River Village
Designing a Floating Village Blockout
This project focused on designing a river village environment inspired by real-world stilt villages, like those in Thailand. My goal was to create an open and interconnected space that felt grounded within its natural surroundings, while experimenting with modular simplicity and visual impact. The scene features wooden platforms on stilts, modular huts, small boats, and a winding river framed by dense forests to enhance the sense of scale and atmosphere.
A key focus was on establishing a natural flow through the space. I arranged the platforms and walkways to guide movement intuitively, with the river acting as both a central focal point and a natural divider. Props such as boats, crates, and market elements were placed to add detail and suggest how the space might be used.
This blockout was an opportunity to explore large-scale compositions while adhering to modular design principles. It represents a step toward understanding how to create environments that are functional, immersive, and adaptable for further development with textures, lighting, and gameplay mechanics.
The process of creating this village blockout began with establishing the layout using simple geometric shapes. This initial step focused on creating clear pathways and connections, with platforms and walkways arranged to guide movement naturally through the space. Care was taken to ensure the river remained a central focal point, serving both as a visual anchor and a key structural element. Modular huts were spaced intentionally to break up the composition, balancing visual rhythm with functionality.
Once the layout was in place, I used Unreal Engine’s Landscape Tool to sculpt the terrain. Elevation changes were introduced to frame the village with surrounding hills and cliffs, adding depth and grounding the environment within a natural setting. The Foliage Tool was essential in placing trees to reinforce the organic feel of the space, drawing attention to important areas like the river and larger structures while maintaining a sense of realism.
To further define the environment, I utilized the Water Plugin to create the river and waterfall. Realistic reflections and movement added to its visual impact, making it a unifying feature that ties the platforms and pathways together. These steps focused on clarity and composition, ensuring the blockout felt cohesive and immersive even in its early stages. This process represents an ongoing effort to refine the relationship between form, function, and flow in level design.
