Architectural Tour of Second Life

Tuesday,  12/04/07   at   6 pm  SLT   (that's 9p EST)

The tour starts at the in-world offices of the BSA/AIA in virtual Nantucket - The Virtual Architects Association  (VAA)

We will visit 12  wonderful places that show extrodinary skills in in-world architectural design.  Every 5 minutes for an hour we will all teleport to a different architectural wonder, give you information about how it was done, and give you time to explore it before moving on.  We also have many new Landmarks for tools, aids, and tutorials for Second Life builders to share with you during the tour.  

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nantucket/56/33/22

(for those of you not yet familiar with the 3D Web, an SLurl is a kind of weblink that transports the virtual-you to a specific place within the 3D architectural CADD world)

                                                                    
About the Virtual Architects Association

The Virtual Architects Association (VAA)  is run as a sub-chapter of the Boston Society of Architects  (BSA) which in turn is the largest chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and takes on the same three-fold  mission -- to be of aid to  architects, second to help people who need to find an architect, and third to serve as a resource for anyone interested in architecture.
 
Welcome to the Association.

Wether you are designer, or are looking for one, or just interested in finding really interesting architecture, you are in the right place !

For Architects, Virtual Builders, and Interior Designers
* Meetings, Tutorials, and Presentations to help you build
* Listings of places where you can get building supplies, textures, furniture, etc.
* Listings of sandboxes where you can build
* Get your design firm listed in the VAA Resourcebook of designers and builders for SL
* Get a title, such as "Architect" which your avatar can wear (great marketing)
* Tips, Tricks, and Techniques and tools for building easier and faster
* Guides on how to make the transition from RL architectural CADD to the SL environment

For Land Owners looking for a designer
* Listings of different kinds of designers, and builders by type
* Come to any of our gatherings to talk with a number of designers before having to choose
* Guides on what to expect from a designer in SL, and what the costs range

For Everyone interested in exploring great architecture in Second Life
* A continually updated listing of great buildings and great places in SL
* Great Buildings created in SL
* Historic recreations
* Imaginary Fantasy Places
* Great Places - such as Nantucket, Dublin, Paris, Bora Bora

How to Join
Simply go to Search / Groups and type "Virtual Architects Association" (or simply "virtual" and select it from the list) and hit join.  It costs $10L  (about 3 cents US).
Then visit our offices in Nantucket occasionally to check the news board.

Benefits of Joining
- Notices of meetings and presentations
- A title ! Your avatar can have "Architect", "Interior Designer", etc. hovering overhead
- Ability to add your design firm to the VAA Resourcebook list of designers and builders for Second Life
- Ability to add your suggestions of great buildings or great places to the resourcebook

The Virtual Architects Association maintains offices with resources in the Second Life sim of virtual Nantucket, the heart of the 31 New England sims (yes, we know, where is a virtual Boston or Newport !)
visit us at  http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nantucket/56/33/22

About Second Life
Second Life is an online virtual architectural CADD world.  You access it through a free program similar to a Web browser, and, to wander through the hundreds of thousands of buildings, you are given a virtual version or yourself.  The feeling is very much as though everybody who ever did a SketchUp model could link them together and explore them together.  Although very very similar to the 3D modeler of SketchUp, the modeler within the free to use Second Life has many more modeling and rendering abilities than SketchUp, such as wind, gravity, flowing water, and even realistic skys (with a new add on).    Additionally, since people do create a virtual version of themselves which other can see and interact with, an enormous worldwide excitement has evolved in many areas of human interaction online, from online conferencing, distance learning, and multi-media presentations, to role game playing, and listening to live concerts.

From RL (real life, how people  in-world refer to the "other" 3D environment)  architects viewpoint, there is an enormous brave new world, with hundreds of thousands of buildings ( a few of which are even architecturally significant)  where ALMOST NONE  (comparatively) have been done by actual architects.  At every AIA strategy retreat they talk about getting the general public more interested in architecture.... well, in SL it is happening.  In addition to re-creations of existing architecture, Second Life currently has re-creations of historic architecture, sections of cities that no longer exist, as well as fantastical architecture that could never exist.  So join us in exploring everything from a re-creation of the Paris Louvre, to cloud cities, to mermaid grottos, to even current architectural design projects.