DAO HQ: A Community-Driven Development in Genesis City
By Decentraland DAO, , in Community Highlights
Did you know the Decentraland DAO now has its very own headquarters in Genesis City? Completed in 2024, the DAO HQ is a space designed to bring governance and in-world activities closer together. Built through the collaborative process of community governance, the DAO’s headquarters serves as both a functional hub and a milestone in Decentraland’s ongoing evolution.
The Idea: Bridging Governance and Community
The journey to building the DAO’s HQ began with a simple question: How can we better connect the DAO’s decision-making with the activities taking place in Decentraland? In early 2023, community members Fehz and VipeIO submitted a Pitch Proposal detailing the need for a DAO headquarters that would serve as a bridge between these two worlds.
Their vision was clear: a multifunctional space that would host onboarding sessions, educational events, voting workshops, and interactive exhibits. The pitch resonated deeply with the community, earning a resounding 97% approval rate.
Key goals of the DAO HQ included:
Raising awareness of the DAO’s role within Decentraland.
Facilitating community engagement through interactive events and tools.
Providing a hub for discussions, proposals, and collaborative projects.
From Vision to Execution: The Role of Bidding and Tendering
With the pitch approved, the DAO needed to turn the idea into reality. For this project, the community experimented with the bidding and tendering process—an alternative to the traditional grants framework. This method introduced multiple steps to ensure transparency, encourage competition, and involve a wide range of contributors.
Here’s how it worked:
Pitch Proposal: The initial idea was submitted and approved by the community.
Tender Proposal: Once approved, the pitch evolved into a detailed plan, outlining requirements like timelines, budgets, and skills.
Bid Proposal: Third-party creators submitted bids with their strategies for executing the project.
Selection Proposal: After a confidential bidding period, the community voted to select the winning bid based on Voting Power (VP).
This approach allowed the DAO to separate decision-making about what should be built from who would build it, ensuring the best talent executed the project.
https://twitter.com/DecentralandDAO/status/1778938936481681906?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Defining the Vision for DAO HQ
Expanding the initial idea for a DAO HQ, community members Fehz, VipeIO, and thewipmeetup submitted a detailed Tender Proposal that studios could then bid on. The proposal set clear expectations for the features the HQ should include, while leaving room for the various bidders to add their own unique flair to the finished project.
The proposal outlined specific architectural and functional goals to bring the vision of DAO HQ to life. In summary:
Design: A modular, high-tech architectural style with high ceilings, open facades, green spaces, and a strong civic identity, avoiding centralized forms.
Rooms and Spaces:
Auditorium: For town halls and streaming events.
Meeting Rooms: For governance discussions and workshops.
War Room: A collaborative workspace for strategizing.
Historical Museum: To showcase the DAO’s history and achievements.
Chilling Space: Relaxation areas with terraces and gardens.
Outdoor Features: Decorative gardens, statues, fountains, and other elements to create a welcoming atmosphere.
Interactive Features:
In-World Voting Booths: Seamless voting integrated into the headquarters.
Mini-Games: Table tennis, mini-golf, and arcade games to foster engagement.
Dynamic Boards: Real-time updates on governance, grants, and community events.
NPC Guides: Virtual assistants to help users navigate the space.
The headquarters was also designed to integrate with Decentraland’s dApps, offering features like marketplace previews, governance tools, and analytics displayed as art objects.
The Winning Bid: DAO HQ by DAPPCRAFT
The bidding stage saw seven applicants, including joint ventures by well-established studios like Vroomway and Last Slice, which ended up placing second. The winner however, with 50 votes and majority Voting Power was the project proposed by DAPPCRAFT, a leading metaverse studio of more than 10 collaborators led by community member Demian, also known as Dolper.
Their proposal combined creativity, functionality, and a deep understanding of Decentraland’s values, building on the Tender’s vision while introducing new elements to enhance the user experience:
Dynamic Design: Modular structures symbolizing decentralization, nestled within a lush park featuring interactive zones, plants, and art installations.
Gamification:
“Vote-to-Earn” mechanics allowing users to gain experience points by participating in DAO votes, leveling up their Superhero status to unlock rewards.
Daily quests offering additional opportunities to engage and earn points.
Interactive Features:
In-world voting booths for seamless proposal voting.
Data visualizations as art, such as a growing tree representing monthly income.
Mini-games and social spaces to keep users engaged.
Admin Tools: A comprehensive scene manager tool with Web3 authorization for managing rooms, dynamic boards, and events.
DAPPCRAFT also proposed a clear five-month roadmap to ensure the timely delivery of all features, including architectural modeling, dApps integration, and gamified elements with a budget of DAI 96,300.
https://twitter.com/DCLjasonx/status/1791429360626589912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
A Hub for the Community and a Testament to Innovation
DAO HQ officially opened in 2024, becoming a cornerstone of Decentraland’s Genesis City. With its sleek design and vibrant features, the headquarters serves as more than just a meeting space—it’s a dynamic hub where the community can:
Vote on proposals using in-world tools.
Learn about the DAO’s history and initiatives through interactive exhibits.
Participate in daily quests to earn points and level up their Superhero status.
The completion of the DAO HQ also showcased the strength of Decentraland’s community-driven approach. By experimenting with new methods like bidding and tendering, the project united diverse talents and ideas, reinforcing Decentraland’s commitment to openness and collaboration.
While the bidding and tendering process played a role in the project’s development, it remains uncertain whether it will become the standard approach for managing grants, as the DAO continues to evaluate alternative methods. However, this experiment underscored the DAO’s ability to test bold ideas and adapt based on community feedback—a hallmark of Decentraland’s decentralized ethos.
The DAO HQ stands as a reminder of what’s possible when a community comes together to turn ideas into reality. It’s more than just a building; it’s a space that invites everyone to participate, vote, and connect, shaping Decentraland’s future one decision at a time.
Explore the DAO’s HQ Today
Ready to see it for yourself? Download Decentraland if you haven’t already and visit the DAO HQ in Genesis City, cast your vote on DAO proposals, and experience a space built for and by the Decentraland community. Whether you’re exploring its exhibits or leveling up your Superhero status, the DAO HQ is a place where collaboration thrives!
Do you know of a cool Decentraland community project that you think should be next in the Community Highlights series? Contact the Decentraland Foundation team @decentraland on X.
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