ROLE OF VIRTUAL REALITY IN FIELD

OF ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION

SUBMITTED BY –
SAKSHI SRIVASTAVA
14GSOA101012

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 TABLE OF CONTENT
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
- ABSTRACT

Chapter 1 -INTRODUCTION
1.1.1. VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) 6
1.1.1. BACK GROUND 7
1.1.2. SCOPE AND INTREST 8
1.1.3. HISTORY AND EVOLUTION 9
1.1.4. CURRENT STATUS IN TECHNOLOGY
1.1.5. FUTURE SCOPE 11

Chapter 2 METHODOLOGY AND PROCESS

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1. SEARCH ON LITERATURE 19-21
2. SEARCH ON CASESTUDY 29-41

Chapter 3 -RESULTS
Web-based VR Based on the desktop VR system 24-25

Comparison of Platforms 26-27

Chapter 4 4-DISCUSSION
42
Chapter 5 5-CONCLUSION
43-44
Chapter 6 6-BIBLOGRAPHY
45-48

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my deep and sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Ar.Sawan

Kumar and Ar. Bipasha Kumar
Architect and faculty member of school of architecture, Galgotias University, whose
supervision,
Advice, and guidance from the very early stage of this research as well as giving me
extraordinary experiences throughout the work. I appreciate his vast knowledge and
skills in many areas, and his detailed and constructive comments. His
understanding, encouraging and personal guidance have provided a good basis for
the present research.
I wish to express my warm and sincere thanks to Dr.Atul Sethia, dean, Galgotia
School of architecture, for his important guidance and support throughout this work.

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ABSTRACT
Virtual Reality (VR) refers to computer generated artificial environment in which
one’s actions partially determine what happens in the environment. This paper
examines the potential of Virtual Reality (VR) technologies for architectural
applications. There has been a great deal of expectation for its implications in
architecture since Ivan Sutherland's first VR system in the 60's. The term VR was
formalized and became popular in the main stream in the late 80's and became an
industry by the late 90's. Although it has found good applications in Medicine, Flight
Simulation, and Video Game Industry, its effect on architecture remains
imperceptible. In the work that we review, we found that the success of VR in
architecture has primarily been in the passive and exploratory applications. We also
note that at the present time, the cost of VR systems is directly proportionate to the
level of photorealism and immersion. We contend that photorealistic visualization
and total involvement are not basics for making most design decisions. Hence,
through this paper we bring to light the essential promise of VR technology and the
potential impact it could have with its current limitations, on the way we
conventionally think and design our built environment pushing it beyond space and
time constraints.
The research includes an insight to VR drawing – of typical 2D / 3D drawing
elements such as line, shape, shade, etc. and then compared to their VR
counterparts. Also included are VR architecture drawings and the video of the
process and the analysis of how the process informs architecture. The data gathered
from these VR drawings experiments and comparisons will be read as a guideline for
VR art that shall be used to make the final pieces – the Thesis Game (contains
images / text / data) and the Final VR Drawing Space
In Conclusion, I find VR-drawing to be an interesting new medium. One that has its
own set of rules, its advantages and flaws. In drawing architecture, it shows
intuitiveness while sacrificing accuracy of other media. With practice, it can produce
fast – provided you get past the performance and learning curve. In showcasing
architecture, it provides an unlimited digital space inside a limited physical space. VR
drawing for architecture must be further studied with a bigger user group with a wider
subject, in order to find out more about what it brings and what it can improve upon.

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 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
AIM - To understand the importance of these images one must first have knowledge
of the context in which the images were created. Within the educational environment
the computer must find its’ way into the traditional methods of design process. In the
past the computer has been seen as a production tool, a communication and now a
design tool. Computers as design tools within the design process are allowing for
further exploration of space and form just as physical modeling and sketches have
done in the past.
OBJECTIVE –
Applications of VR in architectural education
Improve the communication between the architect and his clients
Improve the way of teaching by using better technology

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• Role of “VR” in architecture?
• Effect of “VR” on people associated with architecture ?
• How can we use Virtual Reality interfaces to design more efficient solutions
for effective presentation and communication of architectural designs
and ideas? 

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INTRODUCTION

In education, new technologies are used to improve the process of learning. Mobile
has been one these technologies offerings educators away to communicate with the
students by using suitable applications for learning. Virtual reality (VR) and its use in
education has long been discussed, one of the main challenges is that VR was
unaffordable for educational institutes. However VR has evolved since then, the
technology is up to date, cheaper and more accessible than it has ever been.
With the advancement in technology in the past few years, new forms of teaching
have emerged. Mobile applications are one of these new forms since smartphones
and computer tablets are becoming a part of the student’s daily culture. The process
of learning can be a complex task for the students since it requires a lot of effort from
them, which is why they need the motivation to learn . Educational software for smart
phones benefits the education process and makes it more interesting for students.
Especially if it follows the computer game technology to render 3D graphics for the
software and make it more amusing for the students while still deliver the necessary
information. But as technology advances, new technologies emerge and a new ways
of learning are being introduced to us. One of these technologies that have been
gathering headlines for the past few years is virtual reality (VR). It is characterized as
a medium just like telephones or televisions. VR is a collection of hardware such as
PC or mobile, head mounted displays (HMDs) and tracking sensors, as well as
software to deliver an immersive experience. George Coates defined virtual reality
as”electronic simulations of environments experienced via head mounted eye
goggles and wired clothing enabling the end user to interact in realistic three
dimensional situations” . The differences between modern VR compared to the
concept of VR presented two decades ago is that the technology is finally at the
stage where it can be adapted to any mobile phone. The introduction of Google
Cardboard showed the public for the first time that any smartphone of this generation
can be turned into a Virtual Reality machine with help of a HMD. It contains two
optical lenses for each eye to have the perception of depth and suitable applications.
At this point any student with a smartphone and a VR HMD can enjoy the immersive
experience of VR applications, share their ideas and imagination through a whole
new medium. By simulating the experience it encourages them to practice their skills
in a safe environment. The literature covers many aspects of VR in education
domain, but the comparison between a mobile educational application and the same
educational application in terms of functional and non-functional requirements in VR
is missing. The purpose of this study is to present a qualitative research strategy to
identify the important characteristics, beneficial factors and suitable areas for using
VR technology in comparison to standard mobile applications

