Episode 05: Play

We are lucky to get a tour of the stunning Zaha Hadid & Related building at 520 W. 28th street by the developer himself, Greg Gushee. Greg shares his passion project within this incredible building known as Sandbox by Related. This highly unusual and innovative space is a rare amenity to the residents of 520 W. 28th and its greater community, inviting children and adults alike to come into the space and create. From 3D printers, DIY rocket building, VR gaming to a full on derby racetrack, this space has something for everyone. The fun doesn’t stop there though, Greg continues the tour showing us the building IMAX theater and versatile art gallery called The Highline Nine.

Diving head first into the world of Virtual Reality, we head over to see our friend DJ Smith, Co-Founder of The Glimpse Group. DJ is well known in the VR/AR industry as the Organizer of NYVR Meetup group amongst the many things he does for the NYC ARVR community. He walks us through the latest and greatest applications of mixed reality and where it intersects with the built world. Although, we could not talk virtual reality without a visit to VR World located right across the street from the Empire State Building. We meet up with VR World Founder, Leo Tsimmer to understand what this retail space is all about. Leo gives us an education on experiential retail and how he has transformed the space into a full fledged virtual playground.