Timeline:
March 23 - June 23
Tools used:
Unity VR
Cinema 4D
Oculus SDK
The Team:
Simran (VR Developer)
Annabelle (Interior designer)
Basscharity (Audio)
Responsibilities
World building, 3D modeling and animations, particle effects, VR movement, lights and sound.
Background
Presence in Bed is an immersive exhibition taking place during NYCxDesign 2023 and Miami Art Basel 2024 that uses virtual reality (VR) to explore the bed as a supportive, comforting environment to tell a story of meditating in presence.
This was sponsored by Casper and featured in Dezeen and Arts Thread.
The site-specific exhibition uses VR and physical objects to create a choreographed experience with heated touchpoints, handwoven foil blankets, pillows, and mattresses.
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Using Technology mindfully
An immersive experience that transcends the boundaries of physical and digital realms, weaved through a narrative that explores the bed as the ultimate sanctuary of the future.
At the heart of the installation is a site-specific, fabric-reactive mattress installation that invites visitors to embark on a spiritual journey in Virtual Reality, redefining their perception of the bed. In an era characterized by instability and change, the bed emerges as the ultimate place of both collapse and self-reconnection
The bed, traditionally associated with rest, is redefined as a multi-sensory space capable of fostering both production and reproduction, adapting to the ever-evolving needs of modern life. In an age where technology seeps into our very being, this exhibition underscores the urgency of mindfulness and reconnecting with our natural bodies for balance, ritual, and grounding.
KEY POINTS
Too conventional
There is no standing feature that distinguishes the park from others. We believe each park should be unique and possess characteristics that help provide meaning. This inspired us to create a design that makes this park worth caring about.
Disconnected sections
The park is currently divided into sections with tiered levels and no accessibility from the middle of the park. It's separated into sections with fences, and it loses a sense of connected community.
Unused spaces
There are extra handball courts that are not frequently used, a pool area that is only open over the summer months, and driveways and streets surrounding the park towards the canal that can be put to good use by redesigning it into a functional space that is open and accessible to the community.
Seasonal Restrictions
Examining the overall design for the current park, we realized that most of the space is hard to use year round, especially in the winter. We believe that by converting areas such as the pool into a convertible indoor/ outdoor pool can help the park attract park goers year round.
360 VR Video
Prototypes
I was developing the Unity Environment with particle systems, simulations, lights, cinemachine path walkthrough, and interaction of 3D assets.
CHALLENGES
3D Models weren't compatible
3D assets have certain requirements for being VR compatible so I remodeled the majority of the assets using Cinema 4D and Blender.
Environment design was undefined
I translated design documents to 6 level environments incorporating navigation paths and camera angles while keeping user-friendly VR immersion.
Animating elements
To enhance immersion I added certain animations to the 3D models and triggered them separately in the walkthrough. Simulations like water, hair, skin, and bed had be feel abstract and immersive.
Optimising for VR
Building out the experience on a VR headset needs the project to be lightweight, under 2GB. This made me optimize everything in the environment, removing heavy particle effects and assets. Eventually, we had to switch to a 360 VR for a short term.
