If You go Down to the Woods Today...
... You'll find this beauty. Sion estate rests in its own private woodland, making it seem somewhat out of place in the cluttered bustling sim that it's located in. Located in Nailsworth (118, 135, 49), it is reasonably out of the way of the more crowded sims, offering the estate substantial peace and quiet, which is great if your one of those people that like to get away from it all.
Daniel Sion, the creator, must have spent a serious amount of time constructing his woodland retreat, or so I thought, but the case was that barely any time at all was spent building. When asked how long it took him to build it, he replied "Originaly it was much smaller, probably about an hours job, Ive been adding to it since then," which implies that although the project was protracted, pieces being added over time, those pieces were built phenominally fast.
Daniel speaks of one habit most builders suffer from, and that's having One's standards for personal work far higher than those for others, "Depending on what im working on, I tend to build better for myself then someone else."
Dan was inspired to build this, he said, because many of his previous builds were too modern and technical, going to a peaceful woodland setting was a welcomed change for him. Construction of the building itself appears simple at first glance, but in fact there has been a lot of detail put into this. Its seeming simplicity adds to the build's general aesthetic attributes, but at the same time it's not so simple as to look like the sort of build a new resident may throw out in the Sandbox. One other thing that sets this apart from many builds on the grid today is the texturing. You will see things like Martial Logan's bases scattered around the grid that when you were new looked impressive but now are seen as bad builds attempted to be rectified by gratuitous use of dark, dull texturing. Sion estate, on the contrary, is textured properly. The wood textures compliment the design very well, making the already peaceful visuals ever more rustic. The first time I saw the estate I instantly thought "Isles of Myst" (for those of you old enough to remember the first Myst games). It combines the natural look with stylish industrialism, an unusual combination of style, but hey, if it worked for Myst, why not Second Life?
The exterior is not the only aspect of Sion that deserves notice. The interior also is of superior quality. If anything looks like it doesn't belong on this world, it's Dan's living area. Using the same style as the rest of the build, but throwing simplicity out the window. Complex is bad you say? Not in this case. The level of detail, while not being outrageous, is sublime, showing both talent in aesthetics and skill in making everything look perfect, Sion is not only a place to visit, but one to add to your picks.
About the Builder
How long have you been building for?
Daniel: Probably about a year now
And how easy did you find the building system to learn?
Daniel: Well the building system in SL is fairly easy since my building days on ActiveWorlds. Much easier to build small objects.
Ok, do you use the grid while building?
Daniel: Yes, I find it easier to line things up.
And last but not least, is there any advice you'd give to a new builder?
Daniel: Hmm... Never realy thought about it >.>;
I'd actually have to suggest starting big, since smaller items are harder in my opinion.
posted by Pezz Zenith @ 7:09 PM
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