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Background
Stanley Weibnaum described what would eventually be virtual reality in his science
fiction story Pygmalion’s Spectacles (1930s). Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell
Virtual Reality Diver), Lisberger & Bonnie MacBird (Tron) and The Wachowskis (The
Matrix series) are all writers for movies that deal with advanced technologies
creating and simulating new realities. I am also looking into Philip K. Dick’s many
science fiction stories and a notable quote: “Reality is that which, when you stop
believing in it, doesn’t go away” 1There are significant innovators and writers that
have contributed to the field of Virtual Reality. This includes Morton Heilig who
invented the Sensorama, (1950s) the first 3D movie machine and the first head
mounted display in 1960. These HMD’s are also commonly known today as Virtual
Reality Goggles – the Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive being the more popular consumer
products today. Technopedia.com defines Head Mounted Displays (or HMDs) as a
“type of computer display device or monitor that, as the name implies, is worn on the
head or is built in as part of a helmet”. This device is important as it creates
immersion to the experience “as it ensures that no matter where the user’s head may
turn, the display is positioned right in front of the user’s eyes”3 limiting the user’s
vision to only what the HMD shows and synchronizing head movement to visual
“trick” the mind into this new “reality.”Douglas Engelbart is credited with creating the
first graphical user interface (GUI) in the 1960s. Webopedia defines Graphical User
Interface as “a program interface that takes advantage of the computer’s graphics
capabilities to make the program easier to use.“
This means instead of lines of commands as an interface, it uses visual items such
as icons, pointers, windows, desktops, menus, etc. Besides GUI, Douglas also
invented the such as the computer Mouse, today’s standard pointing input
deviceJaron Lanier coined the term Virtual Reality in 1987.5 His company, VPL
Research were the first company to sell VR products, both hardware and software,
including the EyePhone. Palmer Luckey’s Oculus Rift prototype (2011) and Oculus
VR started today’s new VR boom – with many companies developing their own
devices - growing into the industry that it is today, with hopes to fulfil what 90s VR
promised in TV commercial and promotions – but could not deliver because the
quality and speed of the graphics.

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 SCOPE AND INTEREST

• This research will cover the implications and benefits a small facet of the
potential of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in relation to drawing
architecture, and specifically my method of drawing, which is focused on
gaming and comics for inspiration.
• Scope - Research and Demonstrate a VR environment (VR goggles)
Research and Demonstrate drawing and manipulating within VR (VR wands
and hands)
• Study the difference of drawing in 3D space, free body movement,
• Brief on how VR evolved to what it is today
• Brief on current and existing VR (professionally and academically)
• Show other uses of VR in other fields and compare how these technologies
can be modified to fit architectural and design needs
• Conceptualize future VR technologies that you foresee based on how the
industry is going at the moment and how VR tech will fill such needs.
The author is interested in this topic because she see it as the perfect
combination of her own personal fields of interest: architecture, video games,
and my enjoyment of drawing. I am interested in architecture for the beauty of
the built environment, and comics for its unique storytelling method. Virtual
Reality has the potential to combine these diverse fields into one area of
study. Lastly, in relation to drawing, VR is another way to draw. I have
learned to draw with a pen. I have learned to draw with a program. Now I want
to see what I could draw with virtual tools in a virtual space.
• Virtual reality applies to architecture and aimed at creating a VR program /
system where multiple users could design architecture collaboratively in real
time.

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HISTORY AND EVOLUTION

1987 – Virtual reality the name was born

Even after all of this development in virtual reality, there still wasn’t an all-
encompassing term to describe the field. This all changed in 1987 when Jaron
Lanier, founder of the visual programming lab (VPL), coined (or according to some
popularised) the term “virtual reality”. The research area now had a name. Through
his company VPL research Jaron developed a range of virtual reality gear including
the Dataglove (along with Tom Zimmerman) and the EyePhone head mounted
display. They were the first company to sell Virtual Reality goggles (EyePhone 1
$9400; EyePhone HRX $49,000) and gloves ($9000). A major development in the
area of virtual reality haptics.

1991 – Virtuality Group Arcade Machines

We began to see virtual reality devices to which the public had access, although
household ownership of cutting edge virtual reality was still far out of reach. The
Virtuality Group launched a range of arcade games and machines. Players would
wear a set of VR goggles and play on gaming machines with realtime (less than
50ms latency) immersive stereoscopic 3D visuals. Some units were also networked
together for a multi-player gaming experience.

1992 – The Lawnmower Man

The Lawnmower Man movie introduced the concept of virtual reality to a wider
audience. It was in part based on the founder of Virtual Reality Jaron Lanier and his
early laboratory days. Jaron was played by Pierce Brosnan, a scientist who used
virtual reality therapy on a mentally disabled patient. Real virtual reality equipment
from VPL research labs was used in the film and the director Brett Leonard, admited
to drawing inspiration from companies like VPL.

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1993 – SEGA announce new VR glasses

Sega announced the Sega VR headset for the Sega Genesis console in 1993 at the
Consumer Electronics Show in 1993. The wrap-around protoype glasses had head
tracking, stereo sound and LCD screens in the visor. Sega fully intended to release
the product at a price point of about $200 at the time, or about $322 in 2015 money.
However, technical development difficulties meant that the device would forever
remain in the prototype phase despite having developed 4 games for this product.
This was a huge flop for Sega.

1995 – Nintendo Virtual Boy

The Nintendo Virtual Boy (originally known as VR-32) was a 3D gaming console that
was hyped to be the first ever portable console that could display true 3D graphics. It
was first released in Japan and North America at a price of $180 but it was a
commercial failure despite price drops. The reported reasons for this failure were a
lack of colour in graphics (games were in red and black), there was a lack of
software support and it was difficult to use the console in a comfortable position. The
following year they discontinued its production and sale.

1999 – The Matrix

In 1999 the Wachowski siblings’ film The Matrix hits theatres. The film features
characters that are living in a fully simulated world, with many completely unaware
that they do not live in the real world. Although some previous films had dabbled in
depicting virtual reality, such as Tron in 1982 and Lawnmower Man in 1992, The
Matrix has a major cultural impact and brought the topic of simulated reality into the
mainstream.

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CURRENT STATUS IN TECHNOLOGY

Virtual reality in the 21st century

The first fifteen years of the 21st century has seen major, rapid advancement in the
development of virtual reality. Computer technology, especially small and powerful
mobile technologies, have exploded while prices are constantly driven down. The
rise of smartphones with high-density displays and 3D graphics capabilities has
enabled a generation of lightweight and practical virtual reality devices. The video
game industry has continued to drive the development of consumer virtual reality
unabated. Depth sensing cameras sensor suites, motion controllers and natural
human interfaces are already a part of daily human computing tasks.

