# BASELAND 2050

## Building a visual identity for a collaborative digital landscape

> [!SUMMARY]
>
> |              |                                                      |
> | ------------ | ---------------------------------------------------- |
> | **Role**     | 3D Artist, Technical Designer                        |
> | **Tools**    | SketchUp, Vue xStream, Adobe Illustrator             |
> | **Skillset** | 3D Visualization, Workflow Automation, Art Direction |

### Context

During my internship at the BASE landscape design and architecture firm, the leadership took an interest in my background bridging 3D visualization and video game design. They tasked me with overhauling the visual identity and workflow of "BASELAND 2050", a massive, collaborative digital landscape project:

![The initial state of the BASELAND project](/assets/images/architecture/BASELAND/initial__240-104-webp_240-104_400-173-webp_400-173_600-260-webp_600-260_820-355-webp_820-355_1400-607-webp_1400-607_1920-832-webp_1920-832.png)

BASELAND functioned as a centralized, shared SketchUp file where all team members were encouraged to contribute ideas and drop in elements from their individual projects.  
My primary objective was to transform this chaotic, crowdsourced model into a unified environment that strictly aligned with the firm's established design templates and presentation standards.

### Realism Test

My initial approach was to establish an automated rendering pipeline using Vue xStream to convert the raw SketchUp scenes into high-quality, photorealistic 3D landscapes.  
After running initial tests, however, I quickly realized this was the wrong path. The computational resources and time required to render a collaborative project of this immense, ever-growing scale in photorealism were entirely unsustainable, and the models being contributed to the project were difficult to convert properly to high-fidelity rendering software.

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| Gallery: |  |
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| ![Rough render using Vue xStream](/assets/images/architecture/BASELAND/vue1__240-135-webp_240-135_400-226-webp_400-226_600-339-webp_600-339_785-443-webp_785-443.jpg) | ![Renderging tests using Vue xStream](/assets/images/architecture/BASELAND/vue2__240-135-webp_240-135_400-225-webp_400-225_600-338-webp_600-338_820-461-webp_820-461_1400-788-webp_1400-788_1600-900-webp_1600-900.jpg) |

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### The Solution: Stylized Automation

Instead of fighting hardware limitations, I proposed a pivot in art direction. Drawing inspiration from the highly stylized, illustrative texture work seen in the 2013 video game _Shelter_ (by Might and Delight), I pitched the studio's leadership a visual identity that was technically lightweight but much better aligned with their existing graphic design and illustrative principles.

Once the new art direction was approved, I executed a complete overhaul of the project's ecosystem:

- **Asset Creation:**  
  I designed a bespoke texture pack and modeled custom, optimized 3D assets for trees, rocks, and various types of vegetation.

![A portion of the texture pack I built ](/assets/images/architecture/BASELAND/textures__240-148-webp_240-148_400-246-webp_400-246_600-369-webp_600-369.jpg)

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| Gallery |
| -- |
| ![A set of 3D tree assets based on the studio's 2D tree models](/assets/images/architecture/BASELAND/trees__240-48-webp_240-48_400-80-webp_400-80_600-120-webp_600-120_820-164-webp_820-164_1400-280-webp_1400-280_1920-384-webp_1920-384.jpg) |

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- **Model Overhaul:**  
  I upgraded the entire existing BASELAND model to reflect the new stylized aesthetic.

![A 3D view of the upgraded landscape](/assets/images/architecture/BASELAND/model__240-81-webp_240-81_400-135-webp_400-135_600-202-webp_600-202_820-276-webp_820-276_1002-337-webp_1002-337.png)

- **Workflow:**  
  To ensure that the project would not degrade back to using flat colors and sticks for trees, I engineered an automated import system. Whenever a team member imported a new contribution, the system would automatically apply the correct stylized materials and assets.
- **Asset Library:**  
  I compiled the assets into a structured library, complete with usage instructions, allowing the entire firm to utilize this optimized design system both inside and outside of the BASELAND project.

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| Gallery: |  |  |  |  |
| -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| ![A n axonometric view of a large 3D environment](/assets/images/architecture/BASELAND/lake__240-180-webp_240-180_400-300-webp_400-300_600-450-webp_600-450_800-600-webp_800-600.jpg) | ![A 3D render of a plaza with trees growing out of a large pool](/assets/images/architecture/BASELAND/plaza__240-180-webp_240-180_400-300-webp_400-300_600-450-webp_600-450_800-600-webp_800-600.jpg) | ![A view of the entire BASLEAND project](/assets/images/architecture/BASELAND/cube__240-180-webp_240-180_400-300-webp_400-300_600-450-webp_600-450_800-600-webp_800-600.jpg) | ![A 3D render using my 3D tree models in an open park](/assets/images/architecture/BASELAND/trees__240-180-webp_240-180_400-300-webp_400-300_600-450-webp_600-450_800-600-webp_800-600.jpg) | ![An axonometric view of a 3D environment with a rock formation and trees](/assets/images/architecture/BASELAND/hill__240-180-webp_240-180_400-300-webp_400-300_600-450-webp_600-450_800-600-webp_800-600.jpg) |

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