METAVERSE MAGNIFIQUE

Making Meaningful Metaverses

SURAPONG LERTSITHICHAI1
1
Faculty of Architecture Chulalongkorn University, MQDC Metaverse
1
surapong@cuinda.com, 0000-0003-0764-4549

Abstract. Being immersive online and physically isolated during the

COVID-19 pandemic may not be the future of the metaverse we
anticipate. Therefore, the rising challenge of creating metaverses does
not lie in what novel virtual experiences can be offered but in how to
make the experience more meaningful to users. This involves creating
an engaging environment for both physical and virtual social
interactions and providing equity for a wide range of users. Metaverse
Magnifique intends to explore the design of a meaningful metaverse
beyond the computer screen. It investigates a combination of the best
features of digital and physical environments with human interactions
seamlessly conducted and transitioned between the two worlds while
also inquiring a better understanding of the changing social norms from
fundamental human activities. A series of experimental Proto-
metaverse projects based on a critical review of the Metaverse typology
are proposed then developed into small-scale designs to highlight a
meaningful behavior, action, task, or activity. The projects are then
coupled with a physical site and extended into a full-fledged metaverse
project integrated within the city. The projects showcase meaningful
experiences by translating visual and spatial elements then enabling AI
assistive features for better communication or interpretation of subtle
interaction nuances.

Keywords. Metaverse, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed

Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Twin, Spatial Elements, User
Experiences

1. Introduction
The term metaverse (Stephenson, 1993) was initially defined as a massively
multiplayer virtual world that users entered via goggles to immerse themselves in a
themed world. This scenario has been depicted in the film “Ready Player One” in 2018
(screenplay by Ernest Cline) where the protagonist “Parzival” entered the virtual world
and stated that “people come to the Oasis for the all the things they can do, but they
stay because of all the things they can be.” Film characters in fiction may choose to
stay connected virtually, but physical isolation from society as we had experienced

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during the COVID-19 pandemic can be more problematic with global impact. Social
isolation can cause serious psychological disorders including anxiety and panic,
obsessive-compulsive symptoms, insomnia, digestive problems, as well as depressive
symptoms and post-traumatic stress (Pietrabissa, 2020) which may not be the future of
the metaverse we would anticipate. Therefore, the rising challenge of creating
metaverses does not lie in what novel virtual experiences can be offered but in how to
make the experience more meaningful to users. This involves creating an engaging
environment for both physical and virtual social interactions and providing equity for
a wide range of users.
Although we may not yet to understand how the metaverse may transform our lives
in the future, similar to how the Internet would impact how we conduct our daily lives
today. The ever-expanding Internet is now home to multiple social platforms that shape
our world, our society and influence our decisions in life. We are only at the forefront
of this exciting transition from the Internet to the metaverse and the current
underdeveloped metaverse is already vaster and more extensive than the Internet we
have grown to rely on (Geffen, 2020). Therefore, it is fair to say that the metaverse we
envision will be no less of a magnificent invention for the future, a “Metaverse
Magnifique” for the next generation.
Currently, there are two trends towards the metaverse, one is to build a digital twin
of our physical world and enhance it with virtual interactivity not possible in the real
world or what Meta had envisioned the next generation of their virtual world. The
second is based mostly in the physical world with augmented or enhanced features
connected online using augmented reality and heavily invested in distributed systems.
Both trends are happening now and may eventually merge to form a hybridization of
metaverse worlds.
According to Packy McCormick (McCormick, 2021), he envisions another
metaverse, a hybrid one as the combination of 4 spheres of converging work including:
Virtual worlds and spatial software going mainstream, Democratization of
eCommerce, Premium social media, and Adoption of decentralized, distributed, and
remote productivity tech. The so-called hybrid metaverse has an interesting narrative
based on human activities and behavior that is ever changing the landscape of tech
company solutions. Also, seen in development plans for hi-tech companies and even
game companies like Tencent, the metaverse becomes more like a platform to enable
and enhance user experiences bringing new value to the metaverse.
Many global companies today have released at least a glimpse into a virtual version
of their metaverses, mostly for commercial purposes and developed by game or hi-tech
companies on their behalf. Their goal is to remain relevant in the years to come and
create virtual value based on their physical brand value. As for physical counterparts,
we see initiatives such as the Amazon Style store in Glendale, California, the very first
physical apparel store for the online giant conglomerate Amazon.com with enhanced
shopping experiences for customers without store assistants except at the cashier, also
a very commercialized development towards a physical metaverse (Vasen, 2022).
Despite these already planned metaverses in production, one important factor can
be seen missing from the equation: the empowerment of all users. Commercializing
the metaverse can get things started with sufficient investments but cannot make
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MAKING MEANINGFUL METAVERSES

metaverses sustainable in the long run. We need better ways to engage users without
the lure of a brand. How does one create a metaverse that is meaningful, value-driven,
socially enabled and engages in equality for all? Perhaps going back to the basics of
human behavior and activities, stripping away the technical jargon and constraints of
the world politics, then looking into the betterment of life and the world as the ultimate
design goal for a people driven metaverse would be the best start.

