California Academy of Sciences Green Building Virtual Tour
We partnered with the BBC to bring innovation to their editorial content, driving visitor numbers and dwell time
We created the first piece of immersive 360 content for the BBC’s Storyworks site, an interactive virtual tour through the famous California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Using high-quality 360 photos of key locations around the building, never-before-captured drone footage, and unique insight and information from some of the world-leading researchers and curators of the space, we brought the building to life for people around the world.
BBC’s Storyworks division specialises in telling interesting and engaging stories online, through high-end, innovative web content. Their latest challenge was to bring to life examples of sustainable architecture from around the world for the World Green Buildings Council. All as part of a drive to raise awareness of how thoughtful construction can contribute to the fight against climate change.
Designed by Renzo Piano, the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco aims to incorporate the organic curves of nature into a building that blends perfectly with its environment. Boasting an undulating living roof, potted with functional portholes for both light and air, a huge glass dome over the central atrium, an indoor rainforest and a giant aquarium, it needs to be seen to be believed.
But what about those who can’t visit in person?
That’s where our virtual tour comes in. We shot on location in San Francisco to capture a range of high-resolution 360 photos of key parts of the building. Everything from the indoor rainforest, the living roof, the underground aquarium, the T-Rex, and even behind-the-scenes in the penguin enclosure. Additionally, we were granted exclusive permission to capture drone footage around the exterior of the park.
Secondly, we worked closely with the actual guides, curators, scientists and leading thinkers to provide access and information that in-person visitors wouldn’t get. We then created hotspots with text and audio guides (recorded with the real experts), where users can find out more about the exhibits or the design features that make the building sustainable. We even included Renzo Piano’s original design sketches in our virtual experience.
Shooting in a museum that’s open 7 days a week presented challenges. Alongside securing the drone permits and working closely with the BBC and California Academy of Sciences to agree on the narrative, we had to plan our shoot to ensure we didn’t capture any faces of the general public. While we managed to avoid many through careful shooting, those we couldn’t had to be manually edited out later.
This was a real game-changer for the BBC’s Storyworks site, turning static web pages into immersive and interactive experiences. Users were more engaged, staying on the site for longer and interacting with all the elements. What’s more, the page continues to rank for high-search volume keywords in Organic Search, driving traffic to the website over a year after publishing.
BBC Editor“Thank you for all of your stunning design work, smart insights and remarkable patience. It has been a genuine pleasure to work with you. The results surpassed our expectations. We couldn’t be happier with the final results”
The California Academy of Sciences is a dual-purpose building. It has twin aims of being a centre for research and education, and pioneering green, sustainable architecture.
Our virtual tour continues to drive visitors from around the world, enabling them to continue their pioneering research and contributing to the fight against climate change.
Do you like what you see? Contact us today to find out how we can help bring your next project to life.
