Great Virtual Architecture: Is There Potential For Metaverse Architects in Building The Future?

Mark Zuckerberg introduced the Metaverse to the world in late October 2021. And since then the buzz has been real, but unfortunately, major parts of the workforce isn’t certain whether being part of the Metaverse is the right thing to do or not.

One thing that is awe-inspiring about the Metaverse for everyone is its virtual architecture. The whole platform is destined to have majestic architecture along with magnificent buildings and visuals.

However, the real question that remains unanswered is: whether there is potential for Metaverse architects in building the future. Well, here we will be answering that and everything we need to know about virtual properties in the Metaverse.

In This Article

What’s The Point Of The Metaverse?

The Metaverse’s goal is to provide everyone with a platform that can help people interact online but in a better way. Since the pandemic, everyone has been working behind screens at home, and this change was vital.

For instance, imagine how real estate agents would have worked during the pandemic if this technology was common at that time. They could host virtual walkthroughs of their properties online while being under lockdown.

The Metaverse can mean big fortunes as well for certain companies. For instance, there is a skateboard park in the Metaverse by Vans, a skateboard company that has over 48 million visitors to date. Users can also buy and sell NFTs in Decentraland. Though the concept of selling and buying digital art can confuse many people, the normalisation of this is on its way.

Metaverse Real-Estate

The Metaverse has real estate like no other. It has every single detail that is expected in a building, and the architecture itself in the Metaverse is unique and exceptionally creative. There are a few things that are worth mentioning about Metaverse real-estate, especially if you want to be an architect in the Metaverse or are interested in learning about virtual architecture, and how it will change the future.

Real-Estate and Building in Decentraland

The Metaverse works differently than the real world; there will be a map square on the upper left corner of the Decentraland interface. By clicking on the square, users will have a green grid, and the grid will have a number of plot points, the plot points mean millions of dollars in terms of land value.

If we talk in numbers specifically, there are 90,000 plots in Decentraland, and an NFT backs each plot. Thanks to brands like Domino, Gucci, and Coca-cola, virtual land sales based on NFT have skyrocketed.

In December, the real estate market had an average of $26 600 per transaction in Decentraland, and since then, it has increased by 155%, thanks to the support from the brands mentioned above.

Users can feel free to travel around the Metaverse. For instance, if you want to reach a place, you have to click on the corresponding coordinates, and you will be there in no time. You can also opt for the scenic route, where you can explore stadiums, fountains, and loads of virtual property.

Current Architects of The Metaverse

The plus point about the Metaverse is that anyone can be an architect and, although a degree in architecture is desirable, no specific degree is required. It can have a lot of potential in terms of money. A Decentraland user can build via an in-platform tool, or they are also free to import models designed by other programs like SketchUp and Blender.

Nonetheless, the bids for a custom design by a virtual Metaverse builder are seen in the range of $200,000 to $300,000, and the industry is yet to grow.

That’s not all, there are famous architectural firms that have also stepped foot into the Metaverse. From Sheikh Zayed Bridge in Abu Dhabi to Evelyn Grace Academy in London all are looking forward towards the Metaverse.

The introduction of Zaha Hadid’s architecture is something that everyone is looking forward to. The awe-inspiring designs are developed by Jaime Lopez, Patrik Schumacher and Mytaverse’s Kenneth Landau. The main objective of these architects is to create a virtual city using the signature concepts of ZHA.

The virtual city that is going to be created by Zaha Hadid Architecture is a concept of the Free Republic of Liberland. Liberland is basically a 2.7 mile long area that is between Croatia and Serbia. But unfortunately, due to its lack of infrastructure, no one really lives there.

With the assistance from Zaha Hadid Architects, Liberland can exist with futuristic architecture and people are already willing to sign up for it. About 700,000 people have already submitted their applications of citizenship in Liberland.

ZHA aren’t the only ones who are actively taking part in the architecture of the Metaverse. Architectural firm Voxel Architects was set-up a few years back and now has 21 employees across the globe.

