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Victory City

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Metaverse of Simpson’s Victory City Reconstruct & Reimaging of Orville Simpson’s Vision of Urban Futures using AI

Ming Tang. $4500. Supported by SAID Simpson Urban Futures Grant Program. UC. 8. 2026-8. 2027

This project works on the AI-creation of an online Metaverse by reconstructing and reimaging Orville Simpson’s visionary “Victory City.” Using archival materials from the Simpson Collection—including drawings, paintings, and manuscripts—the project will generate digital interpretations of Simpson’s future city through AI-assisted visualization and 3D modeling. The platform will allow users to explore a multiplayer virtual city accessible through web browsers, mobile devices, and VR headsets. In addition to a virtual reconstruction of Victory City, the project will include a digital gallery presenting Simpson’s archival works and a digital installation at the Simpson Center, reintroducing Simpson’s ideas as a contemporary dialogue on sustainable urban futures.

The goal of this project is to translate Simpson’s visionary urban concepts into an interactive 3D digital environment that allows the public to experience and interpret his ideas spatially. Although Simpson’s online archive contains extensive drawings and models, these materials remain largely static. This project transforms them into an immersive platform where users can explore the spatial logic of Victory City. The project emphasis: 

  • AI-assisted visualization: generative AI tools will be used to produce architectural imagery, animations, and 3D models inspired by Simpson’s designs.
  • Construction of a Metaverse environment: a browser-based immersive environment will be developed to represent major elements of Victory City, including the central 102-story tower and the larger metropolitan system described in Simpson’s writings.

Re-storying Fort Ancient

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Re-storying Fort Ancient: An AI-Augmented Digital Twin Installation for Indigenous Earthwork
PI: Ming Tang, Co-Is: John Hancock, Tianyu Jiang, Samira Sarabandikachyani. $5,000. CDRI Grant, DAAP, UC. 5/23/2026- 8/23/2026

Students: Saptarshi Ghosh, Mikhail Nikolaenko, Johnny Bozhi Peng, Ahmad Alrefai

This project proposes the development of an AI-augmented Digital Twin installation for the Fort Ancient Earthworks, a UNESCO World Heritage site in southern Ohio. Using reality capture, spatial computing, and Large Language Models (LLMs), the project will create an interactive web- and mobile-based experience that allows users to explore the site through immersive visualization and natural language conversation.

The project builds upon existing 3D earthwork models previously developed by CERHAS together with earlier XR-Lab spatial computing workflows. This foundation allows the team to focus on AI-driven interaction, interpretation, and public engagement without needing to reconstruct the site from the ground up. The AI system will be developed through a carefully curated Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) workflow using approved scholarly, archival, and Indigenous-informed materials as its knowledge base.

Users will be able to ask questions about the geometry, ceremonial purpose, astronomy, landscape design, and cultural significance of the earthworks while virtually navigating a Digital Twin of the site. The project approaches AI as a tool for interpretation and storytelling that can support more accessible and engaging public experiences with cultural heritage.

At the same time, the project explores broader questions about authorship, representation, historical interpretation, and the role of AI in public humanities and creative practice.

 

Prototype of Chatbot and Fort Ancient Digital Twin. 

For mobile phone users, please hold your phone horizontally for the best viewing experience

Mutiplayer in Mobile and VR

 

Historic Avondale in VR

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Virtual Reality Development for Historic Avondale and Digital Heritage 

Principal Investigator (PI):  Anne Delano Steinert, Co-PI: Ming Tang. ($14,000 allocation to DAAP)
Society and Culture Grant, UC Research Office.  2026. University of Cincinnati. Timeline: 1/13/2026-07/01/2026 


Project Overview

The Historic Avondale Digital Heritage Project aims to create an immersive Virtual Reality (VR) reconstruction of Cincinnati’s historic Avondale neighborhood, focusing on cultural heritage preservation and community engagement. Through a collaborative effort between A&S and DAAP’s XR-Lab, the project will visualize approximately six urban blocks of Avondale as they appeared in a historically significant period in 1950s, enabling users to explore the environment through VR headsets and interact with its digital elements. 

