Welcome to the journey of the art.

Hi there,

I'm Luke Gustafson, a co-founder and the lead artist here at StarAcer Academy.  I set the design, the tone and style of all the art and design that represents the StarAcer world. I also help Geoff Steeves here and there, in writing the stories.

I'm going to start sharing the journey of the StarAcers artwork.

Here are a number of concept sketches of StarAcer Academies central building called - The Brillouin Zone Tower the BZT!

The above sketch shows StarAcer Academy with a space elevator coming out of the top and going right up into outer space. We liked this idea but it's too far removed from real world technology and the goal of StarAcers is to incorporate leading edge technology and research but not so fantastical that it can't be absolutely real in a couple of years.

These 6 sketches are the various explorations of the main building of StarAcer Academy, the BZT. I was referencing a lot of quantum images, reading a lot about quantum mechanics, and reading a lot about fusion in the sun. Which is a profound and amazing process. Hydrogen makes up 90% of the mass of the sun, it is then smashed together in the process of fusion to make helium, from here there is more smashing of these atoms to make other elements. Like carbon, sulfur etc. These elements then come together (eventually over billions of years) to make planets and then life and then US! amazing. Forgive my butcher job of that amazing process. but it is truly mind boggling that "we are made of starstuff". best put forth by Neil Degrasse Tyson

Here I'm exploring the inside of the BZT. Each gigantic entrance represents an element that the sun outputs. Hydrogen is the biggest entrance because it makes up the majority of the suns mass, 90%. Helium is next

In the center of the main floor space which is roughly the size of an international airport interior, (massive and awe inspiring) is a sculpture of a hydrogen atom. One electron hovers as a barbell which represent the probable space the eletron could occupy. and the Tube around the barbell is the positrons probably space. This is based on quantum mechanics probability aspect that an electron and positron aren't really spinning around each other. But are in all probable areas at all times. Not only that the these atomic components are also waves and particles at the same time! I'm not doing this definition justice, I'm simply trying to infuse these profound concepts into the structures and design of StarAcer Academy. Feel free to email a definition to- ahoy@staracers.com

Here are my earlier notes about the BZT-

The Central Building -
Basically a cathedral like space. Or like an airport interior. Large, lots of light and crystalline. It should feel very modern but also hearken back to the glory of civilizations. Arabic, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, even the caves of the Neolithic, JFK, the tower of piza, the statue of liberty, tienimen square, the Eiffel tower, the guegenhiem’s, frank Loyd wright, petra-jordan,

Within, the student is presented with large sculptural integration of space and physics models. The psyche of the student is inundated with science upon entering the building. Actually each entrance into the building. let’s say their are 10 entrances (the 10 elements that make up the sun). And each entrance is scaled to the percentage that they represent in the suns composition (well close)... Each entrance is a diverse portal. based on a model of the atoms like the building blocks of the elements. or the building blocks of organic life. -

In order for any student to enter the building they must identify the element of the entrance they are entering (the first time...). There isn’t a force field or anything stopping them but their marks will show that it hasn’t been done. Until it is completed they may not pass onto the next level.
This is one of the basic entry requirements to enter SA, to identify all ten elements of the sun. There are a few other star-newbie requirments before being accepted into SA.

The blue is my structural overlay of the BZT. We want the StarAcer world to be feasible. We want it to be very close to reality. If we received a billion dollars we could build this structure. And so I ask any engineering or architectural professional or student or enthusiast to explore making this building real and functional. With my limited knowledge I've populated the structure with the shapes known for strength: triangles, arcs and circles.

In this final drawing I have drawn in pink and purple, modes of transport up the structure. A large elevator for moving massive research equipment. And some fast people moving transport tubes. The pink swirl is stairs! or escalators... a top down would reveal that the stairs look like an exploded atom spiraling in seeming all directions.