Voxel Architects are keen to provide high-quality projects to the Metaverse. An example of their prime project is a ‘digital twin’ of the auction house Sotheby’s London HQ. Another project that Voxel Architects have under their name is an art gallery which was inspired by IM Pei, who was a Chinese- American architect.

An associate at Squire and Partners, Stavros Zachariades is also another early architect pioneer. He is the founder of Renovi NFT, which is the first NFT marketplace for architects. Although he is on his first project, he claims to enjoy the freedom of art as the barriers in the Metaverse are dissolved.

Are There Rules In The Metaverse? And How Do You Design In There?

One thing that the Metaverse is definitely better for for and architect than this world is rules and absence of red tape. First, planning permission isn’t necessarily required, and it gets better as there are no planning authorities that can reject an architect’s design. Though the Metaverse does have a drawback, and everything isn’t just free-for-all.

Architects are limited to building only up to 20 meters on one plot of 16-meter square. The limits do increase depending on how many plots an architect exactly owns.

The only reason to have this limitation is to keep the Metaverse safe from crashes, as without having a restriction on the digital file size, the Metaverse would struggle to load. This is also why the Metaverse visuals look pixelated to those who are used to hyper-real renders.

In some cases, when we talk about designing in the Metaverse, the process works similarly to design in real life. As an architect, you will get a brief from your client and early design work before the concept is locked in and built but in the Metaverse it’s easier and chances are that your ideas will not be rejected.

Though there are no engineers in the Metaverse, the developers need to make the designs interactive; an example is checking if a door can open or not. At the same time, the architects must be incredibly creative in this land of the Metaverse as basic areas which would be necessary here may not be in virtual worlds. For example, there are no toilets and bedrooms in this universe, so the challenge for designers is real.

As for creativity, some groups of architects are already working on Metaverse’s virtual architecture. The group is from Malta and has been working on ambitious project since March. Some of the projects currently undergoing include the tallest tower in Decentraland.

Areas To Be Covered While Designing For The Metaverse

Having a character in the Metaverse is easy, all you may have to do is create an avatar, add a username, a picture and that’s it. But being an architect in the Metaverse is relatively different and there are certain aspects that should be covered while designing in the Metaverse. Some of the aspects that can be covered are described below briefly.

Architecture Should Be Accessible And Interactive

One of the key features that an architect in the Metaverse must be able to deliver is accessible and interactive architecture. While creating designs an architect must serve users with an accessible experience. Though this might not be an easy task as there are critical factors that should be kept under consideration while designing.

If the right factors are not considered, users might have to face negative impacts such as motion sickness which is common amongst the players who use VR. On the bright side, the technology is relatively new and architects can work on solutions from scratch rather than trying to optimize the current system that is used in the Metaverse.

Content In The Metaverse Is Defined By Architects

Content is an important aspect in the Metaverse. Knowing what to do in the Metaverse is vital for the users. The Metaverse will have the same content that is on the internet today except for the fact that the content will be in 3D.

Anything from text, music and movies will exist in the Metaverse but the consumption of content will be different. This aspect has to be treated critically as in the Metaverse, users will only have their basic headset. This means that designers have to serve users with a format that works best for the users.

Unfortunately, there is no single way to portray content to users. For music, architects might end up with a virtual stadium for concerts whereas for movies a virtual cinema. All in all, designers have to experiment multiple ways to serve the users with the most appropriate yet creative virtual experience.

Is There Any Potential For Metaverse Architects And Virtual Architecture?

With more and more people venturing into virtual reality and enjoying entertainment and even basic living experiences in the Metaverse, it is a certainty that Metaverse architects or virtual architects are going to be a commodity sooner than we think. Here we have listed some potential benefits that virtual metaverse architects may consider when thinking of building in the Metaverse.