Recently companies like Google have released interim virtual reality products such
as the Google Cardboard, a DIY headset that uses a smartphone to drive it.
Companies like Samsung have taken this concept further with products such as the
Galaxy Gear, which is mass produced and contains “smart” features such as gesture
control.

Developer versions of final consumer products have also been available for a few
years, so there has been a steady stream of software projects creating content for
the immanent market entrance of modern virtual reality.

It seems clear that 2016 will be a key year in the virtual reality industry. Multiple
consumer devices that seem to finally answer the unfulfilled promises made by
virtual reality in the 1990s will come to market at that time. These include the
pioneering Oculus Rift, which was purchased by social media giant Facebook in
2014 for the staggering sum of $2BN. An incredible vote of confidence in where the
industry is set to go. When the Oculus Rift releases in 2016 it will be competing with
products from Valve Corporation and HTC, Microsoft as well as Sony Computer
Entertainment. These heavyweights are sure to be followed by many other
enterprises, should the market take off as expected. & nbsp;

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FUTURE SCOPE

Traditionally, architectural design begins with an idea. The two-dimensional concept

is then sketched on paper and a three-dimensional model is constructed to evaluate
the designed product. This convention is very much culture-bound and it limits
stimulation and inspiration for idea generation. The phenomenon of providing
diversity during a design yields the potential for improving design quality. In the
design profession, diversity will broaden personal vision, enrich the memory of
mental images, and stimulate multidirectional thinking. Although architects have
used a pencil-and-paper medium to translate ideas into physical products for
generations, computer technology has revolutionized architectural representation
during the past decade. A design product can be displayed on a computer from
various angles with amazing visual effects. Changes are easy to make and results
can be shown instantly. The interactive nature of the computer technology is an
excellent teaching tool. Virtual reality promises even more. Users of virtual reality
actually experience the environment created by the computer. Applying virtual reality
in an architectural design studio, students can understand the spatial qualities of
their own designs immediately, visualize the color and texture of materials,
comprehend the major components of the HVAC system, experience the proportion
of the space, and appreciate the aesthetic of the structural elements. VR will make
possible the expression and construction of ideas never before dreamed possible.
Design studios taught in this fashion will be very effective. Providing such VR
environments at different locations and linking them together, designers can see and
share information. If the system can collect data which is sent to different sites in
different countries, designers would learn various design principles, methods, and
processes inherited in various design cultures. Potential clients can visualize results
and provide feedback instantly. Efforts to develop an interactive environment, in
which design can be seen intermediately, will create a new world for the design
profession to break with convention and improve quality. VR will not only change the
way we communicate, it might also change the way we think.

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Research Tool in VR
A VR system can be utilized as a tool for observing a designer's thinking process to
understand how information technology and virtual reality affect design thinking.
TOOL FOR STUDYING DESIGN PROCESSES
The designer's mind has been compared to a "black box" because it is impossible to
see what happens during the creative process (Chan, 1997). To C. S. CHAN
understand the design thinking processes, an intermediate environment is needed
allowing users to see the design sequences and to save them as data for later
redisplay. A VR system can provide a suitable intermediate environment. The
concept is to apply the Internet technology to coordinate multiple VRs and users into
a net system. The increasing availability and use of the Internet have opened up
opportunities for designers to collaborate with each other in ways not previously
possible. The impact of geography, with its tyranny of distance, has been changed
dramatically. Through the net system, designers can now work on the same design
at different geographic locations either synchronously or asynchronously.
One component of the net system is network connections for sending interactive
data across the net to share and exchange design experiences. In such an
environment, designers can visualize any design changes simultaneously and offer
feedback. Issues of transmission time delay and local versus remote processing
(Biocca, 1992; Mine, 1995b) need to be resolved for efficiently transporting files to
users on various platforms. Another component of the net system is certain data
recording mechanisms capable of saving the processed information for later
manipulation. For instance, the sequences of arranging columns, staircases, and
openings will show personal design methods for structural arrangements and
principles of circulation. If the sequences of designing are stored and displayed
again, critiques can be given based on visualizing the process. The saved data also
provide resources to simulate the design process and to visualize the cognitive
aspect of creativity.
TOOL FOR STUDYING DESIGN CREATIVITY
In architectural design education, most students are staggered by the lack of a clear
understanding of better design processes and have no definition of creativity. Many
students, therefore, do not have a good approach to design and the quality of their
design work is not satisfactory. To rectify this situation, a better understanding of the
nature of design processes and the factors that foster design creativity may provide
opportunities to improve these deficiencies. If designers have a better understanding
of the phenomenon of design processes, they will know the paths that lead to a more
efficient way to design. If the definition of creativity is well set up, designers will be
able to find ways to improve their ability to design a better living environment.
In order to explore the "myth" of creativity, to describe what happens during the
design processes, and to provide a means to increase creativity a VR recording

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system can be applied. The design data generated and saved by the VR system will
yield potentials for: (1) the designers to visually understand their design processes
three dimensionally, which will provide hints to broaden the creative sources to
achieve a higher level of creativity; (2) instructors to have a wider angle of observing
students' processes of design generation VIRTUAL REALITY IN ARCHITECTURAL
DESIGN better critiques and pedagogies; and (3) researchers to have significant
data to study the designer's processes of creation. Efforts to develop such an
interactive environment, in which architectural design can be seen intermediately,
will create a new world for the design profession that will break with convention and
improve design quality.
Applications of VR in architectural education Some authors have identified the
potentiality of Virtual Reality in architectural education, but there are not many
references about specific activities in that theme. A dissertation thesis at Strathclyde
[Andrews, 96], reviewing the different techniques and applications of VR in
Architecture, mentions educational possibilities through 3Drepresentations of 2D-
abstractions. A paper about the use of the CAVE in architectural teaching [Af
Klercker, 98] warns about the high cost of installation for schools of architecture, and
defines three ways in education; to improve the visual impact of computer modeling,
to interact with clients (?), and to design unusual forms. But according to the usual
curriculum of architecture the possibilities could be broader, Virtual Reality
technology could be used from basic courses until advanced subjects, in the diverse
lines of architectural education; - History and Theory; in the modeling and review of
historical cases and schematic concepts. - Technical courses; in the modeling and
behavior of structures, review of constructive details, representation of building
services and performance, etc. - Design Studios; in the modeling of students’
proposals, review of examples of contemporary architecture, etc. There are several
reports of use of Virtual Reality in design studios [Achten; 99, Donath; 97; Emdanat;
99, Garcia; 99], although involved in research projects,
without evaluation of its pedagogical issues. Also architectural experiences in
university VR-laboratories (Clemson, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, MIT,
Washington), and VR-models of historical buildings and constructive process

