Wooden Escape
Client
Passion Project
Role
All aspects
Background
“Wooden Escape” began as a personal exploration during a challenging period, when I hoped to steady my footing and move forward.
It was May in Boston, and it finally felt like spring after nearly six months of winter. On my usual commute, the trees were blooming again. It was inspiring to see tiny leaves return on bare branches after such a long cold season, and that moment became the spark for this project.
Concept
The new blooming inspired me to set the theme around four seasons, where each cycle has its quiet moments yet always leads to a new beginning.
The name Wooden Escape also plays on a pun meaning 'wouldn’t escape,' reminding me to stay resilient. At the same time, the word Escape gave me a sense of a safe zone, a place to freely play and explore the tools I have always enjoyed. This project therefore carries multiple layers of meaning, both personal and creative.
Inspired by a wooden house designed by an Indian architecture studio, I re-created its essence digitally and used it as a testbed for procedural design in Houdini. I then packaged the scene into a USD file and brought it into Unreal Engine 5, exploring how Houdini’s USD workflow could connect with real-time rendering and open possibilities for future projects.
Impact
The project was later recognized by Houdini.School, an official SideFX-certified teaching institution, who reached out on Instagram to share and feature my work. Their recognition was especially meaningful, as it highlighted the project within a respected educational platform dedicated to Houdini artists. It was a very rewarding outcome for something that started simply as a personal exploration.
Wooden Escape
Client
Passion Project
Role
All aspects
Background
“Wooden Escape” began as a personal exploration during a challenging period, when I hoped to steady my footing and move forward.
It was May in Boston, and it finally felt like spring after nearly six months of winter. On my usual commute, the trees were blooming again. It was inspiring to see tiny leaves return on bare branches after such a long cold season, and that moment became the spark for this project.
Concept
The new blooming inspired me to set the theme around four seasons, where each cycle has its quiet moments yet always leads to a new beginning.
The name Wooden Escape also plays on a pun meaning 'wouldn’t escape,' reminding me to stay resilient. At the same time, the word Escape gave me a sense of a safe zone, a place to freely play and explore the tools I have always enjoyed. This project therefore carries multiple layers of meaning, both personal and creative.
Inspired by a wooden house designed by an Indian architecture studio, I re-created its essence digitally and used it as a testbed for procedural design in Houdini. I then packaged the scene into a USD file and brought it into Unreal Engine 5, exploring how Houdini’s USD workflow could connect with real-time rendering and open possibilities for future projects.
Impact
The project was later recognized by Houdini.School, an official SideFX-certified teaching institution, who reached out on Instagram to share and feature my work. Their recognition was especially meaningful, as it highlighted the project within a respected educational platform dedicated to Houdini artists. It was a very rewarding outcome for something that started simply as a personal exploration.
Wooden Escape
Client
Passion Project
Role
All aspects
Background
“Wooden Escape” began as a personal exploration during a challenging period, when I hoped to steady my footing and move forward.
It was May in Boston, and it finally felt like spring after nearly six months of winter. On my usual commute, the trees were blooming again. It was inspiring to see tiny leaves return on bare branches after such a long cold season, and that moment became the spark for this project.
Concept
The new blooming inspired me to set the theme around four seasons, where each cycle has its quiet moments yet always leads to a new beginning.
The name Wooden Escape also plays on a pun meaning 'wouldn’t escape,' reminding me to stay resilient. At the same time, the word Escape gave me a sense of a safe zone, a place to freely play and explore the tools I have always enjoyed. This project therefore carries multiple layers of meaning, both personal and creative.
Inspired by a wooden house designed by an Indian architecture studio, I re-created its essence digitally and used it as a testbed for procedural design in Houdini. I then packaged the scene into a USD file and brought it into Unreal Engine 5, exploring how Houdini’s USD workflow could connect with real-time rendering and open possibilities for future projects.
Impact
The project was later recognized by Houdini.School, an official SideFX-certified teaching institution, who reached out on Instagram to share and feature my work. Their recognition was especially meaningful, as it highlighted the project within a respected educational platform dedicated to Houdini artists. It was a very rewarding outcome for something that started simply as a personal exploration.
process
© 2025 Pochun Chiu
© 2025 Pochun Chiu
© 2025 Pochun Chiu