2. Metaverse Magnifique
The “Metaverse Magnifique” is an option studio offered for year 4 architectural
students that intends to explore the design of a meaningful metaverse beyond the
computer screen. It investigates a combination of the best features of digital and
physical environments with human interactions seamlessly conducted and transitioned
between the two worlds while also inquiring a better understanding of changing social
norms from fundamental human activities and not from direct translations from one
world to another. Each participating student must design an experimental Proto-
metaverse project based on a critical review of the metaverse typology then develop a
small-scale design proposal to highlight a meaningful behavior, action, task, or activity
that combines digital and physical interactions in both environments.
As a continuation of the augmented architecture studio series (Lertsithichai, 2019),
Metaverse Magnifique focuses how we as space designers explore the interplay
between digital and physical environments and design new environments that embody
the best of both worlds. Imagine an embodied internet where you are in the experience
and not just looking at it like you do now. This is the basic premise behind the
metaverse. It is a hypothesized 3D virtual environment where we can do almost
everything from eat, work, play, shop, create, and much more (Winters, 2021).
The best-known prototype metaverse is the online virtual world Second Life. Other
games might also be said to be metaverses in their own right including World of
Warcraft, Everquest, Fortnite, Animal Crossing and Roblox, The Sandbox, and
Decentraland. Each of these offers its own version of an immersive world, and users
experience these games from the outside looking in; screens front and center, with
speakers on the sides (Ball, 2022). Actions are mediated by a keyboard, mouse,
trackpad, or game controller instead of players’ hands and feet. Metaverse Magnifique
intends to explore the possibilities beyond the screen, to enable user senses, to drive
user engagement and to create ideal spaces of the future.
These advancements reflect how we people have always been trying to reach a
point where we can perceive data through our five senses. In other words, we want
everything from entertainment to academics to be more engaging. And the good news
is that we are getting one step closer to this dream to have surreal and more tangible
experiences with the coming of the metaverse (Pimentel, 2022).
Therefore, the hypothesis of this design studio is that the design of a meaningful
metaverse requires a combination of the best features of digital and physical
environments with human interactions seamlessly conducted and transitioned between
the two worlds while also requiring a better understanding of changing social norms
from fundamental human activities and not from direct translations from one world to
another.
534 S. LERTSITHICHAI

3. Metaverse Design Exploration

In order to develop new ideas for the metaverse, students were required to follow a
specific design process and produce deliverables that helped develop a better
understanding in the topic during workshops and during the individual final projects.
The following describes the study procedures.

3.1. METAVERSE TYPOLOGIES & MIDJOURNEY

During the first few weeks of research, students individually surveyed metaverse
projects and collectively created a metaverse typology based on the findings. The
research objective is two-fold. Firstly, students are required to study metaverse
definitions, types, components, infrastructure, features, users and analyze case studies
of metaverses found globally. Secondly, students must survey and identify new
digitally enhanced actions, tasks, activities not applicable to existing physical
typologies of space and norms. The action wordings were then used as keyword
prompts in Midjourney to visualize new environments in addition to the 10 keywords
students were interested in (Figure 1). If the AI-generated illustrations inspire students
to explore further into their keyword definition or interpretation, students were then

asked to seek scientific or psychological criteria to back up these human actions.

Figure 1. Vision of "Belonging" in a metaverse as depicted by Midjourney with 10 keywords
(customize, own, beyond, cityscape, private, future, commerce, identity, colorful, shops) as input.

3.2. PROTO-METAVERSE PROJECTS

The following two weeks were dedicated to the development of a hybrid digital-
physical prototype using the Unreal game engine to recreate a 3D environment with
minimal interactions. Each student must design an immersive experience and conduct
user tests that can help identify which visual element activates what human emotion
and action (Figure 2). When sufficient data is collected and patterns have emerged from
the experimentation in Proto-metaverse projects, students can duplicate the same
results with their own prototype design proposal. The purpose of the prototype is to
extend the previous small-scale experiment beyond the limitations of physical
constraints and scale up the project to connect with other typologies of metaverses
creating yet a larger network of metaverses. Students must have a clear idea of the value
proposition of such environment and its logistics, functionality, currency, ownership
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MAKING MEANINGFUL METAVERSES

and creation as well as its vast amounts of users (The Meta-Verse, 2021). The focus of

this phase is to build a strong community of users that share a certain value in this
metaverse design.
Figure 2. Proto-metaverse project for "Entertain" with users exploring an immersive K-Pop music
experience complete with visual elements and musical scores built in the Unreal environment.

