dream-homeland reimagines the concept of home as a subjective emotional
construct rather than a spatial constant. Built in Unity, this virtual
environment unfolds a personal narrative through surreal materiality and
symbolic space, using dream logic to subvert familiar notions of
domesticity.
Embodied Alterity
Within the space, characters fly, speak with radical honesty, and exist
without constraint. These interactions foster poetic agency and emotional
resonance. The goal is not to simulate reality, but to explore interiority
and ambiguity. The user navigates a space that evokes disorientation,
curiosity, and reflection on belonging.
II. PROCESS
Design Priorities
- Develop a distinct visual language
- Center user experience around openness and discovery
- Translate personal memory through spatial metaphor
- Encourage emotional immersion through surreal aesthetics
III. EXPERIENCE
User Journey
The experience begins underwater. Users land on a submerged bed surrounded
by static televisions and satellite debris. Movement is open and
unconstrained. As users explore, they transition to a dreamlike cityscape
that tilts against gravity. Videos embedded within objects activate
through proximity, generating audiovisual fragments that shift perception
and mood.
Observations
- The visual aesthetic is cohesive and emotionally expressive
- The juxtaposition of oceanic and architectural elements heightens narrative
tension
- Some users experienced disorientation due to lack of navigation cues
- Simultaneous use of mouse and keyboard was noted as a usability challenge
IV. OUTPUT
Rendered Environment
Visual Stills
V. REFLECTION
Speculation as Shelter
Home is not a fixed space. It is a site of memory, vulnerability, and
transformation. dream homeland proposes a speculative alternative to
domestic architecture, shaped by emotion, contradiction, and the surreal.
It explores what it means to feel at home within discomfort, and how
dreams coexist with unresolved histories. This work reclaims digital space
as both a poetic and critical medium for emotional world-making.
