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Immersive Biomes with Dynamic Snow and Desert Landscapes

Authors:
Falder Munn, Lauren Konstantinou
Immersive Biomes with Dynamic Snow and Desert Landscapes

Project in-detail

The comprehensive virtual environment integrates immersive biomes, including dynamic snow and desert landscapes, to provide a unique platform for interactive exploration and user engagement.
5 key facts about this project
01
Dynamic biomes include snow and desert landscapes with real-time weather changes.
02
Users can create oases in the desert biome, enhancing interactive experiences.
03
Each biome offers unique challenges and rewards, promoting user engagement.
04
The forest biome features responsive trees that interact with user actions.
05
A sci-fi realm allows exploration of cosmic environments, expanding imaginative possibilities.

Altera is a virtual project that combines technology and user experience through the creation of immersive landscapes. This environment allows users to explore a range of thematic biomes filled with diverse challenges and rewards. The design concept focuses on active engagement, inviting individuals to shape their surroundings while navigating the intricate digital world.

Biome Diversity

The project features several distinct biomes: Snow, Wildcards, Cyber, Tectonic, Marsh, Desert, and Forest. Each biome is designed to showcase unique environmental conditions that enhance the user experience. The Snow biome, for example, is set in a frigid landscape where the harsh weather introduces challenges like blizzards. This not only requires users to adapt their strategies but also offers stunning visuals dominated by ice and snow, creating an engaging atmosphere.



Interactivity and User Agency

A key aspect of Altera is its emphasis on interactivity and user agency. Users can modify their environment, which allows for a personal and engaging experience. This level of participation fosters a connection between the user and their surroundings. As individuals move through different landscapes, they face various challenges; overcoming these often leads to rewards, such as improved skills or virtual currency. This encourages continuous exploration and interaction.



Environmental Integration

The Forest and Desert biomes exemplify how Altera integrates natural beauty with interactive challenges. The Forest biome features tall trees and a calming atmosphere, inviting users to engage with the environment. In contrast, the Desert biome presents a more demanding landscape, where users can create oases amidst arid conditions. This contrast demonstrates the complex relationship between the environment and user experience, highlighting both challenges and rewards in a thoughtful layout.



Technological Aesthetics

Altera also explores futuristic concepts through its Sci-Fi biome, which illustrates the creative possibilities of digital design. Users can delve into cosmic environments and engage in various activities that push boundaries. This blend of imaginative settings and realistic elements presents a coherent framework, showing how technology can enhance architectural interactions in a virtual space.



The combination of adaptable biomes, user engagement, and thoughtful design creates a rich experience that invites exploration. Altera showcases how virtual environments can foster interaction, encouraging users to navigate and influence their experience within a carefully crafted digital landscape.

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MICROHOME 10: Celebrating Small-Scale Living with €100,000 Prize Fund and Kingspan’s Innovation

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Competition organisers

The MICROHOME 10 competition invites participants to submit visionary designs for off-grid, modular microhomes that push the limits of sustainable, small-scale living. Organised by Buildner in partnership with Kingspan and Hapi Homes, this tenth edition sets the challenge of designing a dwelling for two people within a maximum floor area of 25 m², encouraging bold solutions adaptable to any urban or rural location. The competition continues Buildner’s mission to foster innovative approaches to compact, energy-efficient housing that can address pressing global challenges.

This year’s edition offers a generous total prize fund of €100,000, including the Kingspan Award for designs that integrate high-performance Kingspan products and the Hapi Homes Award for a project selected for real-world construction. In addition to cash prizes, the winners gain international exposure through Buildner’s media partnerships, publications, and a dedicated MICROHOME magazine, further amplifying their ideas to the wider architectural community.

Key dates for MICROHOME 10 include the closing date for registration on 25 September 2025, the submission deadline on 29 October 2025 (11:59 p.m. London time), and the announcement of winners on 9 December 2025. These milestones ensure participants have clear timelines to develop and present their concepts, with early registration discounts available to support students and emerging designers worldwide.

MICROHOME

Design a new small-scale home concept in the 10th edition of MICROHOME — 100,000 € prize + construction

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 € + Potential realisation
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 25 September 2025

Enter an open architecture
competition now

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