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The semester project ‘Hybrid Encounters – Designing Togetherness in VR’ explores how shared experiences, part physical and part virtual, can create new forms of connection between people. It features seven projects by students from the Department of Interior Architecture at HEAD – Genève. Each project pairs a virtual environment with a physical installation, inviting two visitors to meet, move together and feel co-present.

Three selected projects were presented at the Digital Night of the Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF) 2026. Moving between reality and virtuality, each is designed to be experienced in pairs:

‘Sottsass’s Dream’ by Camille Frey and Caroline Favre – a game inspired by Ettore Sottsass.

‘Flying Together’ by Julie Pulfer and Damien Bourgeois – a flight guided by body movements.

‘Elderly Disco Club’ by Siria Petretti and Elisa Wütschert – an intergenerational experience combining rhythm and dance.

Under the direction of Simon Husslein, with the assistance of Chiara Kocis.

Head of Department: Dr. Javier Fernández ContrerasScientific Deputy: Valentina De Luigi

Students taking part in the semester project: Damien Bourgeois, Léa Dagonneau, Alexia Dahman, Lalie Drouard, Milena Dubugnon, Caroline Favre, Camille Frey, Samanta Jurkunaite, Siria Petretti, Norah Pittet, Julie Pulfer, Kateryna Sushynska, Thaïs Vene, Elisa Wütschert.

Visiting lecturers and jury members: Lucie Emch, Steye Hallema, Alexia Mathieu, Aida Navarro, Michaela Pnacekova, Sarah Silverblatt-Buser, Alexandrine Stehelin.

XR support: Raphaël Munoz, Chloé MichelExhibition technical support: Raphaël Munoz (Sottsass’s Dream, Elderly Disco Club), Faustine Perillaud (Flying Together)

Images: HEAD – Genève

Film: HEAD – Genève

The exhibition ‘Beyond The Clock’ by HEAD – Genève explores conceptions of time and their impact on human experience. Featuring projects by students from the Chair of Watch Design and the Department of Interior Architecture, it highlights works that move beyond conventional forms, addressing social and environmental themes.

The scenography of the exhibition and the displayed works of the Interior Architecture students were based on a semester project ‘Spatial Times - Inside Virtual Architecture’, investigating innovative ways to perceive and represent 'time' within virtual reality.

In collaboration with Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève.

Exhibited at Musée d’Art et d’Histoire.

Participating students of the Chair of Watch Design:
Lisa Dutheil, Lucile Beney, Suan You.

Participating students of the Department of Interior Architecture:
Soheil Afzali, Luca Negro, Meghna Thanushree Nagarajan.

Under the direction of Simon Husslein, with the assistance of Chiara Kocis and Alexandra Miskufova.

Head of Department: Dr. Javier Fernández Contreras
Scientific Deputy: Valentina De Luigi

Students taking part in the semester project: Soheil Afzali, Nassim Baron, Selin Bilgen, Amandine Durand, Mireille Gidi, Hippolyte Giraud, Théophile Matton, Luca Negro, Lucie Terranova, Meghna Thanushree Nagarajan, Noemi Tshala.

Visiting lecturers and jury members: Ahmed Belkhodja, Laëtitia Bochud, Alexandre Burdin-Francois, Eléonore Donsimoni, Simone Fougnier, Damien Greder, Vytas Jankauskas, Aida Navarro, Nina Robin, Mathias Zieba.

Unity support: Raphaël Munoz
VR exhibition architect: Arne Magold

Images: HEAD – Genève, Roman Lusser, Raphaëlle Mueller

Film: HEAD – Genève, Elliot Huescar

The project ‘Interior Equalities – Redesigning the Locker Room Experience’ aims to improve existing changing room facilities for young football players. They often lack atmospheric qualities and sufficient capacities, compromising the privacy and comfort of young athletes. The male-dominated culture prevalent in many sports clubs can create an unwelcoming environment for female and non-binary players.

Initiated by the UEFA Innovation Hub in collaboration with ThinkSport and the Swiss Football Association, this project started as a semester project in the Department of Interior Architecture at HEAD – Genève. Thirteen students designed individual spatial interventions aimed at making football facilities more inclusive and user-friendly. The basis was extensive research, including an analysis of various locker room designs, examination of user questionnaires, and engagement with contemporary discourse on equality in interior architecture. Advanced technologies such as 3D scanning were employed to analyse existing spaces, while mixed reality headsets enabled students to create their design concepts at a 1:1 scale.

The individual proposals formed the foundation for developing a functional prototype. Partnering with OSZ Worbboden, two existing locker rooms underwent comprehensive renovations and replacement of furniture elements.

Presented at Unstoppable: Women’s EURO Final Forum, Basel.

Under the direction of Simon Husslein, with the assistance of Chiara Kocis.

Head of Department: Dr. Javier Fernández Contreras
Scientific Deputy: Valentina De Luigi

Students taking part in the semester project: Martin Annen, Giona Leo Baumann, Carla Ferey, Alexis Lang, Marie Mamou Blanché, Elise Mathis, Missilia Mendy, Zoé Mettraux, Yan Vasquez, Nina Wallimann, Emilie Liechti, Carolina Rodrigues, Elodie Rochat.

Collaborators:
UEFA innovation hub
Swiss Football Association SFV / ASF
ThinkSport
OSZ Worbboden

Semester jury members: Gabrielle Schaad, Evelyn Steiner.

Images: HEAD – Genève, Valentine Blaimont

Film: HEAD – Genève, Lucie Goldring

The project Alchemy of Atmospheres explores the potential of immersive and engaging virtual architectures to enable new and meaningful forms of human interaction in digital environments.

New patterns of interaction are forming on contemporary social VR platforms, where the structure and design of the surrounding worlds play a significant role in influencing human behavior. New architectural concepts, layouts, and aesthetics of these worlds can enable meaningful social connections and initiate new rituals. The aim of this project is to propose new atmospheric qualities and to create virtual spaces that encourage people to come together and build relationships.

"The Other Home" is a VR project that explores the expansion of the concept of "home" into the digital realm. The word "home" typically refers to a physical structure in which a person lives, such as a house or apartment. However, the psychological and architectural qualities of digital "homes" are still being explored and defined.

In this project, a group of 17 students envisioned and created nine different VR worlds that were published on the social VR platform VRChat. All environments share a playful and experimental refinement of atmospheric quality and symbolism. To create these worlds, the students compared and applied various experiences from both physical and virtual environments.


Presented at DIGITAL ARTS ZURICH (DA Z) 2023.

Students taking part in the project: Mélanie Affolter, Melissa Bitto, Dylan Braun, Luna Clertan, Minna Compoint, Yaroslav Dubeniuk, Ilena Escher, Clara Faure, Lea Gruaz, Tal Kashi, Elena Llosas, Paul Rigal, Stéphanie Pereira Sacramento, Anna Smiian, Fanny Tauxe, Lou Vanille Tissot-Daguette, Elisa Torres Ferreira.