#architecturalreferences

Architectural References

When I was planning these slides, I realized the architectural side of EREMUS needed to answer two separate questions. The first was about visual language: what should the outpost feel like in terms of form, material, and settlement logic? The second was about production: how could that architecture be broken into modular parts instead of becoming one large unique build? Because of that, I split the research into two parts: traditional desert forms plus sci-fi adaptation and modular outpost systems.

Traditional Desert Forms + Sci-Fi Adaptation

Tech Repair Outpost / Megan Hill

Reference used to study grounded desert sci-fi architecture, weathered materials, and local outpost storytelling. Megan Hill’s Tech Repair Outpost is especially useful because it focuses on art direction, technical workflow, materials, and storytelling within a desert sci-fi environment.

Desert Village / Ryan Vinson

Reference used to study makeshift silhouettes, clustered settlement logic, and a less polished frontier feeling. Ryan Vinson describes it as “a group of villagers in makeshift homes in the desert,” created while practicing workflows in Blender to achieve more interesting silhouettes and design language.

Streets of Ta’ak / Kevin Jick

Reference used to explore dense desert street language and inhabited sci-fi settlement forms.

AI-Generated Concept Taking Inspiration from Megan's TECH OUTPOST

AI-generated concept for modularity and variation.

This part of the research was about getting the overall architectural tone right. I did not want the outpost to feel too sleek or overly futuristic. Instead, I wanted it to feel low-rise, weathered, and adapted to the desert. These references helped me focus on rounded silhouettes, compact building footprints, sun-worn plaster-like surfaces, and utility attachments that make the structures feel practical and inhabited rather than decorative.

Modular Outpost Systems

Modular Sci-Fi Base / Mars Theme

Reference used to study how a sci-fi base can be broken into repeatable units and larger layout systems. The Fab listing describes it as a high-poly sci-fi kitbash intended to let the user “build your own sci-fi base,” which made it useful for thinking about modular planning rather than one-off modelling.

KitBash3D Outpost

Reference used to study settlement-scale modularity and how larger outpost arrangements can be assembled from reusable building parts

Once I had a clearer visual direction, I needed to think about how the outpost could actually be built in production terms. This is where the modular references became useful. They helped me move away from the idea of designing one completely unique hero building and instead think in terms of core modules, support structures, utility expansions, and layout flexibility. That logic fits much better with the Houdini-to-Unreal workflow I want to use, because it supports variation, reuse, and controlled iteration.

What These Slides Helped Me Clarify

Together, these two slides helped me define both the look and the build strategy of the outpost. The first slide established the architectural identity: grounded desert forms mixed with practical sci-fi additions. The second slide clarified the system behind it: the outpost should be developed as a modular kit that can support different footprints, support units, and extensions without needing every structure to be rebuilt from scratch.

Reflection