many customers share the challenges of reviewing designs across dispersed teams.”

Image credit: Autodesk

In the Workshop XR environment, multiple users will be able to track issues, catch errors, and explore working BIM models linked to the Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC). “With automatically connected data from ACC, no-prep model loading, and synced issue tracking, Workshop XR make...

Francis Kéré designs new virtual museum of stolen artifacts for UNESCO

2023-10-17T16:03:00-04:00

Francis Kéré has been announced as the architect of a new virtual museum of stolen cultural artifacts for UNESCO. The project will exhibit 3D versions of the objects while at the same time elevating the voices and narratives of the global communities from which they were taken.

Renderings released along with its announcement show a large transparent dome with gallery spaces lining a Guggenheim-like spiraling central ramp, inspired by the African baobab tree.

Image courtesy of UNESCO/Kéré Architecture

The 52,000 works displayed were digitally rendered using the Stolen Works of Art database of INTERPOL, the international police organization that tracks the trafficking of looted cultural artifacts globally.

Image courtesy of UNESCO/Kéré Architecture

UNESCO says this will become a "tool to raise awareness on the illicit trafficking and the importance of protecting cultural heritage among the relevant authorities, culture professionals, and the general public, notably young generations...

Archinect's Lexicon: "Spatial Computing"

2023-06-23T11:31:00-04:00

Archinect's Lexicon focuses on newly invented (or adopted) vocabulary within the architectural community. For this installment, we're featuring a term that recently found prominence with the unveiling of the new Apple Vision Pro device.

"Spatial computing" represents a fusion of diverse digital technologies that engage with physical spaces and their human inhabitants. This complex discipline involves merging real and virtual worlds, where digital systems and software function within three dimensions. It combines various technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI).

A significant example of spatial computing in action is Apple's newly-released Vision Pro spatial computer. This cutting-edge device allows users to interact with digital objects and information in their surrounding physical environment, thereby blurring the line between the physical and digital worlds. The term is also interlinked ...

Apple unveils its ‘first spatial computer’ with Vision Pro

2023-06-07T12:24:00-04:00

Apple has publicly unveiled the Apple Vision Pro, which the company describes as a “revolutionary spatial computer that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world.” The device is set to be available for purchase in the U.S. early in 2024, with a starting price of $3,499.

Image credit: Apple

A series of demonstration videos released by Apple show users navigating through a three-dimensional interface using eyes, hands, and voice, with the Vision Pro’s “infinite canvas of apps” populating their surrounding environment. The headset device is powered by visionOS, which Apple describes as “the world’s first spatial operating system,” allowing users to “interact with digital content in a way that feels like it is physically present in their space.”

Image credit: Apple

Product specs detailed by Apple include a high-resolution display system containing 23 million pixels across two displays, encased within an aluminum alloy frame. The device integrates 12 cameras, including Appl...

Habitat 67’s original vision recreated in Unreal Engine by Safdie Architects, Epic Games, and Neoscape

2023-05-17T07:00:00-04:00

Safdie Architects, Epic Games, and the creative agency Neoscape have recreated the original vision for Habitat 67 in virtual reality. Using Epic Games’ powerful game engine Unreal Engine 5, the entire original master plan for the radical early 1960s scheme has been constructed, marking a significant expansion on the realized segment situated in Montreal, Canada.

Video courtesy: Epic Games

The genesis of Habitat 67 stretches back to Moshe Safdie’s master’s thesis at McGill University. At 23 years old, Safdie submitted the idea to the 1967 Montreal World’s Fair, with the goal of creating a pilot for a new type of housing that would not contribute to urban sprawl.

Image credit: Epic Games

“It began with a journey through North America to study housing,” Safdie recalled. “I came to the conclusion that suburbs weren’t feasible in the long term. They consumed too much land, energy, and transportation. If we could reinvent the apartment building to offer the quality...

Arup’s VR95 experience tool offers the vantage point of small children for urban planners

2023-04-29T08:00:00-04:00

An immersive new VR experience tool developed by Arup called VR95 is helping architects and urban designers immerse themselves in the unique perspective of children in the hopes of creating a better environment for them to dwell in.

Arup feels this is an important venture as nearly 70% of the world’s population is expected to inhabit cities by mid-century. In order to prepare, they reached out to the Bernard Van Leer Foundation for help developing an experience that gives users a sense of the world at only 95 centimeters (or a little over three feet) tall.

