Sci-Fi Atrium Environment – WIP (UE5)

Vastra · Nov 28 2025

Hey everyone!
Starting a new environment project and aiming to raise the bar with a structured and methodical workflow. I’m putting extra focus on planning, modularity, and building a strong sense of vertical space and composition.

This scene will be a large sci-fi courtyard / atrium inspired by elements of Halo Infinite, The Expanse, Prey (Talos 1), and Mass Effect’s Presidium. I want to focus on verticality, layered walkways, open structures, and a strong sense of scale and light.

I’ve put together a detailed PureRef board with references, notes, and highlighted elements I want to draw inspiration from.

Right now I’m in the early blockout phase, defining large shapes, scale, walkways, platforms, and key sightlines before moving into modular pieces.

Main goals for this project:

Build a larger, more complex environment with clear vertical + horizontal composition.

Develop a modular kit and maintain consistent scale throughout the scene.
Push lighting and composition in a bright, open environment
Create a strong portfolio piece that shows structure, ambition, and visual storytelling.
Push composition and readability from multiple angles and elevations.

I’ll keep posting updates as the blockout evolves and I begin shaping modular assets and detail work.
Feedback and critique are always welcome!

Emace · Dec 9 2025

Love how clearly you’ve framed the goals upfront - you’re already thinking in terms of pipeline and not just “pretty shot”, which is perfect for a big atrium like this.

From a level / environment artist who spends a lot of time on modular kits: at this stage I’d pick 2-3 “test shots” from player height (ground + one higher balcony) and lock the blockout so each shot has one main leading line and one clear focal point. Only then I’d start adding extra walkways and platforms - it’s very easy to over-stack vertical layers in spaces like this.

Second thing: for this kind of scale, deliberately leaving bigger pockets of empty space between levels / bridges helps a ton with readability. Let the light do half of the work before you even touch the detailed asset pass.

I’d be really curious to see a pure graybox update with no materials - that’s usually the cheapest moment to move whole modules around.

Vastra · Dec 11 2025

Update time!
Thanks again for the feedback earlier, especially the note about establishing clear player-height shots and locking in a few main compositions before pushing the vertical layering further. That helped, so here are those POV angles as requested.

I have continued refining the blockout, focusing on:

Player-scale readability (added mannequins + first-person camera tests)
Floor spacing and elevator alignment
Bridge placement & step proportions
Opening up the atrium based on feedback

Nothing here is meant to be final. The goal right now is just to stress-test scale, leading lines, and how the space actually feels from the ground.

Here are some of the new test shots:

Player POV1:

Player POV2:

Player POV3:

Next steps:

Establish 2–3 “hero shot” angles and lock the major shapes to support those compositions.
Begin experimenting with modular wall kit ideas before doing any high-poly work.

As always, critique is welcome.
This is still early blockout, so it’s the perfect time to make big structural changes if needed.

Sci-Fi Atrium Environment – WIP (UE5)

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