A R C H I R I U M
LOTUS
CODING THE BRIDGE BETWEEN REALITY AND VIRTUAL ELEGANCE
INTERACTIVE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
EXPERIENCE ARCHITECTURE FUNCTION IN INTERACTIVE ENVIRONMENT
APPLICATIONS OF INTERACTIVE DESIGN IN ARCHITECTURE
Design in architecture goes beyond creating visually appealing structures; it’s about enhancing our understanding, experience, and interaction with the built environment. A well-designed space should be intuitive and user-friendly, seamlessly integrating into our lives.
Interactive design is a key component in this process. It allows users to engage with the design in a more immersive and meaningful way. Rather than passively viewing a static image or video, users can explore the space, interact with elements, and experience the design firsthand. This active engagement leads to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the architectural design.
Interactive design also serves as a powerful communication tool. It enables architects to demonstrate how different elements of the design work together, how spaces flow into each other, and how the design responds to different conditions. This is particularly useful when presenting designs to clients or stakeholders who may not have a background in architecture.
Moreover, interactive design is used to test and validate designs. Architects can use interactive models to simulate different scenarios, assess the functionality of the design, and make necessary adjustments. This proactive approach can help identify and address potential issues early in the design process, saving both time and resources.
Finally, interactive design fosters innovation and creativity. It opens up new possibilities in architecture, pushing the boundaries and challenging traditional notions of space and form.
In essence, interactive design is not just about showcasing features, but about creating an experience that allows users to understand and appreciate the intricacies of a design. It’s about making the abstract tangible, and the complex understandable. It’s a bridge between the architect’s vision and the user’s experience. That’s why it’s so important to have interactive demos that effectively showcases design features. They allow users to experience, rather than just observe, the design.
MY ROLE AS AN INTERACTIVE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER
I am passionate about architecture and committed to continuous learning and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with technology in my field. I’ve always felt the limitations of static images and videos when presenting a design. However, through years of learning and practice, I’ve transformed my skillset into a unique blend of disciplines.
This new skill set allows me to bring a unique value to architectural projects.
The value I bring lies not just in the individual skills I possess, but in the unique ways I combine them to create new and innovative mediums. I am not merely designing buildings: I am creating experiences. I am not just using game development tools: I am leveraging them to bring architectural designs to life in ways that were not previously possible.
With my ability to create stunning designs and visually narrate their story through cinematic experiences, I enable people to experience them in awe, get inspired, and be deeply moved in ways that were not possible before. I am forging a new path in interactive architectural design, which comes with its own set of challenges.
RISOR: A DYNAMIC WORKSPACE FOR DEVELOPERS
A CORPORATE INTERACTIVE ARCHITECTURAL EXPERIENCE
Developed on Unreal Engine 5
So the journey didn’t stop there. With the advent of new technology, like Unreal Engine, and after spending a year learning it, I revisited this project and transformed it into an interactive architectural experience.
In the interactive demo of the RISOR project showcased here. One can walk through the office, interact with the environment, and see how the space adapts to their presence. Notice how the lights turn on as one enters a space and turn off when they leave, and the doors respond to your presence, just like they would in a real, automated office space. These interactions can be programmed, to showcase feature-rich designs in the best possible medium. We can harness the emotions that arise when we bring the person into a well-designed space or when experiencing one function connected to another in commendable ways.
This is the future of architectural design - a future where we don’t just design buildings, but create experiences. A future where we leverage technological advancements and interactive application development tools like Unreal Engine to bring architectural designs to life.
PROJECT BACKGROUND AND CHALLANGES
I designed the RISOR office in 2019. It's a modern dynamic workspace that fosters productivity, creativity, and well-being. The design inspired focused work and social interactions for employees with flexible working hours, promoting collaboration, innovation, work-life balance, and playfulness. you can view it on the design page.
Back then, I had a hard time convincing the client for certain concepts, because the presentation tools were not delivering the idea of intricately woven experiences of the space. I wanted to share a viewport of my workspace with the client but even that was too alien for them, and without lighting sharing non-rendered views would have sabotaged my efforts (to be misunderstood by the client). Although good renders will do the job, they will not do proper justice to the real effort that has gone into creating the interconnectedness of the spaces.
THE SOLUTION : INTERACTIVE DESIGN
ANAND MANDALA: THE HOUSE OF JOY
This interactive demo was not just about showcasing the design; it was about demonstrating the power of combining architectural design, visualization, cinematography, and game development. It’s about showing the world the potential of Interactive Architectural Design.
A RESIDENTIAL INTERACTIVE ARCHITECTURAL EXPERIENCE
Developed on Unreal Engine 5
EXPERIENCE THE JOYFUL INTER-CONNECTIONS OF SPACES
It is more than just a house demonstration. It’s an immersive, dynamic experience that lets you explore the space in a way that wasn’t possible before. This demo is my attempt to show how one can show the intricacies of their design with interactive tools.
This project was brought to life using Unreal Engine, a powerful tool that allowed me to create an efficient scene with beautiful lighting and perfect textures. The model was imported from a BIM environment and refined in the rendering application, with different components separated for efficiency.
As you navigate through the house, you’ll experience the seamless flow of space and the interconnectedness of indoor and outdoor areas. The beautiful interconnections of indoor and outdoor spaces, the flow and connections of spatial arrangement in the design, and the intricacies of multiple landscaped zones layering one over the other establishing joyful connections. Notice the concrete walls filtering the sunlight and allowing it through the courtyard, creating a radiant effect that captures the viewer’s attention completely.