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CHAPTER -2
METHEDOLOGY AND PROCESS
This research presents a web-based tool which seeks to facilitate the communication
of design intention between clients and designers. The research approach is to
employ web based virtual reality (VR). VR is a computer simulation that employs 3D
visualization technology to simulate physical presence. As it eliminates both time and
geographical constraints, web-based VR provides a direct and immediate visual
experience for Internet users with personal computers. A goal of this research is to
create a VR-based application for improving the collaboration efficiency between
clients and designers. This research selects interior design as a case study and
discusses the following reasons for VR use: Interior design deals with a relatively
simple problem. Compared to other design fields (e.g., building design), interior
design does not require any engineering knowledge or advanced calculations.

Interior design serves a large market place with many potential interior designers
and sales professionals who can benefit from this potential tool. The approach used
in interior design can be applied to other design problems. The proposed design
process using this VR-based communication tool is as follows: The client poses a
design problem and provides the necessary design information, including the room
type (e.g., an office space), its dimensions and other specification requirements.
The designer creates a virtual interior scene based on the room dimensions. The
designer constructs a database to collect design components (e.g., furnishing and
material texture) that match the client’s specification requirements. The client logs
into the designer’s website and experiences different design possibilities by
selecting, arranging and modifying design components in the given virtual interior
scene. During this process, the client is able to work in both 2D and 3D modes: a 2D
plan view allows the client to place components; a 3D perspective view visualizes
the outcome. At the end of the virtual experience, the client has a list of their design
choices and provides the interior layout renderings for the designer’s review. Using
this design approach, interior designers can better understand clients’ needs and
preferences. Based on the clients’ preliminary design, designers can provide further
professional advice throughout the design development process. Although it may
appear that designers spend more effort preparing a single design case, the VR-
based communication tool should enhance the decision-making process, as many of
the virtual design components can be re-used in future design scenarios. On the
client side, clients are expected to play a more active role during their collaboration
with designers. Using this new tool, clients are able to create a preliminary design
solution based on the virtual interior and design components. In this manner, their
design intention can be visualized in addition to text descriptions. More importantly,
the proposed web-based tool minimizes time and geographical restraints. Because

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the communication can be done via Internet, clients and designers do not have to
meet in person to exchange ideas or review computer models. This helps decrease
the number of meetings and reduce the overall budget of a design project. In
developing this VR-based communication tool, this research proposes to complete
the following tasks: Study the interior design process. The interior design is a multi-
faceted profession and its process follows a systematic and coordinated
methodology. The study of this process focuses on the parts where clients are
involved. The study topics include the clients’ roles, factors that influence clients’
decision-making behaviour, and the traditional communication approaches between
clients and designers. Based on this study, the research suggests the functionality of
the proposed communication tool. The work in this section provides the theoretical
basis for developing the proposed tool. Review VR technologies and their
applications. VR is widely applied in product development, design review and e-
commerce. Successful applications in these areas serve as examples to inspire VR
applications in interior design. The research reviews the basic principles of VR and
the technical requirements for creating a VR system. In particular, to combine the
advantages of VR and World Wide Web (WWW) for solving design problems, the
research reviews the previous literature in web-based

VR technologies and applications. The work in this section provides the technology
basis to develop the proposed tool. Derive guidelines for developing the proposed
communication tool. Based on the research work in the above tasks, the research
sets up the framework of the proposed tool using web-based VR technologies. From
the designer’s standpoint, the research introduces steps in how to develop the
computer graphics built with a general CAD application into the ready-to-use design
data for the online VR version. From the client’s position, the research designs a
web-based user interface for navigating and manipulating the design data. In
conducting this research consideration must be given to those operations required
for experiencing a virtual environment. Develop YY3D1, a proof-of-concept of the
proposed communication tool. As a starting point, YY3D is developed to deal with
one of the most basic tasks in interior design: the furniture and interior layout
configurations. To achieve this objective, YY3D includes a sample set of virtual
rooms and databases of furniture models and material textures. YY3D should allow a
user to select furniture models from a catalogue and import them directly into a 3D
virtual room for examinations. The user should be able to move and rotate the
furniture in both 3D and 2D plan views. By previewing the room with different
furniture combinations and layouts, the user should be able to explore and evaluate
possible design solutions. After completing the virtual interior design, a list of the
user’s selection of furniture and material textures could be emailed back to the
designer. The client should also be able to supply comments and annotations for the
designer’s review.

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Interior design can also include a larger list of design tasks, such as adding partitions
for dividing space or installing other interior facilities (e.g., lighting fixtures).
Compared to these design tasks, the furniture selection and layout is relatively
simple. This research hopes that YY3D demonstrates that clients do not need
professional knowledge to create a preliminary interior design solution. Based on
YY3D, this research expects that future applications include a range of building
components (e.g., modular partition walls, ceiling fixtures, and bathing equipments)
and an assistant knowledgebased system (to ensure that relevant design rules are
obeyed when these building components are added in a virtual interior). In doing so,
the proposed web-based tool can be developed and upgraded to solve more
complex design problems.
The process of designing in architecture depends on the medium in which the
architect and the client communicate i.e. it can vary from 2D drawings to 3D views
and now by using the technology of virtual reality in architecture we can make the
client feel the space and environment of the design by visualisation and sound
effects
the rendered images are created 60-120% faster for creating a virtual environment
so that the client can see the space moving in real time. The technology has to be
more enhanced for creating a better virtual environment

