STF#8 - 2023: Presentations
Role of Architects and Engineers in the Metaverse and its relevance to the AEC
Zaha Hadid Architects
Arup
Spatial Experience and Technology
The metaverse foregrounds the value of user experience (UX) focused design, end-user motivation through gamification, and social engagement driven economics through so-called spatial experiences. There is a deep compatibility between the design ethos, goals, technology, and design and creation and the massively multi-player, immersive experiences of the metaverse. The session outlines, through a series of use case study applications, the role of architecture, engineering and construction disciplines (AEC) to serve and host a variety of productive human interactions and activities including work, leisure, retail and cultural experiences.
Negotiated User Environments
The research is motivated by game technologies suitability to negotiate consumer demand, stakeholder competing priorities, and democratize a digital property marketplace. The session will outline a series of concepts through application scenarios addressing problems, beneftis, and best practices for design planning in web-based, real time applications including:
- Modular planning strategy for mass customisation
- Continuity of digital toolchain end-to-end customer to supplier
- Geometry Optimisation for real-time applications
- Content Creation Strategy and workflows
- Data enrich objects for augmented reality and mixed reality application
- AI tools and pipelines for geometry creation
Henry David Louth is an Associate at Zaha Hadid Architects and co-leads the day-to-day operation of the Computation and Design Group (ZHACODE). He is a registered architect in the US and a LEED Accredited Professional with over 16 years of professional experience in the AEC industry. Currently he leads the residential applications, game and spatial technology sectors within ZHACODE with a research focus toward digital timber and fabrication technologies, data driven design, modular and prefabricated planning . His computational interests include differential geometry, digital simulation and approximation, workflow planning and strategy, and curve crease folding (CCF) applications.
Prior to ZHA, Henry worked in the US on fast track construction for higher education, and retail programme rollouts for new builds, renovations, and tenant improvements. He is an alumnus of Design Research Laboratory (DRL) at the Architectural Association (AA), and a prior studio-master at the post-graduate course of University College London (UCL) Bartlett Prospective (B-Pro) Architectural Design (AD) Research Cluster 10 (RCX).
Henry’s research examines residential housing domain problems, innovations in digital design and manufacture, as well as fabrication aware geometry and material processing. His ambitions aim to leverage digital processes to develop, empower, and deliver early stage design assist tools for designers and end-users.
Henry is a published researcher and conference paper contributor to SimAUD, International Journal of Rapid Manufacture (IJRM) , Fabricate, and Design Modelling Symposium. He has conducted workshops and short courses for AA Visiting School, CAADRIA, and Digital Futures and speaks frequently on applied research in practice, geometric theory, and construction practice.
Conor Black is an Associate Computational Design Engineer at Arup, specialising in computational techniques to simulation and generation of the built environment at all scales.
Conor is part of the intensely deep technical knowledge Arup’s most advanced cohort of specialists, with extensive international experience working with leading architectural practices on cultural, commercial and infrastructure buildings, Conor works at the development of more sustainable, experience-driven designs with data-driven computation & simulation.
Images
- Liberland Metaverse, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, powered by Mytaverse
2. NFTism ™, design by Zaha Hadid Architects, for Kenny Schachter, powered by Journee. ‘NFTism’ is a virtual gallery exploring architecture and social interaction in the metaverse:
3. Energy Revolution Gallery, Science Museum, London (unrealised), design by Zaha Hadid Architects, Space Agency(media/graphics), Arup(lighting) A physical gallery focused upon user experiences, mixed and augmented reality , and interactive exhibitions features of the theme of progress of technology in collective energy future:
4. Beyabu: Configurator Technology Platform - design by Zaha Hadid Architects, AKT II (Structural), Hilson Moran (MEP Environmental Fire Protection), Specialty Timber (Circular Factory)
5. Architecting the Metaverse (Seoul, Korea DDP Design Museum 2022) - Architecting the Metaverse is an immersive art project at the intersection of architecture, art, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI). It is the result of a 6-month collaboration between Refik Anadol Studio (RAS) and Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA):
6. Hospital 2050 for PUBG Mobile - Design Zaha Hadid Architects, Developed by LightSpeeed & Quantum, Tencent Games, KRAFTON
7. Engineering Simulations for Spatial Experiences. Quantification of spatial interactions to reimagine the future of workplace. (Arup eLab, Oasys Massmotion)
