SHoP Architects is (as you’d guess) a firm of architects, based in New York. Its portfolio of work includes the global tech headquarters for Atlassian in Sydney and Uber in San Francisco, and the construction technology-pioneering Barclays Center, a digital and civic landmark in Brooklyn. With projects across five continents, and an eye always towards the future, SHoP makes use of the latest technology to facilitate its grand designs.

In 2019, SHoP chose Igloo Vision to provide a standout immersive facility for its headquarters, recently expanded into two floors of the historic Woolworth Building. Igloo proposed a high-spec cylinder, equipped with:

– An Igloo Immersive Media Player, their all-in-one solution that takes any content, from any source, and puts it into an immersive space
– Their Igloo software, providing SHoP with a comprehensive suite of applications that could meet all the firm’s needs
– Six ultra-short-throw laser Epson projectors, for minimal shadowing and super-sharp, super-bright imagery

Early in 2021, Igloo went back to find out how SHoP had been using the cylinder. Despite the challenges of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, they were delighted to learn how the team had been putting their immersive tech to use.

Here are just a few examples:

– Using Igloo Realtime to run a custom-built Unreal application and accelerate the planning and decision-making process. (The idea here was to help address a client’s concerns about potential distractions in an open-plan office with expansive glass walls facing a busy pedestrian walkway. By immersing the client in an interactive 3D model of the space, SHoP was able to demonstrate how a combination of shading and planting would bring privacy, without compromising the design.)
– Using Igloo Web to display 360° presentations and create a collaborative digital whiteboard using apps such as Miro.
– Using Igloo Capture to display Zoom feeds for remote team working and collaboration – even delivering a TED-style presentation to a university in this way.
– Using Igloo Playback to create a virtual tour of the SHoP fabrication facilities in Brooklyn with immersive 360° video content.

And the team can’t wait to get their hands on the Igloo Unity Reflect Viewer to access all their Unity Reflect tools in a shared immersive space.

COMPANY: Igloo