Meta-land for Mobile Habitats

Overview

Inspired by the prevailing metaverse in conjunction with the science & tech surge in China, this year our VS will move to Hainan Island, one of the most popular tour destinations long before the central government of China announced Hainan as the largest special economic zone including visa exemption for all foreigners and tax-free policies. 

Such highest open-up policies will potentially escalate the existing seasonal migrant habitats on the island from the national level to the global scale. A new lifestyle of Mobile Habitats is expected to emerge on Hainan Island.

This Meta-land for Mobile Habitats programme will take the unprecedented opportunity of Hainan Island as an incubator for ideas that address the concept of Meta-land which co-exist in both virtual and physical universe in order to promote Mobile Habitats. 

Compared to the conventional urban and rural environment, the architectural objects on the Meta-land should be smart, innovative, fast-to-implement, immersive and integrated with new means of Mobile Habitats including but not limit to boat libraries, portable huts, walking studio, foldable houses, combinatory tents, inhabitable transformers, etc. 

The new ways of occupancy of both physical and virtual space in the meta-land will open up a new spectrum of design opportunities based upon the specific context of the West Island in Sanya. 

Skills Developed

• Computational skills including but not limited to Algorithmic Modeling, Data Analysis and Visualisation

• Methodologies in data-based design for large scale projects

• Students will experience interactive design with local fishing villagers: to engage with the shareholders of the island to understand their demand during the analytical research stage; to interview the fishing villagers to understand their way of life and potential for design improvement and to present to the local community the design outcomes for feedback and further potential engagement.