Chase Mullen

Part “designer”, part “3D dork” Combining a lifelong obsession of computer graphics with a degree in urban design from CU Boulder, Chase has pushed the envelope of graphic communication for many years. Chase has also spoken at many state and national conferences (APA, ASLA, AIA, Community Matters) and been a professor adjunct at CU's graduate and undergraduate planning programs. Aside from the sheer number and variety of projects that Chase has contributed to, his two biggest contributions have been the “SketchUp Charrette”, and “Vizhen”. The “SketchUp Charrette” is what it sounds like, rather than a facilitator with markers and trace paper, participants use laser pointers to guide 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, and be in 3D. Vizhen (the phonetic spelling of vision) is standalone real-time 3D visualization software that was (and continues to be) developed by Chase. It allows geographically huge virtual 3D environments to be interactively explored, objects to be moved, alternatives toggled, and other aspects of the environment changed on-the-fly. This software is primarily a presentation tool that offers users a self-contained means to explore 3D models at their own pace. In a nutshell Vizhen takes architecture and urban design projects and crates an interactive video game.