Photo: gradnja.rsThe companies Epic Games and 3Lateral announced that the construction of their new campus in Novi Sad, which is located in Radnička Street near the University, is starting.
As announced, their new campus will serve as a research hub enabling the development of new hardware and software solutions that facilitate the creation of photorealistic digital humans.
Let us remind you that Epic Games, which is behind the hit game Fortnite as well as Unreal Engine, which is also used in architectural visualization, acquired 3Lateral from Novi Sad in 2019, which specializes in facial animations in video games.
After purchasing an attractive plot of land in Radnička Street of almost 6,500 square meters in June, Epic Games and 3Lateral announced the construction of a campus in Novi Sad.
According to Vladimir Mastilović, founder of 3Lateral and VP of Digital People Technologies at Epic Games, the campus is designed to be an inspiring environment to spark new ideas and stimulate teamwork:
"The primary goal of building the campus was to nurture the aspirations and potential of not only our team, but also the local technology and creative ecosystem." The start of campus construction means that we are one step closer to making our vision a reality. The new, multidisciplinary workspace will allow us to open the door to new talent and continue to develop the next generation of interactive real-time experiences together with other Epic Games teams. The innovative workspace will enable the 3Lateral and Epic Games teams to learn, create and innovate, as well as to additionally support regional creators, researchers and educators interested in Unreal Engine and technologies for creating digital people," Mastilović points out.
In the urban project submitted in November 2021, it can be seen that a "green building" is planned on a plot of almost 6,500 square meters, which will occupy a little more than 2,800 square meters, that is, only 44 percent of the space. The rest of the space, of more than 3,600 square meters, will be dedicated to green areas, footpaths and plateaus.
It is planned that the upper part will be a business-administrative part (Po+P+6), while the two-story building (Po+P+2) will serve as a studio with workshops and a multifunctional theater with a capacity of 280 seats. These two parts are connected, so the central part will have the role of an open atrium. The net area of the building on all floors will be 10,550 square meters.
An underground garage under the lot is planned, with 174 parking spaces and technical rooms with a total area of more than 5,000 square meters. It is also stated that the roofs will be greened, which will bring an additional 1,500 square meters of greenery, which is why half of the plot will be green areas.
In addition, the building will have a watering system from its own source of underground water, that is, two wells with a depth of about 25 meters will be built. The water from the underground well will be used for the fire protection system, and it is also planned that part of the storm water will be collected in an underground tank, in order to be used for watering.
As can be seen in the attached renderings, the future building has an attractive facade made in a characteristic brick style with accentuated verticals and greenery. Radnički Street is dominated by brick on the facades, so this type of building will fit well into the built environment.
The preparation of the main project studies was entrusted to companies from Serbia: A3 Architects, Antipod, DNEC, BWK and Cepting, with the support of global consultants such as AltaTech, Theatreplan, Sandy Brown and Guidepost.
Project management, which includes strategic planning, tendering and coordination by a group of designers and consultants, as well as project cost and risk management, was entrusted to CBRE South Eastern Europe (CBRE SEE).
Through joint efforts, a project was defined that integrates interesting and current engineering solutions, especially in the domains of data center design, security systems, auditoriums and acoustics. The new space will also allow the company 3Lateral, as an integral part of Epic Games, to expand its team and support the further work of professionals who lead the development of technologies aimed at the digitization of humans and computer graphics.
The construction permit was issued on July 11, 2022, while the works were reported on August 5, 2022.
The completion of the construction of the campus and the moving of the team into the new work space is planned for 2024.
By building the facility, the company will strengthen its local presence, deepen cooperation with the local talent ecosystem, and improve the range of MetaHuman products on the global stage.
Source: gradnja.rs; netokracija.rs
Photo: gradnja.rs
