Virtual Suburbia

Slightly Droog Homes

The last couple of builds we've looked at are predicated on the use of pure color surfaces, devoid of texture or shading. The build is then perceived to be about the experience of space as much as it is about form. But what is space if it cannot be seen, the surfaces are not differentiated, and the space itself cannot be apprehended? This ambiguity can be of benefit in certain situations (enframing and or heightening its occupants vis-a-vis the unloaded Construct in The Matrix), but what of the obverse condition, where the experience is framed by a complete lack of ambiguity, and the goal is to establish not a juxtaposition but rather a perfect engagement with the surroundings?

The 'Slightly Droog Home' by RELIC (currently for sale in Sanctum Sanctorum 164,7) is an excellent example of the latter, where each surface in the build has been carefully articulated through the use of pre-rendered textures. The ability to 'bake' textures appears to be regarded as one of the traits separating the professional from the casual builder and the perceived value of this skill is reflected in the prefab's $5000L sticker price.

When compared to the majority of SL builds this home significantly raises the bar in terms of realism, presenting us with a very simple set of spaces and forms made incredibly rich by the narrative subtleties of the texturing, including all the distress, patina, and rustication one needs to create the perception of an industrial-style shed draped around a heavy timber frame.

That said, this degree of realism also raises the bar in terms of how the build is judged in terms of its relationship to site, and it is in this respect that the prefab is implemented to varying degrees of success. When consistency has been established between the two the result is magic. On the other hand, any inconsistency between with the surrounding context can be seen as somewhat problematic.

By way of example, let us consider the Slightly Droog Home in two separate instances. The build is simply stunning in its role as EX{POSE}URE on the water sim of Iris (55,35) and acts to make all of the surrounding builds seem either awkward or increasingly surreal by virtue of its presence. Speaking in relative terms, in Nova Linden's residence (Ambleside 115,20) one could suggest the potential inversion of this relationship, as an overscaled imposition on a quiet pastoral landscape that just doesn't seem quite right when taken as a whole.

Caveat Emptor.

posted by Chip Poutine @ 1:30 PM