Chase Mullen

Part “designer”, part “3D dork”, Chase combines his lifelong obsession of computer graphics with a degree in urban design from CU Boulder. Chase has pushed the envelope of graphic communication for the last ten years while working for MIG. Chase has also spoken at many state and national conferences (APA, ASLA, AIA, Community Matters) and been a professor adjunct within CU's graduate and undergraduate planning programs. Aside from the sheer number and variety of projects that Chase has worked on, his two biggest contributions have been “SketchUp Charrette”, and “Vizhen”. The “SketchUp Charrette” (pronounced share-it) is what it sounds like. Rather than using markers and tracing paper, participants use laser pointers to guide facilitator mouse strokes. Designs unfold as the concepts are verbalized. From master plan scales to trees and shrubs, a SketchUp Charrette facilitator can move the design forward faster, include more people in the process, be more transparent, more accurate, all while in 3D.Vizhen (pronounced vision) is standalone real-time 3D visualization software developed by Chase. Vizhen allows geographically huge virtual 3D environments to be interactively explored. It allows objects to be moved, alternatives toggled, and other aspects of the environment changed on-the-fly. The software is primarily a presentation tool that offers users a self-contained means to explore 3D models on their own. In a nutshell Vizhen takes architecture and urban design projects and crates an interactive video game.