Raga Remote City: A Visionary Alien World by NUEN STUDIO

The Project: Raga Remote City – A Sci-Fi Environment Exploration

Project Overview

The Raga Remote City was one of NUEN STUDIO’s internal projects, designed to demonstrate our ability to execute a fully developed environment concept within a realistic scope and timeline. The challenge was to complete the project in just one month, proving our efficiency, creativity, and production capabilities on a small-scale world-building project.

The Brief

The goal was to design an environment from scratch, including architectural structures and surrounding landscapes, set in a remote alien city on an unexplored planet. The final result needed to feel immersive, realistic, and visually compelling, balancing science-fiction aesthetics with grounded world-building principles.

The Process

We began by gathering references and creating exploration sketches, using different techniques to establish a solid architectural direction. As the design evolved, we brought in a second concept artist to focus on the landscape, ensuring it provided enough contrast and scale to emphasize the city’s unique structures.

This collaborative workflow allowed us to develop a well-balanced composition, where the alien terrain enhances the futuristic cityscape, making the environment feel like a believable and visually striking off-world settlement.

Refining the Vision: From Concept to 3D Development

By the second week, we had established a potential architectural style that aligned with the art director’s vision. With a clear direction in place, we transitioned to 3D development, refining the core structures and defining the hero building that would anchor the city’s design.

Using a combination of 3D blockouts and kitbashing, we efficiently explored multiple variations, testing different shapes, forms, and compositions to enhance the city’s visual identity. This iterative process allowed us to fine-tune the architectural details while maintaining the balance between functionality and futuristic aesthetics.

Through careful modeling and structural experimentation, we ensured that the final design captured the essence of an advanced yet believable alien civilization, reinforcing the immersive world-building of the Raga Remote City.

Finalizing the Hero Building Design

Once the best design option was selected and approved, we focused on refining the key elements of the hero building in 3D. Through collaborative iteration, we explored multiple variations, gradually narrowing down the possibilities to ensure a cohesive and visually striking final structure.

By carefully refining the architectural details, proportions, and composition, we ensured that the hero building served as the centerpiece of the Raga Remote City, embodying the futuristic yet functional essence of the world we were creating.

This process allowed us to strike a balance between aesthetics and storytelling, ensuring that the structure not only looked compelling but also felt like an authentic part of the alien environment.

Designing the Alien Terrain: A Foundation for the City

Beyond the architectural structures, we also focused on designing the rocky foundation upon which the Raga Remote City was built. To create a unique and otherworldly landscape, we studied natural rock formations and rare minerals, drawing inspiration from their unusual textures, shapes, and geological patterns.

By blending real-world references with creative interpretation, we developed distinctive rock formations that complemented the city’s futuristic aesthetic, making the environment feel both alien and believable. This approach ensured that the terrain itself became an integral part of the world-building, enhancing the overall visual storytelling of the project.

Expanding the Cityscape: Enhancing the Architectural Depth

To further enrich the final architectural design, we developed a series of smaller structures that complemented the hero building and overall city layout. These additional elements helped to add depth, scale, and functionality to the environment, making the Raga Remote City feel more alive and structurally cohesive.

Each structure was designed to maintain the city’s unique aesthetic, ensuring a consistent architectural language while introducing varied forms and details to enhance visual interest. See below for the final layout and lighting setup, showcasing how these elements came together to create a fully realized, immersive sci-fi world.

Final Key Art: Bringing the Raga Remote City to Life

With the city layout finalized and the rock formations integrated, we proceeded to refine the environment and establish the overall mood through detailed sketches. By applying our 3D-designed rock structures into the composition, we ensured that the city blended seamlessly into its alien landscape, reinforcing the world’s authenticity and visual impact.

The final key art, presented below, captures the Raga Remote City in its full scale, showcasing its architectural complexity and its relationship with the surrounding terrain. The aerial view provides a comprehensive perspective of the city’s structure, layout, and atmospheric lighting, offering a glimpse into a fully realized sci-fi world.

Final Detailing & Interior Development

In the last week of the project, our focus shifted to producing the final detailed call-outs and refining the interior design of the main tower in the hero building. This phase ensured that every architectural element, texture, and structural detail aligned seamlessly with the overall futuristic aesthetic of the Raga Remote City.

We meticulously developed call-out designs to highlight key aspects of the hero building, providing a clear visual guide for its form, materials, and functional elements. Additionally, we designed a curated collection of assets to enhance world-building and streamline future expansions of the city’s interior and exterior.

Below are the final call-out design images and asset collection, showcasing the level of detail and precision that went into crafting this immersive sci-fi environment.