By UW-Stout News Bureau
A group of University of Wisconsin-Stout students has been busy preserving the history of Harvey Hall as it undergoes a $28 million renovation.
More than 40 students from courses in 3D art and animation, digital cinema, and digital humanities have been working on a large-scale collaborative project.
The Harvey team, involving three faculty-led classes during the 2014-15 academic year, is creating a virtual 3D model of Harvey Hall throughout its early history. The building’s centennial will be celebrated in 2016, when it is scheduled to reopen.
The 3D model, which will operate similarly to a video game, will allow users to enter the virtual space and meet historical characters, such as building namesake Lorenzo Dow Harvey, who was school president from 1903 to 1922.
Users also can interact with objects and texts while accomplishing missions and playing mini-games that align with the history of the building and its occupants over the years.
Along with the exterior of the building, students have digitally re-created historic hallways, the president’s room and fireplace, the theater, a sewing room and the library.
When the student project is completed, the game will be available free to download and play.
Along with professional communication and emerging media, students working on the Harvey Hall project are from two other undergraduate majors – entertainment design, and game design and development.
For more information on the Harvey Hall game, go to the project Facebook page, www.facebook.com/theharveygame or the project blog, https://harveygame.wordpress.com/.