Bahar

Happy 5 year anniversary to the day the sun did not rise in San Francisco.

Has anyone considered doing video tours with parkour models? Yes! Bjarke Ingels has…

My undergraduate thesis project from 1996 (1996!) was about the parallels between virtual and real spaces, and how each could influence and improve one another. At the time digital modeling and rendering were pretty novel, and the promise of VRML (don’t remember VRML? It stood for Virtual Reality Markup Language) was huge. I was also experimenting with VR gloves and goggles way back then. I was able to emphasize computing in my education because of the time I spent at community college knocking out general ed credits. Once I transferred to USC I filled my schedule with CAD, 3D modeling and other tech courses. When I graduated I was far more versed in software and computing than many of my peers, and I used that to my advantage in finding work. I also pushed my employers to adopt new tools. CAD drafting, 3D modeling and rendering were all separate elements at the time. I wanted to see them combined. In part to extend my own impact on projects. As I was starting my own studio, incorporating new tech was a priority. I used BIM in the form of Architectual Desktop and later Revit. We added new rendering technology as it evolved, and we have used VR and AR to assist in our design work. I’m currently experimenting with various AI like MidJourney and LookX. I feel it’s important to harness the potential of new tools and put them to work. There is a fear that drives people to try to suppress technology. But it’s difficult if not impossible to do so (ask the Luddites). Eventually it gets incorporated into our work - and while we may not be performing the same tasks we once were, there are new tasks to perform. And if used well, I find it often ultimately improves the final product.