the disc
context
brainstorm
My team was tasked with creating solutions to hypothetical problems in the year 2050. We picked cities as our theme and brainstorming we came up with two ideas:
- An underground bunker-like city to sustain life after a nuclear fallout.
- A floating city to sustain life after flooding due to rising sea levels.
feedback
One of our peers suggested we go with the floating city as it had more potential for creative ideas regarding transport, infrastructure, and lifestyle.
prototype
Based on the feedback we received, we chose to make a floating city that worked with magnetic fields. We made a physical prototype of the city as both a proof of concept and as a way to test new ideas, such as:
- Multi-story farms to utilize vertical space.
- Artificial sunlight for produce growth.
- Transport ships for supplies and people.
The outer pillars of the prototype are meant to represent the magnetic fields supporting the city.
3D model
After we finalized our ideas, I used SketchUp to design a 3D model of the city.
I went for a typical futuristic or utopian look, somewhat basing the design on Cloud City from Star Wars.
The outer pillars previously representing magnetic could now be removed to further drive the idea that the city comes from the future.
I then used a satellite image as a texture for the city's roads and landscape to help sell the realism when rendered.
feedback
One of our teachers thought the city and general idea was great, saying it reminded him of The Line in Saudi Arabia. He suggested the idea of making a trailer for the city and calling it "The Disc".
trailer video
Based on the feedback we received, my teammate Mila and I put together a trailer.
Using SketchUp's built in animation feature, I was able to export clips of the model. We ran a script Mila created through a text to speech narrator, and I edited the final video using Camtasia.
This video was presented alongside an interactive demo of the SketchUp model.
feedback and validation
Our teacher who suggested the trailer loved how it turned out, and we received generally positive feedback from our peers and other teachers on the project itself. There were a few key points for improvement however, such as:
- Improve presentation by making the video fullscreen. We presented the video alongside a window with SketchUp open, but it would be better to make use of the entire screen.
- The scale of the city could've been made more apparent, to give the viewer an idea of how big it actually is.
- The windows of the vertical farms weren't made very clear.
reflection
Despite its small scale, this project highlighted things for me to keep in mind later on, such as:
- Presentation of end-product.
- Communication with teammates.
- Getting feedback from peers alongside teachers.
In general I had a lot of fun and I'm proud of what the team and I put together.