Baker's Corner

CONCEPT

In groups, we were tasked to generate photorealistic representations and an interactive demonstration of the chosen spatial design.

In our group, our goal was to create a fully realized bakery shopfront that demonstrates the potential for heritage buildings to serve meaningful, functional roles in today’s urban environments. The bakery is a warm, welcoming, and practical space, honouring the building’s character while meeting contemporary needs.

IDEATION

Heritage buildings present a unique challenge in urban development: preserving their character while ensuring they remain functional and relevant. For this project, we reimagined a traditional heritage façade as a bakery, maintaining its architectural beauty while giving it a modern, community focused use.

Advances in 3D modelling informed our approach. Realserve’s 3D survey of a Launceston heritage site, for example, streamlined restoration planning,1 while Glasgow’s digital twin demonstrates how modelling can guide sympathetic urban development.2 We also drew inspiration from the Seven Dials Conservation Area in Covent Garden, which provides detailed guidance on preserving 19th-century shopfronts.3 Contemporary examples shaped our aesthetic direction. The Magical Well Walk Theatre and Bookshop in Hampstead revitalized a Victorian shop by embracing, rather than erasing, its dark wood interiors and ornate details.4 Similarly, Japan’s Penny Lane bakeries show the enduring appeal of cozy, nostalgic design over minimalist trends.5

Inspired by these precedents, we incorporated rich woods, intricate detailing, and stained glass to evoke a warm, timeless atmosphere. Our process began with floor plans and layouts, refined in SketchUp to define proportions and spatial flow. We designed a two-story configuration: the lower level as the retail space, the upper as seating and relaxation.

Reference images our design was based on, as well as initial sketches of the planned layout.

WORKFLOW

Within the group, my main responsibilities were modeling and texturing the furniture and furnishings, conducting preliminary research, and designing the final presentation. I also supported teammates by texturing and creating additional baked goods when technical issues arose, while another member focused on the building and final Unreal Engine assembly.

A key learning came from the coffee table asset, where I discovered the importance of deciding what to model versus what to simulate through materials. The ornate iron tabletop was initially over-modeled, creating an unmanageable file. Instead, I projected a decorative pattern in Substance Painter with enhanced normal maps, achieving visual depth while keeping the mesh efficient.

The fridge model refined our workflow further. By using vertex painting in Blender to define material regions, I could mask and separate elements precisely in Substance Painter. Although we initially encountered issues with opacity exports into Unreal Engine, refining our export settings resolved the problem and improved results significantly.

To enhance efficiency and atmosphere, we reused base models with varied textures, like teacups, teapots, and cupcakes, creating visual diversity without unnecessary modeling overhead. When hardware limitations caused delays in texture baking, I stepped in to generate texture maps to keep the project on track.

Finally, during video rendering, my team mate encountered camera rig artifacts in Unreal. They were able to rebuild the Camera Rig Rail and Cine Camera to acheive the most clean, polished outputs their machine was capable of.

Image order as well as footnotes:

• “3D Revit Model of a heritage building in Launceston”, Realserve, accessed April 1, 2025. https://www.realserve.com.au/case-study/3d-scanning/3d-revit-model-of-a-heritage-building-in-launceston/

• “Glasgow Urban Model”, Glasgow City Council, accessed April 1, 2025. https://data.glasgow.gov.uk/pages/3d-urban-model

• “Shopfronts – Introduction”, The Seven Dials Trust, accessed April 5, 2025.https://sevendialscoventgarden.study/specifications/shopfronts/introduction/

• Galton, Bridget. “Magical Well Walk Theatre and bookshop opens in Hampstead”. Ham & High. August 24, 2024. https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/24538862.magical-well-walk-theatre-bookshop-opens-hampstead/

• Penny Lane, accessed April 3, 2025. https://pennylane.company/