Notation before this post by Kitviel Silberberg :
The entire area - Waterfalls, School buildings, School of Humanities and Hothouse Atrium - is dedicated and is named in memory of James K. Getrost, father to our beloved Shay. Mr. Getrost recently passed away and this area honors his memory. A dedication ceremony will be announced at a later date when the area is totally finished.
If you’re familiar with the TLE Educational Network campus in Second Life, you already know that this virtual education center is far more than a bunch of buildings where classes are offered. For many of those who come here, it is a source of creative inspiration. Which shouldn’t be surprising, given that TLE was envisioned and built by a very creative soul – one Kitviel Silberberg.
Understand that the classrooms themselves were designed to be creative and inspiring. And the classes taught in them are equally creative. But in addition, you can find an impressive building (e.g., the TLE Creative Showcase for Artists) or a tiny corner (such as one of the fairy-tale settings at TLE Storyland) to inspire your creativity just about anywhere you wander at TLE Educational Network.
I’ve never blogged about one of my most cherished of those spots (shown in the photo above) probably because I wanted to keep it as much to myself as I could! It’s a little park with a huge waterfalls and pool where you can float forever, looking up at the tree-filtered sky and watching the birds and butterflies sail over you. So when I heard it was in the reconstruction zone on the TLE Main Campus, I became rather upset at the thought of losing that special place in Second Life.
I should have known not to worry! Indeed, “my” little waterfalls park is being remodeled – but into something even more inspiring. The park is being integrated into the beautiful new TLE School of Humanities building (see photo below) on TLE’s main campus in SL, and it’s even more creative than it was!
The humanities building, which is the second TLE building created by the SL design/building firm -InSync-, also incorporates the steampunk style of the new administration building for the TLE virtual education campus in Second Life, yet has its own distinctive look – one that exudes creativity and highlights natural elements (like my park).
The building consists of two classroom structures, connected by a flower-filled atrium with benches for relaxing. The south side of the complex borders the waterfalls park I so like. But instead of just taking away the trees that bordered it and leaving it as is, InSyn’c awesome design team of Frederic Graves and AEster Hathaway chose to enfold it into the building by wrapping a gorgeous “hothouse” around and over it, using stunning glass textures that blend beautifully with the stained-glass mosaic roofs of the two classroom segments.
They’ve also used similar glass textures to build a walkway from the bottom to the top of the hothouse, where you can look down on the waterfalls and pool or take in a great view of the main portion of TLE’s virtual education campus in SL (as in photo above).
But the real test came when I laid back in the floating pool: Would it be as relaxing and beautiful as it had been? Would the birds still sing and fly around? And the butterflies – had they survived the construction? Would the sound of the water still soothe, and the rainbows still sparkle in the falls?
I’m happy to report the answer to all of those questions is a resounding “YES”! Even the “mouselook view” from the floating pool (shown in above photo, though no mere photo can do it justice) was as delightful as ever.
On my recent visit, I ran into Frederic Graves as he worked on the waterfalls building and told him my initial concern about the “hothouse building” around the waterfalls. Well, he said, the whole purpose of the hothouse structure was to serve the waterfalls and its little park. In my opinion, he and AEster succeeded beautifully.
The TLE Educational Network’s new School of Humanities complex isn’t done quite yet – though it might be by the time you read this – so you might need to watch your step as you climb the walkway to the top – there are a couple of unfinished spots where I fell through! And the classrooms are still being furnished. But the space is already a peaceful, inspirational work of art, and I invite you to visit it soon – and often.
(Oh, and if you see me floating in the water, feel free to say hi, but if I don’t answer, forgive me – I’m probably drifting off in la-la land!)
(Ed. Note: Photo above was taken by AmandaLyn Donogal, keeping an eye on Alas Zerbino, though Ms. Donogal insisted she was just enjoying the sense of calm and comfort Ms. Zerbino must be feeling as she floated in the pool!! LOL)
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