This thesis began as an exploration of how to create an immersive design through an immersive design experience. The project I used to study this inquiry was the design of a new country pavilion at Epcot in Walt Disney World based on Peru. This project revealed that in architecture, the design process is integral to the outcome; they are interwoven and cannot be separated. Weaving has emerged throughout every level of this investigation, from the intertwining of the overarching ideas to the physical and metaphysical weaving within the project. The method in which I worked became a weaving of the study of artifacts with the use of traditional architectural techniques and the exploration of emerging design technologies. Traditional architectural design processes must be iterated on and adapted to better address more specialized sectors of the industry. For a themed entertainment project specifically, the design process must be catered to understanding and enhancing the user experience. I argue that a more immersive, multimedia design process is necessary to appropriately address these issues. / Master of Architecture / This thesis began as an exploration of how to create an immersive design through an immersive design experience. The project I used to study this inquiry was the design of a new country pavilion at Epcot in Walt Disney World based on Peru. This project revealed that in architecture, the design process is integral to the outcome; they are interwoven and cannot be separated. Weaving has emerged throughout every level of this investigation, from the intertwining of the overarching ideas to the physical and metaphysical weaving within the project. The method in which I worked became a weaving of the study of artifacts with the use of traditional architectural techniques and the exploration of emerging design technologies. Traditional architectural design processes must be iterated on and adapted to better address more specialized sectors of the industry. For a themed entertainment project specifically, the design process must be catered to understanding and enhancing the user experience. I argue that a more immersive, multimedia design process is necessary to appropriately address these issues.

[pt] Este trabalho disserta sobre características subjetivas e técnicas do Vídeo Imersivo (VI) e da Realidade Virtual 3D (3DVR). Observa, particularmente, aspectos de uma estratégia do design realista com que ambientes são concebidos e produzidos em projetos de Realidade Virtual (VR). O Uncanny Valley (UV) é um corolário do processo criativo de personagens, representado por uma curva conceitual em que a conexão emocional ou empatia entre audiência e personagens varia de forma não linear e não diretamente proporcional em função do realismo com que estes personagens são concebidos. Dado o protagonismo dos ambientes em projetos VR, haveria um Uncanny Valley of Places? Lugares, ambientes, espaços e a cenografia virtual estão sujeitos a uma estranheza em Realidade Virtual? Neste trabalho, são apresentados dados de três ciclos de pesquisa a partir três experimentos VR que buscam responder a estas questões: 1) O experimento Immersive Bike (IB), que integra estímulos visuais em VI com estímulos hapticos sinestésicos passivos; 2) A aplicação Rio 360 VR; aplicativo imersivo; 3) Pesquisa centrada no usuário, que compara diretamente aplicações VI e 3DVR. Este trabalho aponta caminhos para apoiar o processo criativo do Designer de Interação, demonstrando que sensação de imersão não é função direta do maior ou menor realismo com que as imagens são produzidas e sim é potencializada a partir da conexão multimodal do repertório de sensações dos usuários e sua conexão com as histórias propostas pelas aplicações imersivas. / [en] This dissertation aims to present subjective and technical characteristics of Immersive Video (IV) and 3D Virtual Reality (3DVR). Observes, particularly, aspects related to a realism approach design strategy for VR environment s conception. The Uncanny Valley (UV) is a corollary of illustrated character s creative process, a conceptual curve that represents the variation of the emotional connection with characters related to its realistic properties conception. The UV refers to the base of a parabolic positive curve of this dynamic relation between empathy and realism, on which is detected a weirdness or an uncanny as much realistic the character seams. Does VR environments are subjected to an analog UV? Is there an Uncanny Valley of Places? Do places, ambients, spaces and virtual scenography is subjected to an uncanny in Virtual Reality? This work presents results of three cycles of research based on three VR experiments that aim to respond these questions: 1) The Immersive Bike experiment, which design integrates IV with kinesthetic haptics; 2) Rio 360 VR0, an immersive aplication for mobile interaction; 3) Human-centered research that compares IV and 3DVR applications. This work points a path to the Interaction Designer creative process, proposing that the immersive sensation is not directly proportional of how realistic an immersive image is produced, but is potentiated by the multimodal user s connection with the storytelling of the immersive aplication.