My PhD research at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, develops Production Architecture, a framework for communicating immersive stories across creative and technical disciplines, turning a creative idea into instructions, materials and decisions that collaborators can understand and build on.

Advances in technology, particularly spatial computing and extended reality, are reshaping narrative art and expanding the ways immersive experiences can be created and shared. These developments allow audiences to enter cinematic worlds and interact directly with characters whose behaviour may be guided by artificial intelligence systems that respond dynamically to participants’ actions.

I have coined the term ‘Hyper Immersive Reality’ to describe experiences that place participants at the heart of the creative narrative. The concept emphasises a shift from passive observation towards active participation and co-creation, with audiences helping to shape the experiences they inhabit. It encompasses installation art, interactive cinema, mixed reality storytelling and other creative forms, drawing on advanced technologies to construct complex experiences that extend into other areas such as dance and music.

By bringing physical and digital environments together, Hyper Immersive Reality enables participants to explore independently and influence how a story unfolds. This participatory structure gives rise to distinct narrative journeys, shaped by individual choices and interactions. Each participant therefore encounters a personalised version of an experience that also remains shared.

This doctoral research puts forward ‘Production Architecture’ as a framework to support the conceptual development of creative work within Hyper Immersive Reality.

A central challenge in producing these experiences is communicating non-linear, immersive narratives to stakeholders throughout the production process. Established tools, including screenplays, storyboards and previsualisation, often struggle to represent the spatial and interactive dimensions of immersive media adequately. Without a standardised framework for articulating these emerging narrative forms, creative concepts can be difficult to communicate clearly and consistently.

Through a practice-led approach, this research develops Production Architecture by introducing new terminology, script formats and guidelines tailored to immersive storytelling. Its aim is to establish a comprehensive methodology that can inform industry practice, supporting the development of Hyper Immersive Reality and expanding its possibilities for artistic expression.