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 Terminology and Definition

There have been different terms used to describe Sutherland’s concept and its
variations at different times. For example, the term “Artificial Reality” by Myron
Krueger was used in the 1970s and “Cyberspace” by William Gibson was used in the
early 1980s. The current widely accepted term “Virtual Reality” was coined in 1989
by Jaron Lanier, the founder of VPL Research which developed the first
commercially available HMD. Today, although the term “Virtual Reality” has been
accepted by the public, the controversy about its definition still exists. To some
people, VR strictly refers to “Immersive Virtual Reality”, where “the user becomes
fully immersed in an artificial, three-dimensional world that is completely generated
by a computer” .To others, VR 21 refers to “real-time interactive 3D graphics
technology in general so that it has different types of system environments including
immersive VR or non-immersive VR”. Though the debate over the exact meaning of
VR is ongoing, in practice, one necessary characteristic of VR is that a user “can
navigate in a virtual world with some degree of immersion, interactivity, and a speed
close to real time”.
2.2.2 VR Systems and Technology Requirements There are different types of VR
systems in the present, but most can be classified into one of the following three
categories: Immersive VR, Video Mapping VR and Desktop VR. Immersive VR
“Immersive VR uses a HMD to project video directly in front of the user’s eyes, plays
audio directly into the user’s ears, and can track the whereabouts of the user’s head.
Then a data glove (or data suit) is used to track movements of the user’s body and
then duplicate them in the virtual environment. When the user cannot distinguish
between what is real and what is not, then immersive VR has succeeded.” Other
immersive VR systems include: BOOM (Binocular Omni-Orientation Monitor) “The
BOOM is a head-coupled stereoscopic display device. Screens and optical system
are housed in a box that is attached to a multi-link arm. The user looks into the box
through two holes, sees the virtual world, and can guide the box to any position
within the operational volume of the device. Head tracking is accomplished via
sensors in the links of the arm that holds the box.” [3] CAVE (Cave Automatic Virtual
Environment) “The CAVE provides the illusion of immersion by projecting stereo
images on the walls and floor of a room-sized cube. Several persons wearing
lightweight stereo glasses can enter and walk freely inside the CAVE. A head
tracking system continuously adjusts the stereo projection to the current position of
the leading viewer.”

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Video Mapping VR “Video Mapping VR uses cameras to project an image of the user
into the computer program, thus creating a 2D computer character. Although fully
immersed in the environment, it is difficult to interact with the user’s surroundings.”
Desktop VR “Desktop VR is when a computer user views a virtual environment
through one or more computer screens. A user can then interact with that
environment, but is not immersed in it.” The categories of current VR systems. To
build up a VR system, no matter which category it belongs to, the general technology
requirements fall into four groups .Hardware “capable of rendering real-time 3D
graphics and high-quality stereo sound”
Input devices “to sense user interaction and motion”
Output devices “to replace the user’s sensory input from the physical world with
computer-generated input”
Software “that handles real-time input/output processing, rendering, simulation, and
access to the world database in which the environment is defined” In practice, most
VR systems have a common prototype of the human-computer interaction. For an
immersive VR environment, all of the visual, auditory and tactile information may be
necessary, while for others that are primarily visual experiences, devices and
software dealing with sound and tactual sensation can be omitted.
Prototype of human-computer interaction in a general VR system. To make use of
VR technologies to solve design problems, designers first need to choose a proper
VR system. As summarized in Table 2.1, an immersive VR system often provides
the most comprehensive information, but its demands for devices and equipments
are also the highest. It is possible for an interior design company to build up an
immersive VR system at their workplace. However, clients have to physically visit the
workplace to use these devices. Considering the time and overall project budget,
employing an immersive VR system may not be the best choice at this point. The
second type of VR systems, video mapping VR, is also inappropriate to be selected,
because it does not fully support the user’s interactions with virtual objects. To make
it possible for the client try out different design options dynamically in a virtual
environment, the interactivity of virtual reality is indispensable.
Therefore, this research suggests designers to choose the desktop VR system.
Using a desktop VR system, the user can interactive with the 3D graphics presented
on a computer screen, and experience some of the sensation of presence to a
certain degree.
According to the study by Oh et al., the 3D desktop VR has become an affordable
system and the non-immersive VR is now available in the system environments
including home PCs. The capacity and the convenience of desktop VR system
should satisfy the demands of providing non-professional clients with a virtual
interior, in which they can try out combinations of various design materials provided
by the designer.

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 Web-based VR Based on the desktop VR system
An important question is how to share the 3D graphics prepared by an interior
designer with the design client, so the client can try out design possibilities
independently. If the client still needs a professional’s involvement to view the 3D
graphics, there is less improvement compared to the situation of using a CAD
system. Fortunately, since the debut of Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML)
in 1994, 3D graphics has become available on the World Wide Web (WWW). VRML
and other Web3D technologies developed in the past two decades have made web-
based VR possible. Web-based VR supports interactive model viewing within the
framework of a regular web browser. With web-based VR the user does not need to
purchase professional modelling software. They also do not need to learn how to use
CAD or acquire any specific design skill.
The delivery of a web-based VR system requires at least two computers, the client’s
PC and a web server. In most cases these two computers would be located at a
great distance from one another. This is unlike a standalone VR system, where all
the required data are generated and processed locally by a powerful computer and
its associated input/output devices. Consequently, in addition to meeting those
technical requirements for the human-computer interaction as in a standalone VR
system, a web-based VR system also needs to consider the data exchange over the
Internet.
Prototype of data exchange in a general web-based VR system. Based on the
research work .In this prototype, the web server is mainly responsible for storing and
providing data (3D computer model and other website files) when receiving requests
from a local computer. The local computer is the location where all the data
(including the data received from the web server and the events input by the user)
are collected and calculated for generating the 3D virtual world. During this process,
the network capacity and the local computational power are determinants of the
overall performance of a web-based VR system. Extended waiting time for the file
download or low local computation speed can hinder the 3D graphics rendering and
interactions in a real time, thereby satisfying virtual experience would not be
achieved.
To help improve data file transfer speed and rendering, the designer should
optimize their 3D graphics. Beier pointed out that the core of most VR systems is a
computer model, which is a polygonal representation of all geometry involved. The
polygonal representation means using a collection of vertices, edges and faces to

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approximate the surface of a geometric object for defining its shape. These faces
usually consist of triangles, quadrilaterals or other convex polygons to simplify the
rendering. The number of polygon for the entire model determines the rendering
speed .
According to Beier , “Real-time rendering requires the generation of at least 20 to 30
frames (perspectives views) per second. A laptop computer can render several
thousand polygons in real-time”. If the models are too complex (including up to a
million polygons), powerful computer systems with special graphics hardware are
required.
Therefore, when the client’s computer configurations are unknown, the interior
designer should optimize the model’s polygon count to ensure the basic rendering
speed for the real time visualization and interaction. In some instances when the
client’s computational resources permit, the design models may be created with a
certain level of complexity, in order that the client can experience more realistic
visual effects. Application Areas of VR Using a VR system, people can experience a
real or abstract environment in the three dimensions of width, height and depth with
interactivity. This strength opens unlimited possibilities for the VR applications in a
variety of fields. This section reviews three VR application areas, which would inspire
the development of VR-based communication tool in solving interior design
problems.

