Jon Baugh

This research explores how 3D environment design can be employed as a strategic tool to visualise and prototype future agricultural facilities in response to climate change. As global environmental conditions become increasingly unpredictable marked by shifts in temperature, precipitation, and ecological patterns there is a growing need for innovative planning methods that can anticipate and adapt to these changes. The study focuses on the development of synthetic environments digitally constructed, immersive 3D spaces that simulate various future climate scenarios and their impact on agricultural infrastructure. By integrating climate data projections and environmental modelling into the 3D design process, the research creates visual narratives that help stakeholders better understand the spatial, architectural, and ecological implications of climate-adaptive farming. Through iterative design and visualisation, the project examines how agricultural facilities could be reimagined to remain productive, sustainable, and resilient. It also evaluates the communicative power of 3D environments in decision-making processes, particularly for non-specialist audiences such as policymakers, local communities, and investors. The findings demonstrate that 3D synthetic environments offer a powerful medium not only for speculative design and planning but also for fostering dialogue around climate resilience in agriculture. This research contributes to the fields of environmental design, climate adaptation, and sustainable development, highlighting the role of visualisation technologies in addressing complex global challenges.

This project explored the use of particle simulation and 3D animation to visualise the behaviour and performance of catalyst materials within hydrogen reforming processes. The work focused on translating complex interactions between gas flow, catalyst particles and the internal geometry of the system into a clear dynamic visualisation. Particle-based simulation was used to represent processes that are difficult or impossible to observe directly during operation, allowing the movement, distribution and interaction of material within the catalyst system to be communicated spatially and over time. The project investigates how simulation-based animation can support the communication of complex chemical and industrial processes by making otherwise hidden behaviours visible. It demonstrates the potential of motion, particle systems and visual abstraction to translate specialist technical information into an accessible form for both technical and non-specialist audiences.

This project involved the use of particle and fluid simulation techniques to create a 3D technical animation visualising the behaviour of particulate matter within a hydroprocessing filtration system. The animation was developed to communicate how the geometry and arrangement of the filter design influence particle capture, fluid flow and the accumulation of contaminants within the system. The project required complex processes that occur internally within an industrial filtration system, and which cannot readily be observed in operation, to be translated into a clear visual representation. Particle simulation, fluid motion, spatial organisation and selective visual abstraction were used to illustrate the movement of contaminants through the system and demonstrate how the filter captures and retains particulate material. The work explores the application of simulation-based animation as a method of technical and scientific communication, demonstrating how dynamic visualisation can make complex interactions between flow, particles and engineered structures more accessible to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Commissioned by Fera Science, this project involved the development of a 3D animation to explain the structure, operation and research capabilities of the E-Flows Mesocosm facility at Sand Hutton, York. The E-Flows facility comprises a series of controlled artificial streams and ditches designed to reproduce edge-of-field aquatic environments for higher-tier environmental risk assessment. The animation visualises both the visible experimental environments and the infrastructure beneath the streams, showing how water is supplied, controlled and managed throughout the facility. Fera's system comprises 60 independent artificial streams and ditches with controllable flow conditions, allowing realistic aquatic environments to be reproduced under controlled experimental conditions. The project addressed the challenge of communicating a large and spatially complex scientific research facility whose underlying systems are difficult to understand through photography or physical observation alone. Three-dimensional modelling, animation, cutaway views, camera movement and selective visual abstraction were used to reveal otherwise inaccessible infrastructure and demonstrate how the individual elements operate together as an integrated research system. The work explores the role of 3D animation as a method of scientific and technical communication, demonstrating how spatial visualisation can make complex research infrastructure and experimental processes more accessible to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Commissioned by Science Photo Library, this educational animation visualises how combinations of logic gates perform binary addition within an electronic calculator. The work shows two rows of binary inputs passing through an array of full-adder circuits, with each adder summing its inputs and carrying a significant figure to the next position when required. Decimal and binary values are displayed simultaneously to help communicate the relationship between the two numerical systems. The project addressed the challenge of making the operation of digital logic visible and understandable through animation. Rather than relying solely on manually keyframed sequences, a procedural node-based system was developed so that signal paths, states and outputs responded to the animated inputs according to the underlying Boolean logic of the circuit. The work explores how procedural animation can function not simply as an illustration of a technical system, but as a dynamic visual model whose behaviour reflects the logic being communicated. Motion, sequencing, colour-coded states and spatial organisation were used to translate an abstract computational process into an accessible educational visualisation. The project demonstrates the potential of systems-based animation for technical and educational communication, particularly where cause-and-effect relationships and processes unfolding over time are difficult to convey through static diagrams alone.

Commissioned through Science Photo Library for their client IXL Learning, this project comprised a series of 2D scientific animations developed for online chemistry education. The animations visualise electron movement within copper under different physical conditions, including normal electron behaviour, movement when an electrical charge is applied, and changes in movement when the material is heated. The work explores how motion, timing and simplified visual representation can communicate microscopic processes that cannot be directly observed, making abstract scientific concepts more accessible to learners.

Commissioned by Trackwork Ltd, this project involved the development of a 3D technical animation explaining the operation of the PINTSCH PINMOVIO Depot Control System within a rail depot environment. The animation visualises the relationship between interconnected elements of the system, including point machines, axle counters, shunting signals and route-setting control. It required complex engineering and operational information to be interpreted and translated into a coherent spatial and temporal visual sequence. The work explores how 3D animation, spatial organisation, sequencing and selective visual abstraction can communicate complex infrastructure systems. By showing individual components operating within the context of the wider depot-control system, the animation makes relationships and processes that are difficult to communicate through static technical drawings or written documentation more accessible to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Commissioned through Science Photo Library, this project involved the production of scientific animation and visual effects for the documentary At War With the Dinosaurs, a feature-length film examining the potential of hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies as alternatives to fossil fuels. The principal animation visualised the electrolysis of water and the production of hydrogen, translating a microscopic chemical process into a clear, dynamic visual explanation for a general documentary audience. Additional sequences illustrated developments in hydrogen fuel-cell technology and incorporated visual effects showing solar-panel installations within filmed environments. The project required complex scientific and technological information to be interpreted and communicated through animation, motion, spatial representation and visual abstraction. Processes that cannot readily be observed directly were transformed into understandable visual sequences capable of supporting the documentary narrative while retaining scientific clarity. The work demonstrates the application of animation as a method of science communication, using visualisation to make abstract chemical processes and emerging energy technologies accessible to non-specialist audiences.