Digital Hardhat (DH), a subsidiary of Mind’s Eye Media, Inc. is doing things backwards. Though their new account, the Mall at Stonecrest, will not open until autumn 2001, the people at DH are already taking people on tours. DH created an interactive virtual tour with a 3D animated model of the 1.3 million square foot development. The mall is a joint venture of Forest City Enterprises, Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio and Cadillac Fairview Corporation of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

VP of Forrest City Commercial Group, Ian M. Bacon, said, “It’s worked well not only as a design tool, but as a communication tool within our company and externally between the leasing department and potential tenants. By showcasing the mall with actual, concrete images of their future locations, potential tenants are much more enthusiastic about signing leases.”

In October, DH was launched after its incubation phase at Mind’s Eye. This is the fourth virtual tour they have created as a selling/promotional vehicle for developers since their inception. Using traditional forms like blueprints, DH creates photo-realistic 3D models, integrating images of real storefronts.