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 Research strategy
To establish a common ground where applications from two environments can be
evaluated fairly, it was important that an educational application that has same
features and visuals. This is very hard to come by, where the VR application market
is yet widely open to the public and the fact that we are at the same time looking for
an educational application that full fills these requirements. It made more sense that
we would create our own application where we could make sure that both sides are
represented fairly in the evaluation. Therefore, we chose Design Research as our
research approach. Design research is a problem-solving paradigm that evaluates
and identifies problems with an artefact. In this case we would be creating our own
artefact (Prototype Application) and evaluate it instead of evaluating an existing one
and by doing so we will be able to answer our research questions. To gather the
necessary data from our interviews, we realised early on that a standard interview
approach would not suffice to gather the data needed for the research. The reasons
being the fact that the majority of the people has never had the chance of
experiencing VR previously, nor have they had the chance of comparing two similar
applications in the two environments to evaluate the differences. Therefore, it is
necessary that we allowed the interviewees to experience similar learning
applications in different environment first before giving us their opinion. We chose to
follow qualitative research approach over quantitative. By using interviews to gather
qualitative data, this way we will be able to understand the users and delve deeper
into discussion of the topic from different aspects of VR and Mobile applications in
education. The qualitative research approach also influences the type of questions
that will be used during interviews. The scheduling of the interviews were conducted
2 weeks prior to the actual interviews. We contacted the interviewees to inquire their
availability during the dates we set and to find a time slot to conduct the interview.
We estimated each interview to be around 20-30minutes and booked around 25
people for our research. The population is divided into 3 different groups. First group
of interviewees are the students of software engineering and management program
at Gothenburg University. Second group are the students of Lagmans High School in
Vara. Third group are teachers and researchers from university of Gothenburg,
Chalmers and Lagmans High School. By having this group diversity in our research,

24
we will be able to assess how the 3 different groups responds to the technology. We
will also be able to look at how programming students and non-programming
students react to new technology and if there are any differences in adapting to new
technology. And lastly whether if the educators are willing to use the technology in
their teaching techniques. In question formulation, questions have been divided into
2 parts. The first category of the questions is general information about the
interviews and their previous experience with mobile application for education and
VR technology. These cond category of questions is performed after the
experiments. The majority of these questions are open ended questions that give us
the opportunity to gather the relevant data for the study. But there are also close-
ended questions whether the user felt that the application used by us to evaluate
mobile and VR platform was biased and if after trying out the application they would
be interested in purchasing a VR HMD. As for the actual interviews, each interview
began by asking the interviewee for permission to audio record the session. If
permitted, we would then set up one laptop and one audio recorder to record at the
same time. This precaution is taken to ensure that the recording would be available
in case any software or technical issues would arise. However,If the permission to
audio record the sessions would be denied ,the interview would then be recorded by
hand. This way no information would be lost. We continued the interview by asking a
few questions regarding the user. This is to establish a base understanding of our
interviewee, where we get to know the participant and his/her previous interaction
with VR and educational applications on the mobile platform. Once this is done, we
present our two applications. Starting with the mobile platform, where we let the user
interact with the application and guide them through the different aspects of it. When
they have explored all the features we let them explore more if they want to. Once
they feel that they are done with the mobile application we switch over the VR
application and do the same process over again. During these experiments we
encourage the user to utilise the ”Think-Aloud” method to understand what the user
is thinking when interacting with the system. By adapting the ”Think-Aloud” method
we can find interesting information regarding the mobile and VR applications.
However, in our case we are not focusing on UI or the design of the applications.
Rather we focus on what the user experience while using the app, so that we can
investigate those areas by further inquire them regarding these problems to have a
better understanding. Once the interviewee has finished trying out both applications,
we start with the second phase of interview. Semi structured interview was applied
during this phase, because the domain is still very young and there are many
unexplored areas. Compared to structured interview, where you have to follow a
strict guideline of questions and not diverge from the pre made questions. Semi-
structured interview follows a predefined template but gives us the freedom to delve
further into the questions and ask relevant follow-up questions that emerges from the
answers of the interviewee. These can be can be interesting topics or areas that we
did not mention in our interview. It is important while asking follow-up questions to
avoid asking questions that only lead to yes and no, rather it should be questions
that are open and have the possibility of following up with another question if needed
[22]. By combining semi-structured interview with open-ended questions it will give
us the opportunity to follow the interviewee when an interesting topic appears and

25
lets us dig deeper into those areas by asking follow up questions to further
investigate the domain. After the interviewee has answered our questions, we also
try to utilise an interview technique mentioned by Brussels called ”Probing”. Probing
is a technique where the interviewer tries to prompt more answers from the
interviewee [22]. There are many variants of probing, but the two that we found most
useful in our case is the Tell-Me-More probing and Uh-huh probing technique. The
Tell-Me-More probing is used in combination with the open-ended questions, where
the interviewer inquire further regarding the topic that the interviewee brought up
during the interview with the follow-up questions. Uh-huh probing on the other hand
are used after the interviewee has given an answer to a question ,by agreeing to the
answer and sometimes stating a neutral agreement towards the response can lead
to a more informative and longer answer.We chose to utilise grounded theory it is
one of the most popular data analysis techniques for qualitative research. It lets us to
discover, generate ideas and explanations from our data. The data we collected from
interviews were transcribed and analysed in parallel the data collection procedure
that is as soon as we did our first interview we started the transcription and the
analysis of the data that allowed us to capture all possible relevant aspects to
answer our research questions. The data was categorised as the following: • General
Findings • Prototype-testing • Quality Attributes • Comparison of the application •
Comparison of the platforms Once all interviews are done and data has been
transcribed and divided into their categories. We look through each category to
identify the common denominators trends, analyse the cause of these trends and to
explain what are the Underlying factors. This analysis will be introduced and
explained in the result and discussion section.

