Creating Meaningful Architecture

The first spark of interest into game design occurred when playing Portal in 2011. I had been a part of videogames and MMORPGs for years but the complexity of creating a game space didn't visibly form until I placed two portals in Apperture's lab chambers and hopped through them. Entertainment became an academic puzzle as I tried to figure out the rules behind videogame levels and why their spaces were responding in such meaningful ways.

The experience of space and creating a meaningful moment has in a way always been at the heart of my projects. From the Introspective's exploration of immersion and the Cardboard Project's experimentation of connection in first year; to second year's analysis of the occupy experience and venture into using Unity3D as an architectural design tool; and finally to this year's Memento Vita.

This research thesis ties the theory together into a 6000 word package that is still growing as more videogames become published and the theory of experience expands. It is a theme that I hope to research over the years, into my Master's and further into expertise. The contents of the thesis are as follows and the entirety of the thesis can be found here.

Introduction

I. Relationships with Space
I.1 Semiotics
I.2 “I” in the Virtual
I.3 Perception of Time and Space

II. Creating Meaning
II.1 Designing from a Narrative
II.2 Designing from a Game Mechanic
II.3 The Lusory Attitude and Pleasure Complex
II.4 Playtesting Emergent Systems

Conclusion

Bibliography

-RCM