Keystone Bouchard: Discord Schism, Metaverse Engineer, and Dusan Writer were the main collaborators. Who was on the Metanomics team to create this space? I think the incorporation of that feedback ended up making it a much stronger design than I could have come up with on my own Everyone was invited to stop by at any time and provide feedback. The Linden Lab headquarters had to remain confidential, and it was harder to gain access or feedback from most of the people who would actually be using it, whereas with Metanomics, I was able to more fully engage the community of people who will actually end up using this space. The biggest difference, I think, was in openness.
As far as complexity, I would say the Linden Lab HQ 4-sim project I worked on in 2007 while I was working with Clear Ink was quite a bit more so - given the magnitude of different program elements it had to accommodate, and the functional goals were much more difficult to quantify. Keystone Bouchard: It wasn't terribly complicated from a functional perspective, since the intended use of the space was very clear. Would you say that this was the most complex project you've taken on? Here is the transcript of our conversation just before the opening. Keystone began the design process for the Metanomics building in February, and it had its unveiling on May 6, 2009. Keystone and I had been chatting for well over an hour, with just one interruption (he had to step away from the computer to say goodbye to his grandmother who was visiting his Real Life home – a real family man!), when it occurred to him to share with me that he’d been notified minutes before our meeting that his Studio Wikitecture, which he co-founded along with Theory Shaw (aka Ryan Schultz), had just won the Linden Prize: $10,000 USD for developing an “innovative in-world project that improves the way people work, learn and communicate in their daily lives outside of the virtual world.” And that should give you an inkling of the kind of fellow we’re talking about here. Le Corbusier defined architecture as the “magnificent play of volumes brought together under light” Unless you’ve been living under a rock or are very new to Second Life, then you know that the secret sauce over at Metanomics - the talk show that explores the serious uses of virtual worlds – is its community of suits and geeks who are there to mobilize mostly biz and tech ideas through conversation, together with the occasional sprinkling of left brainers, a smattering of educators and hard-core scientists, and a dash of memes. My guess is that he did, whether he is aware of it or not. When I met with him just hours before the Metanomics studio he had created was about to have its public debut, I completely forgot to ask Keystone Bouchard (aka Jon Brouchoud) if he had implemented Feng Shui techniques in the design. To me, it looks like the body of an acoustic guitar, or maybe a key hole, or perhaps it is a musical note.
Using virtual worlds to bring blueprints to life is not only possible but a daily reality in Second Life®. Wouldn't you? It is such an inexpensive step and so basic to our senses (including common sense!). If I were to commission the design of a building - whether commercial or residential - I would vastly prefer the opportunity to walk in and around it before brick and mortar were employed, over looking at CAD animations and illustrations, a flat screen, or even a 3D printout.