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Virtual prototyping for product development
The term “virtual prototyping” refers to “the design, simulation, and testing of new
ideas, concepts, products, schemes, or processes in a synthetic but interactive
computer environment”. For product development, virtual prototyping uses VR
technologies for the design presentation and evaluation, which is based on a digital
model in lieu of a physical prototype. Traditionally, producing a physical prototype is
time consuming and expensive. Additionally, only a limited number of participants
who are physically present can assess the physical prototype. In contrast to this
situation, virtual prototyping allows designers and users to evaluate and analyze
products using computer graphics. Relevant product properties, such as
functionality, safety, aesthetics, and other aspects, can be studied in a virtual
environment. With technical support, this virtual environment can be accessed by
one or more users at the same time and at different locations.
Virtual prototyping is especially welcomed in the automotive and aircraft industries
where the investment requirements for building physical prototypes are high. For
example, many automotive companies and university laboratories have employed
virtual prototyping systems to study their candidate vehicle designs [1, 35, 50]. Such
a virtual prototyping system can enable the designer and the manufacturer to focus
on the very specific design problem each step by creating a partial design model. For
example, shows an immersive VR system used to present a vehicle interior at the
driving position. Through virtual pop-up menus, people can examine the interior
colours, lighting environment and other interior settings. The virtual prototyping
system can also be applied to simulate the physical environment in which the
product will be used. a simulated rough terrain on which the stability of a high speed
vehicle is examined. By means of virtual prototyping, people can test a design
proposal and detect design flaws before a product is manufactured. A virtual
prototyping for testing vehicle interior, by Virtual Reality Lab at the University of
Michigan. A virtual prototyping for vehicle stability measurement, by Robotic Mobility

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Group at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Interior design faces many similar
problems to those found in the automotive industry: the time and cost investments
for creating a “physical prototype” for design study are usually high. Moreover, unlike
the mass production in automotive industry, each interior design project is unique
and serves few clients. Therefore, the profit for creating a physical prototype is
relatively low. To improve this situation, virtual prototyping can be considered as an
alternative solution to study and compare design solutions.

. Comparison of the Platforms

It is understandable for a subject that requires simulation and 3D models would fit
better for the VR. Using VR is superior in many fields of education ,in architecture
the students get to see their design comes to live in a virtual world. In medicine it
provide a better insight of the anatomy of humans and simulating surgeries to
measure the confidence level of a surgeon. A subject that requires labs and real life
experiments such as physics, chemistry, and biology and nature science is a better
fit for VR than a mobile platform. But using it does not replace the traditional means
of conducting lab research or real life experiments but it should be used as a tool to
help increase the knowledge level. Simulations in VR do not have the same impact
on a person as in real life experiments. An example would be a chemical lab where
using such technology would lower the risk of accidents and give the students a
better control over the experiment. But it won’t help them learn how to handle the
chemicals and about the risks when they start their career in the real world [11]. At
the same time, as one of the teacher mentioned: in order to successfully incorporate
VR into the aforementioned educational environments, appropriate software must
also be created in order to fulfil the purpose of the education. From our results we
can see the educators are willing to use VR as a teaching technique and setting up
labs. Since the students will be unaware of their surroundings ,constant supervision
is needed to assure the safety of the students. The educators can control the
experience and what the students are allowed to explore in VR with a tablet or
computer. If the teaching scenario is to inform the student of facts, the teacher can
use a main application to steer the lecture and broadcasts the scenario to the VR
machines. This will deliver the lesson as he or she intends and allow the teacher to
be in full control of what he students experience. On the other hand, if the lecture in
VR is intended to be an interactive process such as a lab to be carried out by the

28
students. Additional software on the computer will be provided to the teachers so
that he or she can create the teaching scenario according to the intended purpose.
These apps in turn will be streaming back the content while performing a lab; this
way the teacher can monitor the students through their main application and provide
the necessary guidance when needed. As for software engineering education, in
subjects that requires visualisations, VR can be used to simulate the design models
and different kind of diagrams with their different layers.
One improvement VR will bring to modelling is the increased area to work on. It will
be easier to fully visualise and have an overview of the models and diagrams in
whole compared to computer programs. These programs has limited workspace
where only a part of a diagram can be displayed due to the limitation of the screen
size. However, some considerations needs to be made while creating an educational
application for VR. Focusing on simplicity and avoiding complicated menus by
utilising the headtrackingandthe360view. This will give a natural feeling and an easy
navigation while using the application. Low latency and slow movements of objects
should be considered to reduce motion sickness and headaches while using VR for
a long period of time. Since VR is heavily depending on the immersive experience in
a 3D virtual world, it is important to model the environment with high quality textures
and 3D models to deliver the best experience for the students. The adoption or
acceptance of VR depends on the age group it was aimed at. A younger audience
will adapt faster to VR technology compared to older audience where they might
consider the mobile platform to be a faster and safer way to use in education. In the
end, our results suggest the mobile platform is more suited for fast learning, where
the platform itself offers mobility and allows the user to open up an app and quickly
browse through some smaller pieces of information on the go. By analysing our
result we found that VR platform is not as mobile and not suited in all environments.
But very effective in subjects that requires immersion and deeper learning in
comparison to the mobile counterpart.

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CASE STUDY
Virtual Reality for Architecture and Interior design –Studio Case Study
VR is everywhere now but it’s not a new concept. Our Studio have been monitoring
the growth in VR over the last few years with particular interest – specifically its
relevance within the Visualisation and Architectural industries.
(The event hosted many of the key players in the future of the built environment. Our
guys headed to the Virtual Reality Viewpoint to test out some of the innovative new
products on the market.)
In recent years the key sectors for VR, such as gaming and engineering, have led
the way in VR technology and exploration. Arguably the biggest advancement in VR
was the introduction of the Oculus Rift(https://www.oculus.com/) which began as a
Kick starter back in 2012. This was the first real dedicated VR headset for gaming
that gave the viewer a true feeling of presence within their virtual world along with
the ability interact with your environment. It was however out of reach to most due to
its price point and reliance upon expensive performance computers to process the
graphics. It’s still an awesome bit of kit, along with similar devices such as the HTC
Vive and the cost is coming down, but we still feel best suited to certain applications
like marketing suites and events. The technology and most importantly the VR
content created to be viewed within these headsets is also improving all the time, but
for now, they perhaps lack the mass appeal needed to really make VR a mainstream
form of media for everyone.
VR Experience For The Masses
We are now seeing growth in the range of hardware on offer by numerous
manufacturers, as well as multiple platforms in which to develop VR and deliver VR
experiences. This is making VR accessible to everyone no matter what your budget
is. With the introduction of Google Cardboard in 2014, where you can simply insert a

30
regular smart phone into a low-tech cardboard ‘device’ which you hold up to your
face to view relatively simple VR experiences.

