Walled Garden: Homage to The Light and Space Movement
This 3D modeling project was born out of my fascination with light, color, and the history of modernist and retro-futurist design. I drew particular inspiration from James Turrell, a leading figure in the American Light and Space Movement, whose work with shifting, immersive fields of color has always captivated me. (He’s even become a pop-cultural touchpoint—many believe Drake’s Hotline Bling video borrowed heavily from Turrell’s luminous spaces!) I wanted to bring some of that “Turrellian” sensibility into my own work, shaping a space where light itself feels architectural.
At the same time, I was thinking deeply about the idea of the home as a futuristic sanctuary—a reimagined hearth where light falls in concentric circles and frames moments of gathering. My love for Bauhaus aesthetics and retro-futurist design drove many of the furniture and spatial choices: pieces like Marcel Breuer’s Wassily Chair, Eileen Gray’s E 1027 side table, and the Eames LCW chair gave the space a sense of timeless modernity. The sunken floor was inspired by the 1970s trend of conversation pits, which I reinterpreted here as part of my vision for a futuristic, yet nostalgic, living space.
The room itself is designed as a circular layout, with a central “hearth” defined not by fire but by light. Concentric rings emphasize this geometry, creating a focal point that radiates outward.
The rendered scene features the Eames LCW chair, here reinterpreted in chrome for a futuristic twist, along with carefully modeled plants to soften the atmosphere. I pulled an all-nighter to ensure the vegetation felt realistic and organic, creating a dialogue between the sleek, futuristic geometry of the room and the warmth of natural forms.
The conversation pit sits sunken into the floor, a clear nod to the retro interiors of the 1970s. By dropping the central seating area below the surrounding floor plane, the design encourages intimacy and dialogue, while also visually reinforcing the concentric, circular rhythm that organizes the entire room.
