Domain

Fig: 1 – Block’hood – A city-building simulator that works on ecology, interdependence and decay (Credits-  Plethora Project)

PREMISE

Experiences are a fundamental building block of the built environment. The exercise for creating architecture starts with conceptual iteration coupled with a learned procedure to understand the needs of the people in a particular space. 

This can be applied not only to built environments but also to virtual worlds. Environments are the second biggest selling point of any video game. However, a beautifully designed game with minimal thought to the gameplay will not succeed as the developer will not be able to hold the player’s interest. 
The creative processes which end up defining successful spaces in both fields include understanding how people move through, use and interact with them.  Architecture and video gaming are distant arts aware of each other, but not studied together. 

From real to reel experiences like in Ready Player One is a small glimpse of the intersection of these disciplines. Research and analysis of world-building and creative tools/thinking within these disciplines might lead to better understanding and transformations in both fields.

Fig: 2 – The Earth 2 – A metaverse built upon geo-mapping of our earth where one can buy/sell/rent virtual environments through real money and exchange to ultimately form working digital megacities (Credits- E2THEBOSS MEGACITY)

QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED

In your research, you should particularly explore the relationship between video gaming and architecture, and how they connect and transform singularly and with each other.   The views are expected to be analytical, instead of a purely utopian/dystopian approach across the subject. 

• In what ways have virtual environments evolved in gaming through advancements in technology over time? 
• How have architectural styles/environments/interiors/trends helped in world-building in video games? 
• Have video games in any way influenced/inspired architects in terms of perception and world-building? 
• In what ways do the current video games transcend the dimensions of real built environments?  
• With upcoming and present ideas, tools for making and playing video games. As well as foreseeing the future changes in the architectural industry, how and when will these fields intersect? And what will be its implications in the real world?

DELIVERABLES

Participants shall deliver an essay of about 1000 - 1500 words and less than 3 images, in a cohesive piece that answers the above questions and arguments based on them. The images need to be ensured that they are copyright free or you own their rights.