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open doors, turn on lights and even make stylistic changes to the interior. From a planning point of view, VR also offers architects a powerful tool to help gain local authority permission. One of the fastest-growing UK are Plymouth-based
practitioners
Typical of domestic properties to which VR can be applied
blueprints then this was superseded by computer-aided designs. Now, the further step change sees
3D environments developed from architectural plans capable of being experienced through VR goggles or headsets. What exactly does VR bring to the
party? VR has a huge range of other useful applications, especially within the architecture and construction industry. Its technologies take internet browsing
beyond flat screens, enhancing architec- tural perspective through a new understanding of scale, proportion, light, materials and community orchestration. Platforms in today’s market such as the
Oculus Rift, Gear VR, Google Cardboard, HTC Vive, and Hololens – combined with software like Unity or Unreal – open a whole new design field. VR, it would appear, has become the ultimate tool to explore the possibilities of space: to imagine what’s possible, independent of the any constraints imposed by real spaces.
TruVision VR provide virtual reality walkthroughs of buildings and environments, allowing people to virtually walk around their new home before it’s even built. Tey have been involved in a
variety of different projects includ- ing, most recently, a campus visuali- sation for Plymouth University, allowing students to walk around the university’s facilities without even having to attend an open day.
Current market leaders Oculus, burst
on to the scene by releasing their first headset, the Development Kit 1, early in 2013 and after a second version a year later they were bought by Facebook in 2015 for an incredible $2 billion, giving some indication to the potential of the technology. Their first consumer headset, with great improvements from the development versions, has finally been released. Rivals HTC and Sony are releasing their versions, too. VR, supporters say, brings many
advantages that simple flat plans or 2D computer images cannot provide. One of the greatest benefits is that viewing structures in this way allows for a greater appreciation of the sense of the scale involved. It also offers the opportunity to spot any issues with the structure before it’s built – avoiding costly post-build alterations. Using a technology as interactive as
VR leads to increased levels of interac- tion with architects’ designs. When ‘walking’ through a building, users can
As well as creating virtual homes, a
variety of schools, cinemas and even super yachts have chosen to use VR ensuring every fine detail is correct, avoiding costly post-build alterations. In the creation of these visualisa-
tions, TruVision VR use architect- created files such as CAD, Revit and SketchUp before adding realistic textures, accurate lighting and interactive features. Beyond that, the interactive abilities of virtual reality
TruVision – a recently-established collaboration of Joe Taylor, managing director, Conor Handley-Collins, sales and marketing, with Lewis Goodall and Gary Robertson, development. In addition to virtual
reality
experiences, TruVision also offer clients many options to tailor projects including video walkthroughs for promotional purposes or bespoke interactions allowing the customising of a structure (see above image). Overall then, where are we in terms of
architecture and VR design? The industry has moved from sketches through blueprints to building informa- tion modelling and now VR. For some, VR certainly doesn’t have to spell the end of traditional blueprints and CAD designs. They will probably stay a staple in the industry, supplemented by VR when projects require increased immer- sion to demonstrate designs effectively. On the other hand, some observers
predict that traditional methods will disappear and within a few years every architect will design using 3D goggles sending clients virtual models of their projects so they can walk through them wearing a 3D headset. The message for practices up and
down the land, appears to be clear: strap in and hold tight – the journey into space, the final frontier in architecture, is under way.
headsets allow aspects of a building to be customised in real time, from the style of the kitchen counters and cupboards, to the furniture in your living room and the paint on the walls. VR allows people to change
interior design elements while inside their new project, seeing the effect of the changes immediately and creating the perfect space, so saving a lot of time and money.
norman@netmagmedia.eu
www.architectsdatafile.co.uk
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