I have always been driven towards using technology for  social good. With VR being pushed as an empathy machine , I decided to put that to use.
With the recent refugee crisis , safe spaces for refugees is a major concern. With efforts going around the globe to save the historical sites , I decided to do my bit and ended up  creating a prayer room for refugees .

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During the first half of the project , I studied Islamic patterns and designs. I started by creating a room in Unity with Islamic patterns reflected on the wall.

Using extensive lighting techniques , I created a room in Unity with Islamic pattern projected around it. The work of many artists , specificially,  Anila Quayyum Agha heavily inspired my work. Upon putting on a headset , one could walk around the room . 

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I then wanted to make the room more homely and  interactive . Upon inquiring around the city , I found a local Syrian prayer room , in Pittsburgh from the 1700's . It was physically recreated by the good  people at University of Pittsburgh . My special thanks to them for allowing me to access the room.

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I then virtually  re-created a room using photogrammetry techniques. You can now sit around and listen to prayers and poems . In the video above , the poem is Daag-Daag ujala , written by the great Faiz Ahmed Faiz and narrated by Naseeruddin Shah. 

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Note : I do not own the audio in any form.