Sarah Rothberg

“Memories are motionless, and the more securely they are fixed in space, the sounder
they are.” (Gaston Bachelard, The Poetics of Space). This course is about exploring the
unique affordances of virtual space in order to create VR experiences that transcend
the (still awkward) headset. In class we will: Read and discuss relevant
interdisciplinary writings from architecture, philosophy, neuroscience, art history, and
poetry; Have in-class demos for core concepts of Unity3d for VR; Group critique of
each other’s work; Analyze the successes and failures of available VR apps; Have visits
from guests VR creators
Students will walk away with:
An introduction to 3d concepts and Unity for VR (for multiple headsets)
A deep dive into what makes a meaningful VR experience
A light introduction to other methods of developing Virtual Reality experiences (360
video, Oculus Medium, AFrame)
Command of current practices in VR design
Several weekly explorations (both low-tech and virtual)
A final interactive Virtual Reality project (which can be executed in Unity or on another
platform)