According to the creators of the tool, it aims to "raise awareness about some of the common challenges currently faced by young children in cities around the world, and encourage decision-makers and thought leaders into thinking from the perspective of a 3-year-old."

Related Feature on Archinect: How Digital Spaces Can Shape Cities as We Exit the Pandemic

It is included as part of the Proximity of Care Design Guide, a tool that ap...

Florida International University to develop virtual reality games for training future AEC workers thanks to NSF grant

2023-03-27T12:06:00-04:00

Florida International University (FIU) has been awarded a grant to develop games that can train individuals for roles in architecture, engineering, and construction. The funding, awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), will support FIU’s exploration into how institutions can train skilled workers at a time when robotics and autonomous systems are increasingly being deployed in the AEC sector.

As part of the project, faculty from the institution’s School of Architecture and School of Computing and Information Services will work together to develop a platform that will use virtual reality games to train workers through a personalized learning program. The learning tool is expected to focus on operational industrial robots, with learning delivery tailored for "differences in ability, experience, and sociocultural backgrounds."

The tool will see users asked to explain their decisions ...

Job opportunity at ASU offers a window into the world of extended reality

2023-03-01T11:13:00-05:00

Following last week’s look at an opening for an Architectural Designer at Vessel Technologies, we are using this week’s edition of our Job Highlights series to explore an open position on Archinect Jobs for an Assistant Professor of XR Technologies at Arizona State University.

Based at the university’s California satellite campus in the former Los Angeles Herald Examiner Building, the role is housed within the Sidney Poitier New American Film School whose Narrative and Emerging Media Program is dedicated to “next-generation storytelling.” Calling for candidates with backgrounds in areas such as computer science, engineering, computational media, and media arts, the position will form an important part of the school’s mission to use digital technologies and extended reality (XR) in narratives and storytelling.

Why the role interests us

While the latest position at ASU requires a specialization not autom...

Tony Hawk enters the metaverse with 'largest virtual skatepark ever made'

2022-07-19T19:13:00-04:00

After conquering the X Games and video games, Tony Hawk has set his sights on his next frontier: the metaverse. The legendary skateboarder this week announced plans to partner up with The Sandbox — an online game built on the ethereum blockchain where players can spend cryptocurrency to buy virtual land — to build the “largest virtual skatepark ever made,” the company said in a Wednesday press release.

Called Tony Hawk LAND, the virtual space is being developed through a partnership between Tony Hawk Inc. and The Sandbox. NFT production company Autograph will design purchasable avatars based on Hawk, along with his most iconic skateboards, equipment, and apparel, including a digital replica of the skateboard he used at the X Games in 1999.

Screenshot of the ramp-building feature. Putting those CAD skills to good use!

“I have been a fan of new technology all of my life — from the first videogames and home computers with CGI capabilities — so I am fascinated by the metaverse, and excited to bring our culture into the virtual landscape of The Sandbox,” skateboarding pioneer and entrepreneur Tony Hawk said in a statement.

Other recent metaverse creations and proposals that made the Archinect news included a virtual version of Liberland by Zaha Hadid Architects, BIG's virtual HQ for Vice, Grimshaw-designed blockchain spaces for pax.world, and this NFT of the Tower of Babel by Dewan.

Pr...

A VR game allows users to 'save' a digital model of the Notre Dame Cathedral

2022-06-21T14:03:00-04:00

Assassin’s Creed Unity is a 2014 video game set in Paris in 1789 that includes a surprisingly detailed digital model of the cathedral [...] The video game version of the cathedral wasn’t detailed enough for that kind of forensic research, but the makers of the game did find a way to put their version of Notre-Dame back to work. Today, Ubisoft is releasing Save Notre-Dame on Fire, a virtual reality game set inside the cathedral on the day of the fire.

"We’re using real elements from the architecture to create something that’s interesting for the player. We have all the immensity of the real Notre-Dame," shares Ubisoft's SVP Deborah Papiernik with Fast Company. The game was released in unison with a new movie directed by Enemy at the Gates director Jean-Jacques Annaud that depicts the real-life heroism of the Paris Fire Brigade, which managed to salvage an incredible amount of church relics, bells, and other artifacts in process of preventing a nearly total loss of the structure.

In an effort to help people understand the value and importance of the Cathedral's rebuilding efforts the game acts as a form of "edu-tainment' reports Nate Berg of Fast Company. Ubisoft's VR game release follows their $565,000 donation to the rebuilding effort back in 2019.

