We started with a simple question: Why does learning 3D environment design feel so disconnected from actual game production?
Most training programs teach software buttons and technical workflows. But creating believable game environments requires something different. It needs spatial thinking, understanding of player psychology, and the ability to tell stories through architecture and landscape. That gap is what we decided to address.
Back in early 2019, three of us were working on different game projects across Spain. Aleix Torralbas was doing environment art for an indie studio in Barcelona. Casimir Vahos had just finished consulting on level design for a mobile game company. And I was teaching part-time at a technical school, watching students graduate with portfolios that didn't quite prepare them for production work.
We kept running into the same problem from different angles. Studios needed environment artists who could think beyond asset creation. Students had technical skills but struggled with spatial storytelling. The market wanted people who understood how environments guide players and create emotional responses.
So we started meeting up after work, initially just to complain. Those conversations turned into workshops. The workshops grew into a structured program. By mid-2020, we had our first cohort of twelve students working through what would become our core curriculum.
What made it work was combining our different perspectives. Aleix brought production pipeline knowledge. Casimir focused on design thinking and player experience. I handled the educational structure and mentorship approach. Together, we built something that actually reflected how environment creation works in real game development.
Environment design sits at the intersection of art, technical execution, and player psychology. Our approach reflects that complexity without making it overwhelming.
Students work on actual environment briefs similar to what studios assign. Not hypothetical exercises, but scenarios we've encountered in production. Each project builds on previous skills while introducing new challenges.
Weekly reviews mirror studio art direction sessions. Students present work in progress, receive specific critiques, and revise. This cycle teaches the professional skill of incorporating feedback without taking it personally.
We cover software and workflows, but always within context. Learning a modeling technique happens because a specific environment needs it, not as an isolated tutorial. Context makes retention stronger.
Our instructors come from actual game development backgrounds. They're not career educators who happened into games. They've shipped titles, dealt with crunch periods, and know what production reality looks like. That experience shapes how we structure learning and what we emphasize.
Lead Environment Instructor
Spent eight years as an environment artist before transitioning to education. Worked on three shipped titles including a critically acclaimed indie platformer. Now focuses on teaching production-ready workflows and helping students build portfolios that actually get callbacks.
Design and Spatial Thinking
Background in architecture before moving into game level design. Brings a unique perspective on how spaces communicate with players. His courses focus on environmental storytelling and creating areas that guide without obvious signposting.
We're not trying to become the biggest training program in Spain. Growth for the sake of growth doesn't interest us. Instead, we're focused on refining what works and staying connected to how the industry changes.
Our next cohort starts in July 2026. We're keeping class sizes small because individual feedback matters more than scale. Each program runs for nine months, giving students time to actually develop skills rather than just exposure to concepts.
If you're considering game environment work and want training that reflects actual production, we're worth looking into. Not because we promise anything guaranteed, but because we've structured learning around how this work actually happens.