METHOD has been applied to conceptualise and prototype the multidimensional reality of the Fjordarium at Fornebu Brygge, immersing both the physical and virtual visitors in the spectacular experience of an Unreal Real Estate.
This is the third article in our Fornebu Brygge series, where we share the business case we have developed for designing virtual and augmented experiences that scale the physical footprint of the Fjordarium, and the METHOD behind its creation.
In doing so we are excited to reveal the news that this has resulted in the forming of our latest company, UnrealEstate by We Are Human, based on the concept of Unreal Real Estate - where physical and virtual reality meet.
If you missed the previous articles in the series, you can read the first introducing the Fjordarium at Fornebu Brygge here, and the second sharing the business case behind the project here.
METHOD exploration phase: Uncovering the MetaFjord opportunity
The first project for UnrealEstate brings flair and humour, playing on the grand concept of metaverse, but with a narrower and more grounded codename: MetaFjord.
MetaFjord is a communication, collaboration & community platform taking the learning centre at Fornebu Brygge from physical to augmented and virtual dimensions. For entertainment, learning & business.
Project by Oslo Works / Haptic and EntrepreneurShipOne.
Credit: Selvaag, We Are Human and Fornebu Brygge. Render by Aesthetica Studio.
To understand the depth of this opportunity, we have applied an explorative METHOD that enabled us to understand the true extent of Unreal Real Estate, particularly in the context of Fornebu Brygge.
Whilst unlocking this potential and the digital economy of physical spaces, UnrealEstate has collaborated with leading Nordic architect firm Oslo Works.
From physical to augmented to virtual dimensions, and back
As part of our mission to unlock the opportunities of our oceans we, as technology entrepreneurs, have been excited about developments in the WEB3, crypto, AR & VR spaces. These technologies have allowed us to create a concept for a communication, collaboration and community platform directly linked and mirroring the physical Fjordarium.
If we are to learn, explore and fall in love with what’s below the surface of the sea, we have to go beyond. We have designed the physical Fjordarium to bring us all below the surface together, looking out and interacting with human activity to regenerate the local ecosystem.
However, we have also designed it so we can simultaneously experience it virtually, interacting with the real world and vice-versa in real time. Thanks to the continuous development of XR technologies, from the likes of our partner Living Cities, we can mirror the real and unreal world.
“Technology is best when it brings people together.” - Matt Mullenweg, Founder WordPress
Project by Oslo Works / Haptic and EntrepreneurShipOne.
Credit: Selvaag, We Are Human and Fornebu Brygge. Render by Aesthetica Studio.
Reality is scarce and the metaverse is infinitely abundant. Or is it?
We have gained unique insights and inspiration from Living Cities, who have written about the scarcity of the real world vs digital.
Compared to infinitely abundant online worlds, there’s only so much physical real estate. It’s finite, and thus comparatively scarce. In infinite online worlds, scarcity is often artificially applied to create value. However, scarcity is built directly into the real world, creating incredible opportunities for creative expression and economic value.
Real places come with a backstory, history, community and emotions, built up over centuries. On the other hand, invented places like films and games require enormous work on back stories to build up characters and emotional connection with the world they inhabit.
The real value of an extended reality is its connection with the physical world, and the digital economy of a physical space is to leverage and mirror scarcity online.
Augmented reality allows us to reshape the physical space around us to simulate a virtual ocean, or explore the mythical creatures that inhabited the imagination of the early ocean explorers. Giving the physical space an infinite variety of possibilities.
“The value of a building in the future won’t just be the physical space, it will be the community around it and the extended reality” - Ed Cooke, Founder SparkleVerse, a We Are Human portfolio company
Project by Oslo Works / Haptic and EntrepreneurShipOne.
Credit: Selvaag, We Are Human and Fornebu Brygge. Render by Aesthetica Studio.
We are seeking potential partners
This article has given a teaser about the broad Unreal Real Estate opportunity and the MetaFjord project itself. We will continue to publish content and updates that share our latest learnings and developments in more detail.
In the meantime, we’re looking for partners who are interested in learning more and helping us evolve our ideas further. If you have a physical real estate project that you’d like to explore developing in the virtual dimensions - perhaps as an architect or property developer - please contact us directly here.
We’re planning a series of Masterclasses to unlock METHOD
If you’d like to attend or learn more, please register your interest here.