What role do simulations play in the green design process, and in architectural careers?

2022-05-25T08:43:00-04:00

Last week, we reported on Barcelona’s mission to build a digital twin of the entire city on a supercomputer housed in a 19th century chapel. Speaking to Politco about the potential for the data-driven replica to aid Barcelona's urban development, the city’s Deputy Mayor noted: "We are in an emergency situation in which we no longer have time to make mistakes. To meet the 2030 climate goals, to be climate neutral by 2050, we have to get things right the first time around."

The digital twin project in Barcelona joins similar digital urban environments being built to replicate U.S cities including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, with the Las Vegas model specifically designed to "help Las Vegas building owners transition to net-zero carbon emissions."

With the ever-increasing ability of cities to capture real-world data, from traffic behavior to air quality to informal expansion, citywide digit...

Disruptor design-build architecture firm raises almost $600K in crowdfunding

2021-12-13T12:39:00-05:00

HOKO Design, a UK-based startup seeking to use technology to transform the role of the architect, has raised $590,000 in a crowdfunding campaign. The company, which describes itself as “the homeowner’s architect,” focuses on integrating virtual reality, real-time client feedback, and a streamlined administrative process for clients, all with the aim of becoming “the first household name for residential architecture.”

Since its founding in 2019 in Glasgow, the company has grown to over 30 employees across the UK, which has worked with 246 clients to date. The company now holds a pre-money valuation of almost $20 million.

HOKO Design differentiates itself from the traditional architect role through a series of client features throughout design and construction stages. At concept stage, these include unlimited design revisions for the client, VR and video flythroughs, a cost analysis before planning stage, and a client dashboard with live updates on the project, including an abili...

Virtual climate pavilion to be launched for COP26 with free public events and exhibition of exemplary projects

2021-10-07T11:24:00-04:00

In advance of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) taking place in Glasgow, Scotland in November 2021, the UK Green Building Council has announced 17 sustainable projects to be displayed in an online exhibition. The exhibition, titled Build Better Now, will take place in virtual reality, and will also feature a sustainability-focused 360-degree virtual pavilion designed by Make Architects, forming the exhibition’s centerpiece.

Heart of School, Green School Bali, Bali, Indonesia, by John Hardy, PT Bambu, Heru Wijayanto, Joerg Stamm, Gadjah Mada University

Alongside the exhibition of the 17 exemplar projects, the Build Better Now virtual pavilion will host an events series comprising of tours and talks, keynotes, panel discussions, and other downloadable content aimed at highlighting the impact of the built environment on climate change, and potential mitigations or solutions. The events will be free and open to a global audience, running from October 31st to November 12th, 2021.

F...

German universities develop "virtual meeting room" where users can meet with colleagues as avatars

2020-07-27T15:58:00-04:00

Developed by visualization experts from six universities in Baden-Württemberg with members of the Visualization Department of the High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart (HLRS), a new project entitled "Virtual Collaboration Laboratories Baden-Württemberg" (KoLab) allows users in different locations to meet and collaborate in a virtual settings.

AR and VR collaborative environments aren't new in the design and construction industry, but often, users need to be in the same location to participate, usually viewing a localized model in a central location. According to Tech Xplore, "meeting participants are represented by avatars that can communicate in virtual reality, where they can collaboratively observe, analyze, and interact with 3-D visualizations — all from their workplaces or even home offices."

NC State University Associate Professor Derek Ham Appointed Department Head of Art + Design

2020-06-25T13:42:00-04:00

Associate Professor Derek Ham, Ph.D. has been appointed as the department head of Art + Design at the North Carolina State University College of Design. Ham has taught at the College of Design since June 2015 and was recently promoted from assistant professor.

"I am thrilled to announce that Derek Ham has been chosen as our next Art + Design Department Head," said Mark Hoversten, dean of the college in a statement. "Derek’s background and approach to multi- and inter-disciplinary work makes him a strong candidate in an already competitive candidate pool. I am excited to see the direction he brings to the Art + Design program moving forward."

Ham also serves as the principal investigator for MC Reality Lab, a multidisciplinary practice that works in the virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technology space. Ham holds a Ph.D. in design computation from MIT, an M.Arch from Harvard GSD, and a B.Arch from Hampton University. He will begin his new position on July 1, 2020.