NON-INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL TOURS
SHINING LIGHT ON DIFFERENT TYPE NON-INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGIES
TYPE 1: RENDERED 360 VIRTUAL TOURS
Non-interactive virtual tours, also known as 360 VR tours, are pre-rendered immersive experiences that allow users to explore a space from specific points. Users can look around in all directions from these points, but they cannot interact with the environment or move freely within it. It's not a game-development technology. These tours are created by rendering panoramic images at various points within the space and connecting them in an online application to create a seamless tour.
TYPE 2: CAPTURED 360 VIRTUAL TOURS
These are another kind of virtual tour that captures a real-life location or real estate properties through a 360 instacam, used commercially for advertising business activities or properties. It's a different product that only captures a real location and creates its tour instead of creating it in 3D from references or drawings.
TYPE 3: 360 VIDEO FOOTAGES LIKE YOUTUBE VR
360 video footage is similar to a 360 VR tour or a captured virtual tour, but it includes the added element of motion. These experiences take users on a predetermined path through the space, providing a more dynamic view of the environment. However, like 360 VR tours, they do not allow for user interaction with the environment. A moving 360 video experience is like floating through space uncontrollably and may cause nausea.
COMPARISON WITH FULLY INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES
Fully interactive: While both 360 VR tours and fully interactive experiences provide immersive views of a space, they cater to different needs and markets. A fully interactive experience is a completely different product, is created using game-development technologies, and allows users to move freely within the environment, and interact with elements. The design environment can be programmed for specific interactions, like building/lighting automation, exploring design options, interactive features of a design, or showcasing transformative designs. This level of interactivity can provide a deeper understanding of the design and is particularly valuable for clients who want to showcase the value in their designs efficiently and effectively.
On the other hand, 360 VR tours and pre-rendered transitions are less interactive but can be more accessible and easier to navigate for some users. They provide a guided tour of the space, which can be ideal for showcasing the design to a broader audience, including those who may not be familiar with navigating interactive 3D environments.
In terms of pricing, fully interactive experiences typically require more complex programming and design work, and therefore tend to be priced higher than 360 VR tours.
Discover the immersive 'rendered 360 virtual tours' featured below. Each one offers a unique, captivating experience that brings architectural designs to life.
360 VIRTUAL TOURS
NEW CASTLE, SYDNEY RESIDENCE
As an added bonus, the project also featured a virtual reality experience with over 40 8K panoramic shots, allowing viewers to explore the property in an unprecedented manner. You can move freely throughout the entire project, switch between day and night, and appreciate even the smallest details up close.
DETAILED 360-RENDERED VIRTUAL TOUR OF A COMPLETE DESIGN WITH 40 LOCATIONS
VISUAL SCRIPTING & PARAMETRIC TOOLS
PROGRAMMING WITH NODES
Unreal Blueprints: This is a C++ based object-oriented visual programming language that uses a nodes-based visual interface. It visualizes the code in the form of node diagrams, which accelerates the coding process for interactive environments. I use this language for programming Interactive projects. The main challenge initially was to learn the object-oriented programming concept and implement it.
Rail Clone (Itoo): This is a robust parametric modeling tool that leverages geometry nodes and splines to create a wide range of parametric geometries, including but not limited to buildings, bridges, roads, and railings. It proves to be an exceptionally useful modeling tool, especially when one can discern patterns in structures or when there’s a need to create dynamic models that can adapt to a variety of conditions. Its flexibility and adaptability make it a go-to tool for complex and versatile modeling tasks.
TyFlow Physics and VFX: This is a visual scripting tool used for physics logic. It can handle tasks like assembling buildings, growth physics, particle physics, object simulations and interactions, liquid simulations, cloth simulations, wind simulations, integrating and disintegrating elements, damage, gravity, and more.
GrowFX: This is a nodes-based parametric generator that enables the creation and animation of high-quality, realistic foliage in 3D scenes. It optimizes file sizes without compromising on the detail of the models, making the scenes more manageable and efficient to render. I’ve leveraged this tool for creating interactive foliage, such as climbing creepers and producing captivating plant growth animations. This knowledge has significantly enhanced my ability to bring virtual environments to life and has become a valuable asset in my portfolio.
Nodes-Based & PBR Material: I have been extensively using material node-trees and PBR materials for better quality and greater efficiency. This approach provides the power to create detailed and beautiful materials with far more creative control.
Grasshopper for Rhino: This is a versatile parametric modeling tool used for modeling, generative design, and analysis. I have tried various plugins and have become comfortable with working in Grasshopper and Rhino. However, since I was not using it often, I have deferred this topic for later study.
Davinci Resolve Colorgrading: The industry's most powerful tool for grading videos for a professional and cinematic look. Based on nodes it can enhance, correct, relight, colorgrade, creatively edit, and add effects on videos parametrically giving style and mood to projects.
Davinci Fusion Compositing: A powerful nodes-based tool that familiarised me with the world of film compositing. Combining multiple 3D animated elements over video footage and doing some VFX magic, combined with the power of TyFlow. This enhanced my workflow to the next level giving me the freedom to delve into creative projects without hesitation, be it a challenging walkthrough, an architectural video with 3d elements, or a creative storytelling film.
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INTERACTIVE DEVELOPER'S SHOWCASE
Interactive Architectural Experiences & Walkthroughs
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