by Rubén Duràn, Houston Community College, USA.
At Reality COLLAB, we’ve always believed that technology should serve people – not the other way around. Since 2016, we’ve grown from a single VR headset and a converted meeting room at Houston Community College into a full-blown innovation hub. But the real story isn’t about hardware or platforms – it’s about the incredible community that’s formed here.
I’ve had the privilege of helping shape this lab into something much more than just a space for XR development. It’s become a place where learners from all walks of life come together to build, experiment, and grow. Whether they’re working on digital twins for architecture decisions, immersive art shows, or AI-powered avatars that help others communicate, our students and collaborators are creating the future – side by side.
Recently, Reality COLLAB was selected by Meta as one of only 13 institutions in the US and UK to pilot the new Quest for EDU Horizon platform. That’s a huge deal – not just because we get to test Meta’s latest HMD administrative tool, but because it puts our students and faculty at the forefront of shaping how immersive tools can truly transform education.
We’ve got an amazing setup: Meta Quest 3 and Pro headsets, 3D scanners and printers, Unity, Unreal, Gravity Sketch, Midjourney, Blender, Twinmotion, and more. But none of that matters without the people powering it. I work alongside interns, administration, staff, faculty, and industry partners who constantly inspire me with their creativity and drive. Some of our best ideas have come from casual brainstorming sessions, unexpected collaborations, and students who dared to ask, “What if we tried this?”
Our model is hands-on and collaborative—like an indie studio with an educational mission. We don’t just train students to use tech; we bring them into real projects with real impact. I’ve watched interns become staff, students become speakers, and project ideas turn into full-on immersive experiences that serve our college and community.
Some of the projects I’m proudest of include:
- The Interior Design Immersive Portfolios, where students present their final work inside fully interactive 3D environments.
- Our VAST Academy STEMVR Camps, which open new worlds for students with disabilities.
- Enchantech, our annual Halloween event that blends education, art, and play inside the metaverse.
- And our international collaborations, like the Dual Nation spatial diplomacy project with Brazil’s Instituto Federal do Acre.
We’re also pushing forward with AI, integrating tools like Meta’s AI avatars, Skybox Labs, and generative design platforms like Vizcom. We’re experimenting with how AI can assist learners, enhance design, and personalise immersive journeys. Our goal is to create experiences where students don’t just absorb information – they interact with it, shape it, and reflect on it.
At the end of the day, Reality COLLAB is not about the gear. It’s about us. It’s about the relationships we build, the students we support, and the future we’re co-creating together. This lab is a launchpad – for ideas, for careers, for new ways of seeing the world.
If you want to dive deeper into what we’re working on, here’s a link to a recent presentation we gave at the Meta Education Summit.
And if you’re ever in Houston, come visit. You won’t just see headsets and code – you’ll meet a community that believes in each other, and in what’s possible when we build with heart.
Learn more or connect with us at: www.hccs.edu/reality-collab
Author
Rubén Duràn, Founding Director, Reality COLLAB
Houston Community College
