Las Americas
John Fillwalk
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Jake Baxter
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Modeler
Trevor Danehy
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Modeler
On November 10, the Las Americas Network held the grand opening of its Virtual Design Studio. The event unveils the studio, designed by CAP student Brandon Hoopingarner and created in Second Life by students in the IDIA Immersive Seminar in Virtual Worlds. "The nature of the tower's architecture is specific to Second Life. There are no stairs, and dynamic pods and audio bubbles allow groups to meet together or 'fly' away to have private meetings," said dean of CAP Guillermo Vasquez de Velasco.
News Items:
Wish TV covers Las Americas project
AIArchitect: Architecture In Second Life Is a World All Its Own
Las Americas Finalist for 2009 Mira Award
Design Communication Conference Presentation
The Las Americas Virtual Design Studio is made possible through a collaboration between IDIA, the College of Architecture and Planning at Ball State University, the Las Americas Network, and BSA LifeStructures.. In such a context, a number of studios in different universities make the commitment of working in the same design subject and share the development of resulting projects through the Internet. The students work as usual within their studios under the direction of their local instructors. At the same time each student is assigned to an international virtual studio made out of students of different universities under the advisory of several virtual instructors. The roster of virtual instructors is made out of the instructors of all participating studios and a number of volunteer reviewers who do not have students at their particular location.
The LAVDS is a beacon that not only attracts visitors, but encourages interaction on multiple levels: it is depicted an organic system -in the shape of a lily pad, with a radial configuration of pods or petals -spaces for small group use, and a large group meeting place at the center. A tall mast-like element - the stem, creates the landmark featuring a glowing light.
The project was created on a Second Life island at the Ball State University Instructional Campus. Some constraints designers faced were the 96’ x 96’ x 96’ cubic site, a limit to 40 avatars able to interact simultaneously, 15,000 geometrical polygons and the absence of gravity, nature and materiality. The project required that it celebrate the spirit of the virtual design studio while providing areas for the interaction (work and play) of the participants of the LAVDS in ways that have not been possible outside of the SL environment.
Links
Indianapolis Wish TV 8 Story
AIArchitect: Architecture in Second Life Is a World All Its Own