This initiative supports experiential learning, public history dissemination, and digital preservation. The final VR experience will be designed for accessibility on standalone VR headsets (Meta Quest) and optimized for community outreach, classroom education, and museum-style exhibition. 

 

 Scope of Work

The Extended Reality Lab (XR-Lab) will lead the technical development, 3D modeling, and immersive environment creation. 
Specific responsibilities include: 

  • Environment Modeling: Develop a high-fidelity 3D digital model of approximately six blocks of historic Avondale, including building facades, streetscapes, and key landscape features based on historical references. 
  • Visual Assets: Integrate architectural elements, materials, vegetation, street furniture, and atmospheric lighting to accurately represent the period context. 
  • Immersive Interactivity: Configure the scene for full VR immersion, allowing users to navigate and interact using Meta Quest headsets. 
  • Narrative Integration: Collaborate with the A&S team to embed audio narratives, historical commentary, and interpretive storytelling within the VR experience. 
  • Optimization & Testing: Optimize performance for standalone VR headsets, conduct iterative testing, and ensure accessibility and stability for public demonstration. 
  • Deployment: Package and deliver a functional VR build ready for viewing via Meta Quest Browser or as an installable application. 

 Deliverables

  • VR Model of Historic Avondale – A completed, interactive VR environment covering approximately six city blocks. 
  • High-Fidelity Visual Assets – Accurately modeled architecture, landscape, and environmental elements. 
  • Integrated Audio Narratives – Recorded and embedded voiceovers provided by A&S collaborators. 
  • VR-Ready Application – Optimized and deployable version compatible with Meta Quest 3 headsets. 
  • Documentation Package – Summary of technical workflow, file structure, and recommendations for future updates or expansion. 

Figure 1. Coloraization of a historic photo with AI. Reality Capture. By student Edwina Adu Bimpong, Mario Bermejo.

Figure 2. video clips based on historic photo, using AI. 

Figure 3. AI-augmented reconstruction.

Student team: Braxton Xavier Bush, Nicholas R. Lysaght, Logan Aleczander Saylor, Lucas Frank Tereck, Lillian Denise Wick, Mario Bermejo, Edwina Adu Bimpong, Collin Andrew Bradley, Raamprakash Kalaiyarasan, Prize Mathew, and Bozhi Peng. Aayush Kumar as TA. 

ARCH Seminar. Memory of the World

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Digital Heritage through VR and Generative AI

ARCH 7036-04/ARCH5051-04.Elective Theory Seminar, SAID, DAAP, Spring 2025

Class time: Monday. 10 am -12:50 pm.  Classroom: 4425-E, CGC Lab, DAAP building. 

Faculty: Ming Tang, Professor in Architecture and Interior Design, DAAP. Director of  Extended Reality Lab. XR-Lab

Seminar Description

This seminar invites students to explore the intersection of architecture, history, artificial intelligence, and immersive technologies by reimagining the past through digital heritage. Drawing on historic documents and archival materials from Cincinnati, students will work closely with historians to reconstruct a Cincinnati neighborhood as it existed in the 1950s, allowing users to step back in time and experience its spaces and stories through immersive visualization and virtual reality (VR).

Throughout the semester, students will investigate how generative AI, virtual reality (VR), and interactive visualization can preserve and reinterpret cultural memory. Using Unreal Engine as the primary platform, participants will design interactive VR environments for mobile headsets, creating spaces where history, atmosphere, and narrative merge into immersive experiences. The seminar aligns with UNESCO’s  Memory of the World initiative, emphasizing the preservation of documentary and architectural heritage for future generations.

In addition to a large collaborative group project, each student will conduct a samll individual research-based design investigation focused on a “lost” historic artifact—such as a forgotten art work or street furniture. Through AI-assisted modeling, reality capture, and digital prototyping, students will gain hands-on experience reconstructing the intangible layers of history while developing advanced technical and conceptual skills in digital heritage creation.

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