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About the Company

i2 STUDIOS is a Swedish, one-man visualisation firm run by architect Robert Karlsson, specialising in 3D computer graphics. Initially focusing on architecture visualisations, the firm has become omnivorous and dives into virtually anything with anticipation. The website i2studios.com is primarily an online portfolio but also serves as a place where to share in-house material released under a generous license.

i2 STUDIOS works almost exclusively with computer-aided visualisation. However, there is no reason to believe that what comes out of a computer is superior nor inferior than so-called traditional handicraft. You have to regard the computer for what it is - another tool in the set of already existing ones. And an exciting one!

Customers range from the world leading Linux Journal to local architecture firms. Via the internet, cooperation has been successful with companies on the other side of the planet. In fact, business with many of the company's clients is conducted exclusively in this way.

Behind the Scenes

i2 STUDIOS was founded in 1998 by Robert Karlsson, at the time architecture student (here is my portfolio) at Chalmers School of Architecture in Göteborg, Sweden. After enrolling, I early set my sight on becoming a professional architecture visualiser where I could get an outlet for my passion in computer graphics as well as applying my newly acquired skills in architecture. To create digital 3d models from flat blueprints is a great way to get to know architecture - be it your own design or others. To conclude my studies I summed up my experiences in a thesis (Swedish only) in architeture visualisation.

Having had much use of the internet as a resource, i2 STUDIOS was introduced to the internet in 2000 to add my two cents and to showcase my work.

My website is constantly undergoing maintenance as it serves as a testbed for new ideas. I like the interactivity that can be addded to design to make it "alive" - how programming can become part of the design. Architecture, as I define it, is a blend of art and functionality - beauty with a need of usability. This combination of aestetics and purpose has various counterparts in the digital arena.

Content At This Site

A good site offers something back to the community. i2 STUDIOS tries to fulfill this via the Resources pages where material from various projects the company has been involved in is published for free. Material includes Tutorials, 3D Models and Scripts.

It is my strong belief that that by sharing (and using others' similar resources) we all benefit in the long run. The Open Source community is amazing when you consider the possibilites that arise when unselfish sharing replaces commercial interest.

Web development and CG visualisation are fields under constant renewal. Everything is outdated quickly. Working in this field calls for an open and curious mind. It also helps if you can learn and take advantage of resources on the internet. i2 STUDIOS publishes a lot of material on the internet so that it can help others while it is still fresh. Why keep a tight copyright on things you are more than happy to share? Therefor i2 STUDIOS has an explicit policy that lets others use published material if certain conditions are fullfilled. A tribute to free software and Open Source.

Why the Name i2?
i2, is derived from the abbreviation of Industrial Illusions, but can also be interpreted as the mathematical symbol i, meaning the imaginary unit - an ingenious little stand-in for square roots of negative numbers.
The imaginary unit - i
If you multiply i with itself you'll get i2 - and you have just transformed the function from imaginary to real, or made a journey from imagination to reality. That, is what i2 STUDIOS aims at doing - criss-crossing the borderland between reality and imagination, and having a whole lot of fun while doing it.

Camera drawn in lead
Visit my Portfolio to view analogue work samples.


i2 STUDIOS site
Click the image to view how this site is constructed.

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Updated: 2007-07-20 (@16:38)