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Emaar Properties — Dubai, U.A.E.
Augmented Reality City
An augmented reality lens onto a city not yet built.
Client
Emaar Properties
Development
Dubai Creek Harbour
Platform
iPad Pro app
Discipline
Immersive & AR
01 — Background
A 3D printed model that needed bringing to life.
Emaar Properties in Dubai wanted an exciting way to display their plans for the new Dubai Creek Harbour development.
They had built a 3D printed model of the scheme and wanted it brought to life in a way that would delight viewers while informing them about the possibilities of being situated there.
02 — Problem
Accurate, but nobody stayed long.
Problem, in detail
A model that informed, but didn't hold anyone.
The 3D printed table gave a rough sense of the surroundings and the plans, but it wasn't exciting and it wasn't interactive.
Visitors spent very little time engaging with it or discussing it. It drew little attention on social or traditional media, wasn't shared, and did nothing as a referral tool to attract new potential clients.
03 — Solution
Augmented reality over a featureless white model.
Viewed through our bespoke iPad Pro app, the white, featureless models appeared in full CGI, with rich colour and texture.
The area's transport links and other amenities could be interrogated through an interactive interface, filtered to show whatever the viewer wanted to see.
The plexiglass sea sprang to life with waves and boats moving across it, and we superimposed text on the water to inform viewers graphically. Flamingos from the planned waterfront bird sanctuary flew across the camera, while planes, hot air balloons and helicopters crossed the sky.
In the experience
04 — Impact
More than Emaar had hoped for.
Shared within hours
Within hours of its first viewing it spread widely across social and traditional media, with people sharing their experiences of it.
Engagement time up
Time at the table went from a few seconds to several minutes, with users returning to repeat the experience.
Existing assets, extended value
The work reused 3D assets originally created for marketing stills in an entirely new way, extending their life and their return.
05 — Beyond the brief
From augmented reality to walking through the building.
After the success of the AR experience, we discussed extending it into virtual reality.
That would let potential buyers enter the buildings, facilities and landscapes at 1:1 scale and experience them from the inside. If you were considering an apartment there, you could walk in and see the view from its balcony — from anywhere in the world.
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