Wastelands and Spirituality: Fallout

Ok now listen, I strategically named this post in order to get the eye-rolling out of the way before I continue. Now i know what some of you are thinking, 'OMG do you do ANYTHING other than play games'. The answer is yes, Architecture/Eat/Sleep in that order. But hear me out here because there's a very interesting experience at play that I believe is relevant for this discussion.

Fallout 3 is the first installment of the Fallout franchise redone for modern consoles. It takes place in post-apocalyptic Washington DC where the landscape is bleak, barren and ultimately devoid of life/vegetation. The game itself can clock in at well over 100 hours of side-questing and not to mention the rich visuals/storytelling involved is even more immersive. To put it simply, the main questing is about searching for your father, as he is a scientist working in the wasteland to help create a system that can purify water at a massive scale.

The Water Purifier in Action at the Jefferson Memorial
Also Known As 'Project Purity'

Now as we know from researching our charette designs, water retention is a very crucial component to survival in any barren landscape that offers harsh climactic conditions. After looking into the water retention capabilities of some desert wildlife, I've come to the conclusion that other than retaining moisture from the things they eat, most creatures (excluding vegetation for the time being) maintain their water supply by burrowing into the Earth where the air retains more moisture than the air that lingers above the sandy surface; (such as geckos and other reptiles). I also found this very interesting as it directly ties into my sketch that will be pictured near the end of this post: Others [creatures] are specifically "shaped" to collect water. For example, the body of the thorny devil in Australia is completely covered in sharp spikes which actually collect the moisture that condenses in the early morning (or the occasional rains) and channel it directly down towards its mouth.
Keep this idea in mind when we get to my initial sketch for the project, but for now I would like to continue with the 'experiential' aspect of the design.

Enter the G.E.C.K.
(Garden of Eden Creation Kit)

Now imagine walking across the post apocalyptic wasteland for 50+ hours constantly enveloped by this monochromatic, barren, earth-tone landscape with nothing but a trench coat and a gun on your hip. Not a single shred of vegetation flourishing in sight. (Starting to sound like the Mojave, still with some visible vegetation):

Here's what you've been staring at for 50+ hours.

After growing accustomed to the visuals of the Capital Wasteland, the main quest begins to hint that there is something that may exist in the vast expanse of the Wastes that has miraculous terraforming capabilities and can reform any irradiated ecosystem into a flourishing 'Oasis'. This becomes more than just a myth, as the main questing calls for you to seek out the G.E.C.K. (Garden of Eden Creation Kit) as it is a crucial component to the activation of Project Purity and all that it entails. Instantly the player suggests 'yeah right I've been looking at the ass end of a nuclear bomb for 60 hours now and I have YET to see a blade of grass'. As you search for this rumor it begins to sound more and more like a wild goose chase, until you round the corner of a small crevice in the landscape:

Crevice Entrance to 'Oasis'

Entrance to 'Oasis'

To me it is this stark contrasting of elements that really drives an experience home. In my opinion, a spiritual space=an experiential space=a contrasting of physical/emotional/spiritual elements. Although a contrasting atmosphere may seemingly oppose the environment its placed within, the experience is still deeply rooted and thriving within its overall environment. I'm not trying to outline this narrative for the sake of humor, as I believe its a necessary way to introduce my thought process. To be honest this is an experience that I will most likely never forget as the feeling of crossing the threshold was so extreme, that I have yet to come across another feeling like it in any other game. It may be a coincidence, but the portion of the story that involves 'Oasis' had very spiritual overtones, as its inhabited by a cult group of people who worship a tree, and you have to endure a lengthy initiation spiritual process in order to gain their respect but that's a whole other story for another time.

You really have to sit down and take it in after experiencing such a change in atmosphere, especially after a nice long chat with Harold the Tree...

You and Harold discussing the meaning of life and death.

Now back to the charette. In short, I wish to generate a strong experience that will be unique (in an experiential sense) to the climate of the Mojave Desert. This project by Daniel Andersson and Christiane Flugel is what inspired me the most.

Imagine this experience:

After enduring a walk through this climate to get there:

In order to provide a dense/rich ecosystem of vegetation with plenty of hydration, I plan to sink the 'Oasis' into the Earth, so that the cooler/more humid air beneath the surface can retain water for a longer period of time. The basin for the water feature will have to be constructed of clay or rammed earth, as any other permeable material will suck the water back into the earth leaving nothing to be retained. As for above ground I will take a page out of the Yangtze/Mount Soledad Memorial book, as I want to create an iconic spire that indicates the existence of a space in the distance.

This is the Mount Soledad Memorial in San Diego CA. Note the vast distance and the advantage the vantage point gives for a strong line of sight from any surrounding area.

This is the Yangtze Memorial from Fallout New Vegas (modeled after the MSM noted above) which illustrates a stronger overall context of how the my procession will be from the desert to the 'Oasis'; Only imagine the podium inverted (proceeding into the ground) wile the spire maintains its height, and below there's a contextual contrast occurring much like the Mantle.

As for the climactic response, the water source from which this Oasis will receive its water will be in the form of the 'thorny devil' format from what I was discussing earlier; Others [creatures] are specifically "shaped" to collect water. For example, the body of the thorny devil in Australia is completely covered in sharp spikes which actually collect the moisture that condenses in the early morning (or the occasional rains) and channel it directly down towards its mouth.
I am thinking in terms of condensing, I could use some sort of material that could retain a temperature that would promote condensation, but I have yet to explore that aspect of the materiality. Perhaps some sort of metal that reaches towards the sky and drains its condensation collection down into the Earth in order to 'feed' the Oasis. I will post a sketch tomorrow to explain this further.

I have overstayed my welcome here. I'll leave you with a fantastic Fallout trailer that really drives home my ides of 'contrast=experience'. This is why Bethesda Softworks is leading the industry in terms of environment fidelity and experiential gameplay.

Scott