SVHEC Business of Art & Design Interns develop 3-D renderings of Halifax County Assets
Halifax County has gone 3D! Through a partnership between the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) and the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC), interns in the Business of Art & Design program at the SVHEC have developed 3D renderings of Halifax County’s most notable assets.
Interns Britteny Madine, Evan Irby, Ben Scarborough, and Russell White developed complete 3D models of the Prizery, Berry Hill, the SVHEC, Downtown South Boston, and the SVHEC’s Innovation Center (currently under construction). These full-scale computer renderings are fully explorable, and can be used to create digital tours for the Internet. This will allow the IDA to show the beauty and strength of the community before a prospective employer ever drives into town. “The collaboration with the SVHEC is one of the most important things we’re doing to differentiate Halifax County when competing for jobs,” said IDA Executive Director Mike Sexton. “We can differentiate ourselves quickly with collaboration, and that’s critical to rebounding our workforce.”
The interns used Google Sketchup to create their full-scale models. Because they did not come into the project already knowing the software, the entire process of developing the 3D models was a learning experience for them as well as BA&D coordinators. “We want to incorporate Google Sketchup into the Business of Art & Design curriculum, and this project was an opportunity to do real research and to prove out the concept of doing that,” said Business of Art & Design Coordinator Ben Capozzi.
James Gordon, the owner of Springfield Distillery, comes by his interest in whiskey naturally. “I grew up with memories of my father moonshining,” says Gordon, who opened his Halifax County distillery in August 2016. “My father is one of the first two private individuals in South Africa to get his license for distilling liquor. I get to tap into 25 years of distillery experience.”