3.3. METAVERSE MAGNIFIQUE PROPOSALS

Students during this process are required to develop a unique Metaverse Magnifique
project that has both local footprints on an actual site around the country or the world
with interconnectivity of worlds online. Each individual project will need to propose
an actual physical site and context that relates to its main function. It is crucial to have
a functional program that can be sustainable or scalable in the future. The architecture
design must also consider user experiences and identity of the context. The final
proposals include 8 metaverse design projects based on the meaningful keywords
selected by students of play, explore, relax, belong, entertain, leisure, flourish, and
intangible.

4. Metaverse Magnifique Design Projects

The final Metaverse Magnifique design projects presented here are excerpts from a
body of works consisting of a presentation with images, drawings, site analysis, a
video, an example gameplay in Unreal engine, and a business model canvas to explore
possible monetization of the metaverse from digital assets (NFTs, digital twins) to
cryptocurrencies.

4.1. WASTE TO WORTH CAMPAIGN (PLAY)

Play is a universal human behavior of enjoyment that has been shown to help release
endorphins, improve brain functionality, stimulate creativity and make people feel
energetic. Research shows that play improves memory and stimulates the growth of
the cerebral cortex allowing humans to learn and reason in everyday life. With this
premise, the play keyword was converted into a "Waste to Worth Campaign" project
coupling the act of play with collecting trash and discarding them properly in the
respective recycling bin at a popular student market. The play-to-earn campaign is
located at Suanluang market near the university, a popular area for students where trash
can be found periodically on the grounds. The idea was to combine the act of play using
AR equipment (phone) with the act of collecting trash then earning digital coins as an
536 S. LERTSITHICHAI

incentive and rid the area (and people) of discarded trash before moving on to another
location. In addition, virtual trash of various recycled materials collection game can
also be deployed strategically in certain locations to increase the level challenge in the
game (Figure 3). The possibility to expand this metaverse nationwide or globally is
quite high with city public works and government agencies being main stakeholders or
investors of the game.

Figure 3. Screenshot of the AR trash collecting game seen on an actual site.

4.2. EXPLORATORIA (EXPLORE)

The keyword of "Explore" is a common human behavior we encounter especially when
we venture out to new territories. Metaverses may this keyword useful to create a
lasting and meaningful experience for users not to feel bored or leave the place
unexpectedly. The inspiration of the Exploratoria came from a visit to a small urban
park not being able to explore certain areas marked off-limits, which then extended into
the experience of hiking at a vast national park where so many grounds could not be
covered in a day trip. The site chosen was Khaoyai national park combined with a
metaverse of virtual activities not possible onsite like fireworks, lighting up the ground
and trees during the night or bird watching with added information in AR (Figure 4).
Physically, markers can be placed onsite, and drones could be deployed for added
viewpoints allowing users to seek AR-enhanced routes beyond the existing trial.

Figure 4. Exploratoria viewpoint in the jungle with fauna and flora information to identify during the
hike. Setting goals and wandering off-limits can be done virtually in this metaverse.
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4.3. RELAXIOS (RELAX)

Relaxios is a project proposed for relaxation in the metaverse that are mostly confined
to the senses of sight, hearing and touch with limited movements. The project is located
in an urban park called Chatuchak park, known as the largest open market in the world.
It combines relaxing activities like a walk in the park and a VR boat ride in the central
lake of the park. Other facilities include a proposed structure above the lake that bring
users to a transitioning walkway, slowly isolating the chaos and stress from the physical
market and leads users to the individual meditation pods or VR boat rides (Figure 5).

Figure 5. VR boat rides (left) and meditation pods (right) in the Relaxios metaverse located in a
central urban park surrounded by city chaos.

4.4. NERAMIT (BELONG)

The sense of belonging is an abstract emotion that social beings like humans can
experience in both physical and virtual environments. Our sense of identity is tightly
coupled to our environment and our community, shaping who we are and who we can
become in the metaverse. The challenge of belonging as a keyword is to determine how
to represent the feeling of belonging visually in a virtual space. The student resorted to
retail space as the program and site as it provides users a choice to select how users can
be presented and perceived, and in addition interact socially in space. The site is Siam
Square known as a central commercial zone with mixed functions belonging to vast
retail shops (Figure 6). Here, users can connect with people of similar taste and
preferences meeting virtually in VR and also in person on site. A 4 min video walk
through was created to showcase the sense of belonging for youth at Siam.