Virtual Architecture Events for May 28th & 29th

2020-05-28T14:05:00-04:00

Today's featured virtual event happenings, from Archinect's Virtual Event Guide, address the Brooklyn Bridge and the 2020 Wege Prize Awards. RIBA is also hosting its first virtual reality talk.

Are you hosting a virtual lecture? Presentation? Tour? Interview? Happy Hour? Submit it for consideration by clicking here.

Are you an expert in an arena that's especially important right now? Let us know if you would like to work with Archinect to host an online event.

Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge: Transportation Infrastructure as Public Space
Thursday, May 28, 2020 | 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM EDT
As sheltering orders ease, we know the Brooklyn Bridge and the City at large cannot return to business as usual. The Van Alen Institute has invited leaders in urban design, transportation, and public policy to share their ideas, and offer insight into how cities can redesign existing bridges, parks, plazas, and streets to be better well into the future.
Click here to attend and/or register

RIBA FREESTYLE Talk ...

Virtual museum tours enjoy new relevance in the age of COVID-19

2020-03-16T19:37:00-04:00

As coronavirus (Covid-19) continues to spread and disrupt the daily lives of people across the globe, forcing many to self-quarantine, we are compiling the best online offerings from artists, museums and galleries. Whether you are staying at home or your local museums and galleries have closed, here are some of the best digital initiatives to satisfy your creative cravings.

With prominent events around the world canceled or postponed and cultural institutions hunkering down during this COVID-19 outbreak, online art exhibitions and virtual museum tours can, or at least attempt to, fill the gap. The Art Newspaper's roundup includes Google Arts & Culture's vast digital offerings, the Louvre's online tours, and others.

For Archinect's growing list of the architecture and design events that have been canceled or postponed, as well as affected schools, click here.

Panasonic unveils the world's first HDR1 ultra-HD VR eyeglasses

2020-01-07T16:29:00-05:00

Panasonic announced in January 2020 that it has developed the world's first High Dynamic Range (HDR) capable ultra-high definition (UHD) VR eyeglasses that sport a comfortable fit, giving users the "feeling of wearing eyeglasses."

In a field where VR is becoming a useful tool in client interaction and internal design process, user-friendliness and comfort are qualities of value. Panasonic develops the VR eyeglasses in response to the anticipated commercial services that will be offered with the 5G mobile communications system.

Things like sports viewing and interactive virtual traveling experience are a few of the expected uses of next generation VR and one would wonder how architects will begin to capitalize on the new capabilities of the tool.

The glasses also incorporate high-quality audio for a fully immersive user experience.

A new VR event and meeting space takes shape in Milwaukee

2019-11-18T12:20:00-05:00

Bay View will soon become home to a new meeting and event space that focuses on virtual reality, for both work and play...Owners and brothers Ryan and Reid Spiering purchased the building two years ago with plans for a VR-related concept. Their initial interest was driven by a shared love for video games, but as architecture, engineering and construction professionals, they also saw opportunity for VR within the local market.

The two brothers built-out the 1,000-square-foot space that will house three separate VR areas. Each will have a "high-tech" headset, an overhead computer, and an HD screen, reports BizTimes.

Rendering of meeting configuration.

Ryan Spiering is a visualization and virtual reality specialist at HGA and his brother Reid is a structural engineer at CORE 4 Engineering. The two envision the venue space, called RSVR, will be used for a multitude of purposes. It is due to open on January 2nd.

Rendering of arcade configuration.

Thanks to Google, it's now possible to tour Versailles in VR

2019-10-01T13:30:00-04:00

Google and the Château de Versailles have teamed up to take VR users on a private tour of Louis XIV's royal residence. It's the largest photogrammetry project ever done at the castle, with 21 rooms and 387,500 square feet of internal surfaces captured.

Google has also made it possible to "handle and inspect over 100 sculptures, paintings and other works of art and see them with incredible close-up detail," according to Engadget. The experience is currently only available to HTC Vive and Oculus Rift users.

In addition to the virtual tour, Google has also launched an "online exhibition' through an app available on its Arts & Culture site. It will allow users to interact with "over 390 assets, including objects, artifacts, and paintings.

Virtual reality used to recreate historic theatre

2019-08-19T19:55:00-04:00

With no photographic evidence of the theatre from when it first opened, Dr Arrighi and her team have scoured archival eyewitness accounts and architectural floor plans to recreate the theatre in the virtual world.