Metaverse Is A Dream Opportunity For An Architect

As we move on in time, virtual environments are certainly becoming more common than before. For platforms like Microsoft Mesh, Facebook’s Horizon Worlds, and Spatial.io, the Metaverse is just an extension of life or work.

Whereas, mega-platforms like the Sims, Roblox, Minecraft, and Second Life have been developing virtual worlds for players, allowing them to explore their landscapes.

In the future, it is expected that there will be multiple interoperable Metaverses, all powered by blockchain and on-platform currencies, which will serve as the economy of the Metaverse. So how does it affect an architect?

An architect in the physical world must go through safeguards, including regulations, zoning, accreditations, and best practices. Whereas, in the metaverse, creativity matters the most.

Of course, one of the best motivations that an architect may have for building in the Metaverse is money. An example of this is in Decentraland, where the price of the land has jumped to $10,000 in the game’s most visited virtual district.

Architects Are Not Limited To Barriers

The Metaverse is free from gravity, and it is also free from material restrictions. So an architect doesn’t have to worry about the things that they have to worry about in the physical world. In the Metaverse, the sky’s the limit.

This can be seen through a virtual meeting platform created by SpaceForm when BIG partnered with UNStudio. In SpaceForm, people can sit and collaborate in real-time; the room’s environment is futuristic, offers holographic tables with data visualization, and displays 3D rendering.

Users and developers often code the designs without formal experience in architecture. This can be an amazing overall experience for an architect as they have everything they need in the Metaverse.

Some architects have spotted these new opportunities in the Metaverse. They have extended the design frontiers and have transformed them into the virtual world. A prime example of this is “NFTism,” which was presented by Zaha Hadid Architects.

NFTism is an art gallery at Art Basel Miami that helps explore the Metaverse social interaction and architecture.

A Move Toward Equal Opportunities In The Metaverse

In the Metaverse, things are different thanks to the Metaversal economy. The virtual world has so much to offer. It guarantees opportunities for emerging and underrepresented architects regardless of race, sexual orientation, or gender.

The Change In Business Model in The Metaverse

When discussing the potential of virtual architecture in the Metaverse, it is worth mentioning the business model followed in the virtual world. In the real world, life as an architect is more difficult, as is finding a good client.

Most clients in the physical world don’t fully support their architect’s creative ideas, and some may not even pay the bills on time. This leads to most of the designs staying on paper forever. The ideas are rejected for various reasons, and most of the paper architecture is not recognized by clients. As “work” is incomplete and the idea has not come to fruition, it is considered valueless.

If the architect is lucky enough to be selected by the client. Building it is a different process; construction is expensive, full of uncertainty, and time-consuming, giving many opportunities to get sued if a project goes wrong.

Whereas when we talk about the Metaverse, things are quite in favor of a Metaverse architect: A lack of red tape, freedom for creativity, better opportunities, value in creating a design and not only in building it, a chance t be a part of the future, and seemingly endless possibility for what can be built to occupy the new metaverses. The Metaverse currently requires massive content to entertain its users. The new view on the “business model” changes things.

It looks to create experiences like a virtual amusement park, virtual concerts, virtual movie theatres, virtual schools, virtual conferences, and virtual casinos. The Metaverse will welcome every source of entertainment in the virtual world, and this is impossible without the right architects.

The virtual place is a territory full of endless possibilities, where architects can feel more free to create unique designs funded by people who want to collect that one-of-a-kind asset, in the form of an NFT.

Architects can even build digital assets like furniture, cities, buildings, sculptures, textures, etc., and sell them multiple times in the virtual world.

If anyone interested in virtual metaverse architecture wants to experience the maximum potential for their, then the Metaverse may be the place to be.

Take-Away

Being an architect in the Metaverse can be a dream job for many. Virtual architecture will not only give the world a broader perspective but it will also not be limited to restrictions, at least for now. It is safe to say that Metaverse architects have real potential in building the Metaverse.

REAL-ESTATE