April 2011
Mapping out Masdar More than 14 years before its scheduled completion, those interested in taking a tour of Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City can, with the aid of a computer and some innovative software. Melanie Mingas takes a virtual tour of the futuristic city
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n the year 2000, architecture student Gregory Morlet had an idea. While working on his final assessment, Morlet realised the ideal method to communicate his designs would be to create a world in which they could exist, before being built. Inspired by a passion for video games, Morlet created a virtual environment in which his audience could view his project with total freedom of movement and perspective. The idea was a success and after graduation Morlet developed the platform further. In 2003 he founded Vectuel, a company which today provides an urban design software programme, VectuelStory. At the World Future Energy Summit, in January 2010 the programme also known as VStory, was used to bring the world an exclusive preview of Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City; the world’s first zero-carbon city, scheduled for completion in 2025. Bringing each project to life, VStory communicates all existing and future elements of an urban environment, going as far as to simulate animations such as people, vegetation, traffic and even climatic conditions. Carrying less data than BIM modelling, but more details of the surrounding environment, the software provides the dual functions of architectural and urban visualisation for all project collaborators. Taking four months to produce, the Masdar programme mapped every aspect of the project, from the underground water pipes to the interiors of the stations that will form part of the Personal Rapid Transport (PRT) . The software allows interaction with the architectural environment — from within or above — as well as additional options to view the utility infrastructure or an overview of how each completed phase will look, step by step. By building this interactive environment, VStory facilitates the production of “large scale, three dimensional models
in a photo-realistic way, enabling the requirements of decision-making and communication of architectures and urbanism projects”, claims the company. “Our 3D virtual models also integrate the notion of 4D — time criteria — which aims to visualise an environment before and after the insertion of future architecture projects,” explains Middle East branch manager, Caroline Tasse.
Vectuel allows the user the option of viewing each phase of a development individually.
the governments are, the need to understand and exchange information is essential, to enable a sustainable urban design and plan, dedicated to a better quality of life for the project’s citizens.” In addition to Masdar City, A map of Masdar City’s underground utilities network. Vectuel’s planning software has also been used in a “Thus, we can follow the evolution of a number of large scale projects in France new area and answer questions about its such as Poitiers town centre, Grand Lyon progress: what will this place look like in Presqu’île, Pierre Sénart and the tram three, five or 10 years?” system in Nantes. While Tasse describes the product as The company is now looking at further a “work tool” that enables the user to potential applications in the Middle East, “simulate, visualise and assess a project with an aim to establish a presence in in the purpose of validation”, she points every GCC country by the end of the year. out that the secondary function of 3D “The 3D technologies and expertise interactivity is found in the communication we have developed aim to support major and sales promotion value. urbanisation and architecture projects at The 6km² development area of Abu each stage of their development: from the Dhabi’s Masdar City project has been design to the support of decision-makers entirely mapped using VStory. in the project promotion,” continues Tasse. “It is easily displayed on the Internet, “Facing the redesign of master plans, in a showroom and during an exhibition, the implementation of new transport everybody can discover the future of systems, the whole change cities face Masdar City,” explains Tasse. in the UAE and other countries in “By testing different options, we can the region today need to acquire the produce a first-class development without tools to lead this change,” she notes. supporting the cost of real construction “Consequently, the main focus is on mistakes,” she comments. “Whatever understanding the existing environment the urban strategies implemented by in order to keep developing.”