A group of researchers at University of Newcastle are working to recreate the Victoria Theatre, which opened in 1891. The effort is part of the Lost Theatres Project involving, 12 universities from across Australia and run by AusStage, a national performance database that provides open access to live performance from 1789 to today.

Faculty members from Cornell's architecture department develop virtual reality program for popular video game company Epic Games

2019-06-27T13:56:00-04:00

Faculty in the Department of Architecture have received a cash gift from Epic Games Inc. in support of their work on Virtual Places, a project that is adapting the company's virtual reality (VR) gaming engine, Unreal Engine 4 (UE4), for architectural and urban design.

Three Cornell professors used virtual reality to create and expand on their research project Virtual Places. The study of architecture and video games is a growing focus. Within academia and practice, VR is a tool which helps unpack architectural ideas for learning as well as creating visualization possibilities for clients. Epic Games Inc., a video game and software development company known for creating the popular online game Fortnite, selected Professor Henry Richardson, Assistant Professor Timur Dogan, and Assistant Professor of the Practice Martin Miller as winners of a cash prize out of a pool of invited finalists for the international competition.

Image of Rockerfeller Center - taken from Virtual Places: Real Time Experiential Design and Visualization of Urban Spaces. Image courtesy of Cornell AAP

According to Richardson, "Virtual Places was launched this spring with a research seminar called Gaming Architecture. Both upper-class undergraduates and graduate students 'stress t...

The zombie golf courses are coming

2019-06-17T19:24:00-04:00

Municipalities, in the interest of preserving open space, could once be counted on to take over troubled courses. But subsidizing golf has become a toxic political issue in most places.

Are the days of America's golf clubs numbered? Reading the news, it doesn't look too good.

A recent Crain's report chronicling the ailing state of suburban Chicago golf clubs points out that while business was booming for the region's country clubs just a decade ago, the game has fallen flat in recent years. Many golf clubs are folding, being taken over by local municipalities, or eyeing redevelopment as golf playing slumps nationwide.

Real estate developer Chris Charnas, president of Links Capital Advisors, tells Crain's, "So many golf clubs face the reality of declining play. They once counted on 30,000 paid rounds a year and now that is under 20,000,” adding, “Many course owners will want to sell any way they can. They’re all looking for exit strategies.”

Planetizen adds that the trend extends to other parts of the country, as well, per a 2019 National Golf Foundation (NGF) report.

The report found that on top of a 5% drop in play between 2017 and 2018, nearly 200 courses clo...

AIA announces four recipients of the Upjohn Research Initiative

2019-05-15T13:27:00-04:00

Supporting applied research projects that 'enhance the value of design and professional practice knowledge', The AIA Upjohn Research Initiative funds up to six research grants of $15,000 to $30,000 annually for projects completed within an 18-month period.

This year's grants recipients are:

Nexus between Sustainable Buildings and Human Health: Quantifying EEG Responses to Virtual Environments to Inform Design

Principal Investigators: Ming Hu (University of Maryland), Madlen Simon, AIA (University of Maryland)
Collaborators: Justin Benjamin, Assoc. AIA (Perkins + Will), Tim Bakos, AIA (Perkins + Will), Edward Bernat, PhD (University of Maryland)

The goal of this research project is to develop, test, and validate a data-driven approach using virtual reality and electroencephalogram technology for understanding the potential physiological influences of sustainable design features. In collaboration with an architecture firm and a neuroscience laboratory, the researchers propose technolog...

Jose Sanchez launched The Blindspot Initiative to a full house at Archinect Outpost

2019-02-21T13:53:00-05:00

We would like to thank everyone that attended the launch of Jose Sanchez's book, The Blindspot Initiative. During the packed-house event Jose spoke about the intention of the book and was followed by Behnaz Farahi, Biayna Bogosian of Somewhere Something and Casey Rehm of Kinch.

Published by Evolo, The Blindspot Initiative contains a forward by generative software designer Casey Reas and texts by Jose Sanchez, David Gerber, Jenny Wu, Kate Davies and Mostafa Elsayed.

Purchase The Blindspot Initiative at Archinect Outpost

Jose Sanchez presenting The Blindspot Initiative

The event was also unique in that it was the first virtual reality demonstration set up at Archinect Outpost. On the virtual reality device set up in the top space, Sanchez presented Block'hood, a city building simulator video game that focuses on ideas of ecology, interdependence and decay. The game invited players to envision a neighborhood, by building structures out of a catalog of 200+ blocks.

