Virtual Futuna
Artist
Prof Marc Aurel Schnabel (DE/NZ)
Michael Weir (NZ/AU)
Byron Mallet (NZ)
Cyber Gallery – Virtual Futuna
Explore the Mozilla Hub here:
“Virtual Futuna examines the photogrammetric documentation of heritage buildings and its potential application in research and public dissemination. The interior of New Zealand’s Futuna Chapel, a modernist masterpiece, was documented using photogrammetry to digitally stitch together 2D images to generate a 3D virtual reality model. An accessible and replicable process for documenting heritage buildings was developed, using only affordable consumer-level devices and applications. The resulting VR model now offers virtual visits to the chapel, and was used to research ways to make experiences of Futuna’s digital twin engaging and valuable. This work revealed that site-specific human stories could build connections between visitors and their virtual experiences of a heritage building. Virtual Futuna prototypes enable visitors to interact with stories from the chapel’s past in an immersive virtual environment and contribute their own Futuna experiences to a growing media archive.”
Artist Biography:
Professor Marc Aurel Schnabel is the Dean of the Wellington Faculty of Architecture & Design Innovation, Victoria University of Wellington. Trained as an Architect, he is leading research in architectural and design technologies. He has worked in Germany, Australia, and Hong Kong for thirty years and is recognised for his research in computational design, digital heritage, and intelligent cities.
Michael Weir is a MArch(Prof) student at Victoria University of Wellington. He has a passion for computation and the blending of conventional and contemporary architectures and methodologies. His interests also include fabrication, systems, furniture making, and futurism. He is undertaking a thesis investigating the overlap between philosophy-driven narratives and computational processes.
Byron Mallett is a Lecturer in Animation and VFX from the Wellington School of Design Innovation, Victoria University. Hailing from a background in digital media design, Byron’s research interests lie in marrying virtual reality interfaces and design techniques to different methods of content creation including music performance, composition, animation, and data visualization.
Project Credits
This project is supported by The Wellington Faculty of Architecture and Design, Victoria University Wellington, the Digital Architecture Research Alliance (DARA) and the Friends of Futuna Charitable Trust.