Architects protagonists of the new digital economy, at the service of fashion, gaming and cinema. With projects ranging from design to urban planning: for textures, furniture, sculptures, but also buildings and cities. But designing and engineering the metaverse does not only mean designing shops, offices, houses and premises; above all it means giving shape to something that does not yet exist, designing the future starting from the idea of virtual interaction and the possibility of extending the experiences between the physical and the virtual.
What are the skills for meta-architects and meta-engineers? And where do they learn? “In the metaverse it is useless to copy reality. We need to be able to propose something potentially disruptive ». Ingrid Paoletti, associate professor of Architectural Technology and vice president of the Politecnico di Milano Foundation proposes this reflection by anticipating the details of the master of which she is director “Material Balance Design. Digital techniques and circular innovations in architecture “, first and second level masters to be held from November 2022 to November 2023. An opportunity also designed for those who work: until July 2023 the teaching will be held one day a week, on Mondays , remotely (from 6pm to 10pm) and one weekend a month in attendance at the Politecnico di Milano.
A dual role
For Paoletti, the role of designers in the metaverse will be twofold: “On the one hand they will be able to contribute to building visions, imagining spaces that can stimulate the user, creating alternatives in 3D with immersive scenarios, different from the current futuristic renderings, then it will also be possible to mix genres different and create new languages to imagine the city of the future ». Second line, that of materiality: “How is materiality represented in a place where there is no gravity?”. For the professor of the Politecnico “the metaverse is the ideal space for tests on materials that in reality would take a long time”. A few examples? “Think of soft glass blocks, green elements that produce energy, or even surfaces that change according to how you touch them, or change the temperature to the touch”.
The metaverse is of interest to professionals not only for its purely commercial potential, but as a research and development laboratory, also for challenging the laws of physics. “With this master we aim to keep together the themes of sustainability and digital: test where the materials come from, trace them, and raise awareness on the part of the user”. Understanding and use of data are among the skills to be acquired. «A breath of fresh air for those who work in a studio to include new content in projects, an opportunity for those who set up their own business, but also an opportunity to create new collectives on themes other than those of traditional architecture».
The metaverse from the point of view of visualization is the theme of another training proposal of the Iuav University of Venice. It is the master in Digital Architecture (MADI), annual and second level, now in its eleventh edition (preparing more than 300 students). These courses also start in November 2022 and will end in June 2023; face-to-face lessons in Venice on Friday and Saturday. Focus of the master is the digital tools to design, verify, communicate the project. The modules will deal with polygonal and parametric modeling, traditional and real time rendering, post production, video animation, 3D scans and virtual and immersive reality.