Figure 6. Overview of Neramit as seen from the screen. An immersive viewpoint of digital assets
and seasonal decorations as a preferred choice decided by users.
538 S. LERTSITHICHAI

4.5. TO INFINITY AND BEYOND (ENTERTAIN)

For entertain, a metaverse for K-Pop enthusiasts was proposed. The successful
phenomenon of how K-Pop took the world by surprise is all due to the global fandom
community and the power of the Internet. Therefore, exploring the keyword of
entertain seemed appropriate for the subject matter of a mixed reality metaverse.
Created as a hybrid metaverse, the project is located right in the heart of Korean Town
in Bangkok. It combines both online and onsite experiences while connecting all K-
Pop fans from around the world to experience virtual concerts, meet up with their
favorite idols, join behind the stage activities, etc. All while retaining the best of Korean
food and culture and community intact in the real world bridging the old the new and
the future together (Figure 7).

Figure 7. Korean Town metaverse to enhance the entertainment experience for all K-Pop fandom.

4.6. LEISURESCAPE (LEISURE)

Leisurescape explored the casual play of virtual graffiti in public spaces during a boring
commute to work school or anywhere in the city of Bangkok. The objects can be
created and placed or colored on building facades creating a personal AR view of
playful elements in space that can be shared or sold as NFTs to other users. The
elements can be seen publicly by others if they are made to be viewed by the public
and can also earn the owner digital currency if others would like to purchase these
elements (Figure 8). Rides from other means of transportation from skytrains, taxis,
motorcycle taxis and boats bear different viewpoints and objects to interact with
making the journey a leisure escape.

Figure 8. Leisurescape metaverse is a social network of urban graffiti art shared as a public AR
viewpoint in the city.
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4.7. TEERM (FLOURISH)

Flourish is a similar keyword to leisure but relates to activities that enable people to
learn something beneficial after the experience. The project is focused on the central
business district of Bangkok or Sathorn area where people are constantly stressed and
overworked with no place in close proximity to vent out and destress. The program
allows for a parasitic architecture combined with virtual actions encouraging people to
relax, meditate, karaoke, or exercise. All spaces are interconnected physically between
buildings and between online participants (Figure 9).

Figure 9. Parasitic leisure activities on office building facades and floating data AR visualizations in
CBD areas displaying traffic and climate information.

4.8. MEMENTORIA (INTANGIBLE)

The last project, Mementoria mental archive is an intangible memory experience
allowing users to playback memorable moments in life displayed as an immersive
experience in a spherical dome called "Arkhe". Imagine if one could replay an
important experience to see a lost loved one or pet or relive an achievement and recall
a valuable memory store deep in our minds. In the near future, recording devices
capturing a lifetime experience and be stored and replayed at will, the Mementoria then
becomes a physical embodiment for intangible experiences to have a meaningful
memory become a vivid reality (Figure 10).

Figure 10. Human brain has 2.5 million Gigabytes worth of memory can now be replayed in Ak

5. Conclusion and Future Works

Metaverses as the new Web3.0 is still undergoing development globally. We do not
know what killer applications will take place in the metaverse in the future, but we
strongly believe that to enable users to fully transition into the immersive metaverse, it
requires meaningful experiences and interactions for users of all ages and
demographics to take the plunge. As the projects presented in this studio have explored,
creating meaningful metaverses could be the initial step to learning how to create a
540 S. LERTSITHICHAI

fully immersive etaverse. The key takeaways from this Metaverse Magnifique
experiment are how we determine the definition of meaningful experiences to each
user group, how we interpret the translation of visual and spatial elements, and how the
enabling of AI assistive features can generate better communication or interpretation
of subtle interaction nuances of their users. As designers and architects of the
metaverse, we should question our built environment based on our senses and design
spaces that lead to lasting value and if integrated with context and demographics, the
architecture shall also become enduring to all.
Future works to extend the metaverse development would be to experiment with
physical computing onsite to correspond to virtual interactions and to extensively
explore cryptocurrency opportunities for digital assets designed for the metaverse.

Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank participating students from the International Program
in Design and Architecture, Faculty of Architecture at Chulalongkorn University
namely, Arayapon Kumjornpreecha, Chalisa Chantramee, Ingtawan Tritrakoolsin,
Napakoch Soithongsuk, Pacharaporn Chosoongnone, Pathanin Jennarongsak,
Rueangrin Truskamol, and Tinnaphop Sopaphol, as well as Olivier Bellflamme and
Walaiporn Nakapan for their invaluable feedback. Lastly, the kind support for facilities
and resources from MQDC Metaverse, Co., Ltd. throughout this investigation.

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