Virtual Reality se...

How VR may be the bridge firms and educators need to share architecture

2019-02-08T10:37:00-05:00

Thanks to Hugo Gernsback and his influence on science fiction and technology, his 1963 TV Glasses invention was a stepping stone for the evolution of virtual reality. Fast forward 50 years and VR is now an accessible and viable option for almost everyone, especially architects and designers.

According to the AIA's 2018 firm survey, The Business of Architecture, it has been recorded that 67 percent of large firms are utilizing VR technology within their practice. With relatively affordable VR options like the Oculus Rift, Google Daydream, and Samsung Gear, almost anyone can purchase the technology to integrate virtual reality into their design process. However, with its apparent accessibility, has VR become a critical factor in successfully communicating architectural ideas to groups like clients and students? Only so much can be seen in drawings and renderings. Architecture must also be felt to be understood, and perhaps leaping into virtual reality is a viable step.

Samsung’s Mobi...

Serpentine Galleries, Google, and David Adjaye launch augmented-reality architecture competition

2019-02-06T20:28:00-05:00

Serpentine Galleries teamed up with Google Arts & Culture and architect David Adjaye to launch the “Serpentine Augmented Architecture” competition, which is currently accepting proposals for an augmented-reality installation that will be developed and experienced on-site at the Serpentine Galleries — and located next to the 2019 Serpentine Pavilion — this summer.

The competition is seeking speculative proposals and imaginary city spaces that explore the role and utility of AR in public-space design: How can augmented reality rethink spatiality? How can AR be used to develop new ideas about the way our cities are designed?

The international call is open to architects, designers, games developers, artists, and the like, at any stage of their career. Individuals, teams, and studios can submit. The submission deadline is February 25, 2019 at 10 a.m. GMT.

Give it your best shot, as the winning commission will be selected by an esteemed jury that includes: David Adjaye, Architect and Tru...

Visually Speaking; A Conversation with Kilograph's Keely Colcleugh

2018-10-12T12:00:00-04:00

On this week's episode of Archinect Sessions Paul chats with Keely Colcleugh. Keely has spent the last 18 years aggressively exploring the boundaries of architecture. After getting her B.Arch at McGill she worked at the prestigious offices of OMA and AMO, Bruce Mau Design, Skidmore Owings & Merrill, and Ateliers Jean Nouvel before moving onto her passion of film, and eventually starting her own studio in Los Angeles called Kilograph. The conversation covers her path from a young artsy girl in a small Canadian town, to the founder and CEO of one of today’s most celebrated studios specializing in architectural visualization, digital design, branding and marketing.

Listen to episode 130 of Archinect Sessions, “Visually Speaking”.

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Foster + Partners' extra-terrestrial habitats will be displayed at Goodwood Festival 2018

2018-07-06T15:31:00-04:00

Continuing with designing for space, Foster + Partners will showcase their vision of life on Mars and the Moon as part of the Future Lab showcase at the 2018 Goodwood Festival. The firm will show a range of models, robotics, and futuristic designs to explore the future of life in space.

Habitation pod design by Foster + Partners. Image: Fost + Partners.

Foster + Partners takes a central position at this year’s FoS Future Lab, which is focused on space exploration, autonomous transport, robotics, and personal flight.

Habitation pod design by Foster + Partners. Image: Fost + Partners.

The firm will be showing their latest award-winning projects carried out for competitions organized by NASA in the event’s second edition of the Future Lab innovation exhibition.

Habitation pod design by Foster + Partners. Image: Fost + Partners.

At the center of the firm's display will be a scale model based on the Mars and lunar habitation pods they designed. Visitors will be able to "walk through" a vir...

Google's Open Heritage project applies cutting edge technology to architectural preservation

2018-04-30T15:43:00-04:00

Google provides open access to 3D digital archives of historic sites around the globe, which have been recorded by CyArk for preservation purposes. CyArk, a non profit organization founded in 2003, has been working to digitally record, archive, and share immersive sites with people online. Through 3D models, Street Views, and VR, viewers can experience these important sites in new and relevant ways. So far, the group has 26 sites that are digitally preserved and downloadable.

3D Laser Scan data cutaway of the interior of Tudor Place. Image: CyArk.

CyArk has recorded over 200 monuments on all 7 continents, while assisting other conservationists through engineering drawings and detailed maps. The data is archived using state of the art processes to ensure continued availability.