Story at a glance:
- Viewport Studio used Enscape’s real-time visualization for its Spaceport America project.
- The New Mexico desert inspired the project’s design.
- Enscape’s real-time visualization plug-in directly integrates into your 3D model.
Enscape is a real-time visualization and virtual reality plug-in that empowers architecture and design workflows. It’s the only solution that offers direct integration with popular AEC industry CAD and BIM tools, enabling architects and designers to design and visualize simultaneously across all project phases.
Viewport Studio is an award-winning team of architects and designers based in London and Singapore. In 2019 the team used Enscape for their Spaceport America project. It was the tool of choice for conceptualizing ideas in a project that had never been done before—designing the interior of the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport.
Taking on the Spaceport America Project
Image courtesy of Viewport Studio
Located in New Mexico, Spaceport America is home to some of the biggest names in the commercial space industry. It is situated on 18,000 acres and has a rocket-friendly environment of 6,000 square miles of restricted airspace and a 12,000-by-200-foot runway.
The Viewport Studio team was tasked to design the interior of the ground floor and restaurant and the first floor of the spaceship control room and office. They drew inspiration for the project from the spaceport’s surroundings—the New Mexico desert.
“It’s a stark and beautiful place rich in color and texture, so that influenced many design ideas,” says Gautier Pelegrin, Viewport Studio’s director.
Enhancing the Client Experience
Image courtesy of Viewport Studio
Enscape is the only real-time visualization plug-in that directly integrates into your 3D model. The direct integration between Enscape and your chosen design tool leverages the bi-directional data exchange so any changes made on either side are instantly visible.
The instant visual feedback allows you to conduct more efficient client meetings. The Viewport Studio team used Enscape to perform live sessions and used the virtual reality compatibility feature for better presentations.
As a result Pelegrin said decisions were made quicker, and hours spent on the project were reduced thanks to fast rendering times. They could also offer their client things they couldn’t propose before.
“Enscape supported us in testing, experimenting, and presenting our concepts to the client with speed in producing media that we had never experienced before. The VR function quickly became a staple in all of our meetings. It helped us reduce testing iterations by at least 20%.”
Ensuring the Right Decisions Were Made
Image courtesy of Viewport Studio
When a client spends thousands, even millions, of dollars on a project, seeing the end result can be affirming. Enscape enables you to do this with features such as video and walkthroughs, which the Viewport Studio team utilized to showcase the project and convey design intent.
Using video and walkthroughs within the design process was effective in communicating the challenges of the client’s initial requests. The team was able to propose alternative solutions while ensuring a comprehensive understanding so the right decisions were made.
“We mocked up the barista coffee station in the middle of the space to be the center of attention for daily function. However, after reviewing it with the client and the head of service, we realized the staff would have difficulty reaching the customer on the other side of the table. So we amended its dimension,” Pelegrin says.
“We used an exported walkthrough onsite, and it made the client understand the importance of the position of the machines around the barista station. The station had to be free of machines so it could be used for evening events and assume a different role in the space.”
Fostering Innovative Thinking
Image courtesy of Viewport Studio
Using an intuitive and seamless workflow tool like Enscape gave the Viewport Studio team the space to get creative. This way of working resulted in adding “Astrowalk,” a walkway for the astronauts and pilots where their loved ones could see them off before they boarded the spacecraft.
The walkway included a mirrored ceiling made of interactive LED screens. Enscape with VR was used to assess the visibility of the mirrored walkway from the seating area of the guests.
“We knew the astronauts weren’t the only people we had to think of when designing the space. The families and friends were important considerations,” Pelegrin says. “Astrowalk is the perfect opportunity to offer a memorable send-off.”
Empowering Architecture and Design Workflows
Viewport Studio needed cutting-edge technology that would allow them to materialize their vision. Using Enscape for the Spaceport America project offered them exactly what they needed. It gave them effortless integration into their workflows, which nurtured innovative design methods.
Incorporating a real-time rendering solution like Enscape allows you to connect your design and visualization workflows to have a more streamlined design process and more time to create. With a shallow learning curve, Enscape is ideal for both beginners and seasoned designers. Sign up for Enscape’s free trial to empower your workflow.
