Virtual Reality Architecture For All In NYC

The Architecture & Design Film Festival (ADFF) will be in New York City from October 14-18, 2015 with more than 30 films (about buildings, modernism, family, the creative process, and more). Taking the festival to the next dimension are four design-driven virtual realithy (VR) experiences as part of the Azimyth Immersive Lounge at Bow Tie Cinemas in Chelsea.

We’re excited to offer people a chance to explore the immersive potential of these new technologies. Virtual reality is in the Wild West phase with the technology and functionality rapidly changing. These are unique storytelling tools, design tools, and marketing opportunities – it’s a must-see at the festival!
— Kyle Bergman, Architecture & Design Film Festival Founder and Director

Curated by the ADFF and Azimyth Creation Studio, the content in the VR lounge will transport viewers to a few recent architectural designs and demonstrate the future of collaborative design through the use of new technology. Some of the experiences will have attendees seated in Natuzzi’s Re-Vive recliners while using Google Cardboard or Oculus Rift headsets.

Visitors to the Azimyth Immersive Lounge can use virtual reality to experience:

• BIG’S W57 building in New York  — The pyramidal building currently under construction on 57th Street and the West Side Highway in New York.
• The Makoko floating school in Nigeria — An innovative structure designed by Kunlé Adeyemi, the building was shortlisted for Design of the Year in 2014 and has become a symbol of hope and progress in Africa.
• A collection (and interpretation) of architecture models created by PARC Office — Showcasing the discarded ideas that may find themselves embedded in a designer’s future works.
• Arup’s innovative SoundLab — Software that uses a combination of sound measurement, computer modeling, predictive tools, and data analytics to accurately reproduce the sound of existing spaces, changes to existing environments, or new spaces during the design process.
  Correction: This post incorrectly listed Sterotank as the designer of the SoundLab. Sterotank is the architecture collaborator for the m | Lab (Arup’s new mobile experience lab) while the SoundLab is a completely different environment designed entirely by Arup. We apologize for the error.

Additionally, a special demonstration room designed and built by the Brooklyn-based SITU Studio will feature Microsoft’s HoloLens and Trimble software, allowing Architects and designers the chance to test drive the new device. The first fully untethered, see-through holographic computer (we first talked about it here, HoloLens Is Clearer Than Glass), the HoloLens will enable high-definition holograms to come to life, seamlessly integrating with physical places, spaces, and things.