Out with the old and in with the new! In Converted, I’m asking you to take an in-depth look at existing architecture near you or one you love worldwide and introduce something new.
The Tropical Garden by ZAS Architects/Dubai is a botanical forest environment designed to surprise, educate and delight. Inspired by the pistachio, the tropical indoor forest sits inside adjoining transparent oval glass shells, on a large reflective pond on the mall’s rooftop. Visible from adjacent entertainment areas, dynamic pistachio shapes are mirrored and reflected on the surrounding surface. A contemporary honeycomb glass facade allows sunlight to penetrate into the deepest levels of the botanical garden’s temperature-controlled environment.
Visually unique, the dome’s structural frame represents a growing tree and the natural cycle of life. Verdant and green, the frame shapes the interior forest, with roots growing deep into the earth at lower levels and large leafy tree branches animating and shaping the upper levels. Digital 3D mapping of animals animate surfaces of trees and vegetation throughout.
Santiago studied industrial design at university because he was looking for something related to design. The design degree concept was completely new in Ecuador at the time, and he was drawn to it. He knew that the creativity he had felt since childhood couldn’t be applied as well in any other field as it would be in the design field.
After a bad experience with an employer, he decided to go on his own and turn his attention to architectural visualization, and once he saw Alex Roman’s short film The Third & The Seventh there was no turning back.
The Journey to Improvement
Santiago may not call himself a perfectionist, but after opening his own office, he set his standards very high. When comparing his work to images that were being created around the world, he knew when his work wasn’t good enough. That’s when he decided to attend a Master Class at State of Art Academy in Italy.
He was present at the first International SOA Master Class, and calls the experience “absolutely great.” It was there that he learned that approach and philosophy are the keys, and that everything else is just a tool.
Winning the Image of the Week was the ‘Beginning of Everything’
After winning Image of the Week in July 2012 with “Vanilla Room”, Santiago says everyone began to love his work, and his website exploded. The exposure he had on the forum was a complete turning point for him, and the momentum still hasn’t stopped.
Today, his studio is as busy as ever, and Santiago is teaching even more than he is creating projects. He has created a post-production training and a Corona Renderer training, both of which are available online, and he shares his philosophy on the amount of work that he believes students should be doing in each.
All about the Making of METEORA
Santiago has been showcased on the blog three times, with the most popular images being METEORA. In our conversation, we dig deep into the process of making of these images, how Santiago did what he did, and what he learned along the way.
Discover all this and more, on this session of The SpectRoom with Santiago Sanchez.
Coming fall 2017, polyget will offer a great variety of scenes, assets and beautiful animated and loopable plants, that will give your animations that last push towards realism.
Static plants is a huge giveaway, but with our easy-to-use 3D models and presets, you will be able to make your animations even more lifelike.
Our 3D models are created for 3ds Max and Corona Render, but, if requested, we will make them available for other software and render engines.
The Coworking 2040 is inspired by the Linehouse project for WeWork offices in Shanghai. Our interior design has been inspired in Justina Blakeney and her book The New Bohemians. She is an artist and designer passionated about color, patterns and plants and I felt that her style works well with this project and the look and feel that I wanted.
