Net-Zero Scape is a web-based application developed along with Cesar Cheng during the self-learning week at Digital Blue Foam. This game-like application is similar to Minecraft, allowing users to build and create virtual world using construction blocks to minimize embodied carbon and promote sustainable housing development.

Project Focus 🧿

Net-Zero Scape is a application that aims to bring users closer to the real world of prefab modular construction, embodied carbon, and gamification to promote sustainable housing development. It is designed to explore ideas of real-time collaboration and to increase the housing stock while preserving a healthy environment. The main objective of Net-Zero Scape is to build as many houses as possible while minimizing the embodied carbon emissions associated with their construction.

Here's a quick demonstration of the tool

Gameplay Mechanics 🎮

In Net-Zero Scape, users are given a site on which to build their houses. They must choose the modules, design the layout, and coordinate the construction process in real-time with other players. The game also includes a variety of challenges and mini-games that users can complete to earn rewards and unlock new construction blocks.

1. Each session starts with a random distribution of bamboo cells, which presents players with some initial constraints.
2. Players need to combine construction modules to generate housing and gain housing points. Players can choose between 5 modules, room, roof, stair, connector or bamboo.
3. In order to build a second story, players need to first place a stair module, but this does not add housing points.
4. Players will need to find the best configuration of modules to increase housing while keeping enough bamboo forest in the landscape.
5. Players can see in real time what their combined action represents to the state of landscape by looking at the Neutrality Ratio Score, which measures balance between active forest cells and number of building units.

As the session unfolds, players will have to negotiate their actions between adding building modules to increase households, finding how to increase density and replenishing the landscape with forest cells. Collectively the actions of each player have an inpact on everyone elses desicions.

The set of construction modules available to the users to build accomodation and add green spaces.

Tech Stack ⛏️

Net-Zero Scape utilizes a range of technologies to enable real-time collaboration and create a immersive 3D environment for players. The tech stack for the tool includes JavaScript, HTML, CSS, ThreeJS, and Node.js. JavaScript being used to write the functions of the application and HTML and CSS being used to create the user interface and design the appearance of the application. Node.js is used for server-side development, providing the infrastructure for the application to run on. ThreeJS is a library that helps to create the 3D environment within the application, allowing players to interact with and build within a virtual world. Real-time collaboration is made possible with the use of Socket.io, which enables players to communicate and work together in real-time within the game.

A still from the application showing multiple players collaborating on a design solution