Emoji Strong - by Calvin
The St. Jude charity truck is one of the most heartfelt and meaningful projects I worked on during my time with Monster Jam. In 2019, St. J…
Chacho's House
Project Gallery
Classic cable box with channel dial and retro styling.
Soft blue velvet sofa inspired by classic 80s interior design.
Retro wall‑mounted kitchen phone with keypad and handset.
Wireframe view of a classic Atari console and joystick.
Vintage game system with joystick, modeled for stylized retro scenes.
Simple interior door with brass knob for retro home environments.
Project Overview
This project showcases my work in 3D asset creation, technical art, and production workflows.
Chacho’s House is one of the most personal projects I’ve ever undertaken. It began with a simple realization: the home I grew up in — a place filled with memories, culture, and decades of family history — was about to become something that existed only in photographs and stories. In the early 1970s, my parents, Charles and Valerie Fernandez, built a house on an acre of land in rural, unincorporated Hillsborough County, just outside Tampa, Florida. It wasn’t just a house; it was the center of our family’s life for half a century. It hosted countless gatherings, celebrations, holidays, and quiet everyday moments that shaped who I am.
When the property was sold in 2022, I felt a mix of nostalgia and responsibility. I realized that future generations of my family would never get to walk through those rooms, smell the familiar scents, or see the sunlight fall across the floors the way I remembered. As a 3D artist, I knew I had the ability to preserve more than just images — I could preserve an experience. That idea became the foundation for Chacho’s House: A VR Time Capsule Museum, a project that blends personal history with digital craftsmanship.
My goal is to create a fully explorable virtual recreation of the Fernandez family home using Unreal Engine. This isn’t just a 3D model; it’s a cultural snapshot of what life looked like for a Hispanic family living in 1980s Florida. The house itself reflects that era — the décor, the furniture, the layout, the textures, and even the small imperfections that make a home feel lived‑in. I want visitors to step inside and feel like they’ve been transported back in time, able to walk through hallways, explore rooms, and interact with objects that defined our daily life.
To build this virtual museum, I rely on a combination of photographic references, personal memories, research, and measurements taken onsite before the property changed hands. Every detail matters: the pattern of the tiles, the color of the walls, the shape of the kitchen counters, the way the living room was arranged for family gatherings. These details aren’t just aesthetic — they’re emotional anchors. They tell the story of who we were and how we lived.
One of the things that excites me most about Chacho’s House is its accessibility. Unlike traditional museums, which require physical travel and limited hours, this virtual space will be available online from anywhere in the world. Family members, friends, and even strangers interested in cultural history will be able to explore the home at their own pace. It becomes a living archive — a place where memories are preserved not just through storytelling, but through immersive experience.
This project is deeply personal. In many ways, it’s a digital heirloom — something I’m creating for future generations of my family so they can understand where they come from. It’s also a thank‑you letter to my parents, who built a nurturing environment that allowed me to grow into the person and artist I am today. Recreating their home in Unreal Engine is my way of honoring their legacy and preserving the cultural identity that shaped my childhood.
Chacho’s House is more than a 3D environment. It’s a tribute, a museum, a memory, and a gift. It’s a way to keep the past alive in a form that can be explored, shared, and cherished for decades to come.
When the property was sold in 2022, I felt a mix of nostalgia and responsibility. I realized that future generations of my family would never get to walk through those rooms, smell the familiar scents, or see the sunlight fall across the floors the way I remembered. As a 3D artist, I knew I had the ability to preserve more than just images — I could preserve an experience. That idea became the foundation for Chacho’s House: A VR Time Capsule Museum, a project that blends personal history with digital craftsmanship.
My goal is to create a fully explorable virtual recreation of the Fernandez family home using Unreal Engine. This isn’t just a 3D model; it’s a cultural snapshot of what life looked like for a Hispanic family living in 1980s Florida. The house itself reflects that era — the décor, the furniture, the layout, the textures, and even the small imperfections that make a home feel lived‑in. I want visitors to step inside and feel like they’ve been transported back in time, able to walk through hallways, explore rooms, and interact with objects that defined our daily life.
To build this virtual museum, I rely on a combination of photographic references, personal memories, research, and measurements taken onsite before the property changed hands. Every detail matters: the pattern of the tiles, the color of the walls, the shape of the kitchen counters, the way the living room was arranged for family gatherings. These details aren’t just aesthetic — they’re emotional anchors. They tell the story of who we were and how we lived.
One of the things that excites me most about Chacho’s House is its accessibility. Unlike traditional museums, which require physical travel and limited hours, this virtual space will be available online from anywhere in the world. Family members, friends, and even strangers interested in cultural history will be able to explore the home at their own pace. It becomes a living archive — a place where memories are preserved not just through storytelling, but through immersive experience.
This project is deeply personal. In many ways, it’s a digital heirloom — something I’m creating for future generations of my family so they can understand where they come from. It’s also a thank‑you letter to my parents, who built a nurturing environment that allowed me to grow into the person and artist I am today. Recreating their home in Unreal Engine is my way of honoring their legacy and preserving the cultural identity that shaped my childhood.
Chacho’s House is more than a 3D environment. It’s a tribute, a museum, a memory, and a gift. It’s a way to keep the past alive in a form that can be explored, shared, and cherished for decades to come.