Google Cardboard Headset https://vr.google.com/cardboard/

This modest “DIY” headset can be easily manufactured and distributed. Easy to
navigate downloadable apps mean anyone can quickly and easily turn a smart
phone into a VR viewing experience. These types of VR apps are available now on
both the App Store for iOS and the Play Store for Android. These include traditional
action or fantasy games as well educational apps for children, to simulating extreme
sports and even VR dating! But this method of downloading online VR content to
your phone or device opens a lot of opportunities to develop custom built apps that
can be deployed anywhere in the world. And it’s this we feel is an exciting
opportunity for our clients to view their projects in a new and immersive way.
How does it work?
These downloadable apps cleverly transform the screen on your mobile into a
stereoscopic viewing function. This creates the illusion of depth within an image. This
VR “viewing experience” does just that – the viewer perceives they are looking
around within a 3-dimensional space which helps create a real sense of presence
within the space. The current trend is that companies and brands are embracing this
kind of technology as a marketing tool, exploring it with their consumers and clients
across a diverse range of sectors.

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Example of Stereoscopic Viewing Function available for interactive apps
This has been a huge step forward in terms of reaching a mass market and making
VR more accessible. Due to its ease of use and ability to be downloaded on most
mobile platforms.
What’s next for Our Studio and our VR Predictions
Our Studio’s vision is to offer affordable, accessible VR viewing solutions to our
clients that still retain the high-quality, photo-realism we strive for in our CGIs
renders. One important element to achieving this is not be restrained by access to
high end performance technology. We feel these experiences should be accessible
by everyone and for every scenario.

Herbal House London App Itunes

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We have recently adapted and taken this viewing experience one step further to offer
a more interactive VR tour that’s available across multiple platforms and devices
such as iOS, Android, Gear VR, Google Cardboard, iPhone and iPad.
What’s more, we are working hard on developing processes so the use of VR
becomes an integral part of the design and development process between
ourselves, our partners and their clients. We are keen to hear from architects and
developers to hear their thoughts on this.

Case Study: Agora Architecture

About Agora Architecture 

Agora Architecture  was tasked with creating two new education centers and
designing a courtyard gathering space for Cowley College in Wellington, Kansas.

33
We spoke with the Principal Architect on the project, Cheri Hulse, and other
members of the design team about how VR positively impacted their workflow
and helped them impress their client.

Why and How Agora Architecture Uses VR

What prompted you to consider using virtual reality for the Cowley
College project?

When we began working with the college, they were looking for a way to view
their project before its completion to help with fundraising, and as a solution we
provided 3D virtual modeling in addition to the standard rendering. After taking
care to look at the College’s needs and plans, it was easy to see that  virtual
reality could help them get this campus off of paper and into reality . The college
planned to unveil the design at a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new
campus and expected around 250 people to attend, including 25 dignitaries from
the State of Kansas.

Cowley College is a great partner to have in this endeavor because they want to
push the envelope of education and we want to push the envelope of technology,
so using VR made perfect sense.

What steps did you take to produce VR content?

Our steps to using VR did not follow a straight path. Because we hadn’t offered
the service before, we did a lot of research and even changed directions a few
times before deciding on the best approach.

Regardless of how we were going to get the model into VR, we knew we would
work in Revit to create our models. We found that exporting our Revit renderings
straight from Revit didn’t provide the aesthetic quality we were wanting,
especially in the outdoor areas that we were showcasing. We used an add-on
rendering program that really enhanced the grass, trees, people and building

34
finishes. Finally, we uploaded these toScope  for easy distribution and
accessibility.

How did you use VR at the groundbreaking ceremony?

Because of the vast number of people who would need to be accessing VR at

one time during the groundbreaking, and the subsequent need of it to be
portable, we chose to use cardboard viewers. We used both cardboard and
plastic viewers which were distributed during the groundbreaking for attendees to
take home and show others. These were accompanied by a step-by step
instruction brochure we created to show how to download the Scope app, put in
the code, and use the viewer. This allowed us to create VR that is portable and
easily shareable with many people in a short amount of time. For those who did
not have a compatible smartphone or who otherwise did not want to use their
personal phone for viewing, previously set-up devices were available to use at a
booth and student ambassadors from the college were available to assist.

Using VR to easily communicate the design was a great success, and the people
at the groundbreaking ceremony were very impressed and excited to be able to
see and understand Phase 1 of the campus before it was even built. Their
reaction was pure amazement and awe. These are the reactions we got not only
from people at the groundbreaking who had no idea what to expect, but also from
the people who have been involved with the design process from the beginning
and had an idea of what the campus was becoming. Our clients enjoyed the
seamless feature of moving from one panorama to the next. They didn’t
have to take their phone out, scan a QR Code, or do something else that
involved any inconvenience. It was very simple and effective. Cowley College
did a fantastic job of setting this very large and impressive groundbreaking
ceremony to be such a success and VR took the whole experience to the next
level.

In the future, we plan to upload design and construction progress images to

Scope as the project progresses, sustaining interest in the project up throughout

35
completion. Distributing the cardboard viewers and Scope codes was key to our
plan to implement continued VR updates.

Results and ROI

What were the goals you set out to achieve by using VR?

Our goal was to provide the client with an attention-getter. We often run into
motivated people who have a fantastic idea for a facility, but they either cannot
visualize design from the 2D drawings that we use or the people from whom they
need support cannot visualize the design. Offering VR provides our clients the
ability to impress their boards, contributors and major stockholders. Convincing
these people to invest in and support the project can be the piece that makes or
breaks a dream. We also expect that this extra visualization piece will enhance
our communication with our clients throughout project design and construction.
Our client is already able to enter VR and experience the design, which has
enabled them to more easily talk about what they like and what they want to
change. In turn we are able to design a product that best represents the client’s
ideas and needs.

How does it compare to not using VR? Were there any quantifiable
gains?

Compared to not using VR, there would be less excitement about the project. We
believe there would be more questions and more time spent in early design
phases. However, because of VR, Cowley College was able to see the design
and accept it because it was right there in front of them and they loved it!

Also, I think we would all agree that it improved our relationship with the client.
The glowing comments each designer has received since revealing the result of
VR have been very generous. The client is pleased and excited and is enjoying
all of the fun aspects of creating a new campus because of VR.

Did it improve/facilitate coordination within your team as well?

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It absolutely improved and facilitated coordination within the team. When we
initially considered providing VR we thought about the associated costs to us and
the extra time spent creating these images. It was easy to feel as if VR only
served a single purpose and might not have much use outside of initial client
impact. Fortunately, our experience was quite the opposite. We have
continuously used VR throughout the design process to choose exterior
and interior finishes, colors, layouts and even the final building locations
on the site. The contractor selected for the project, Conco Construction,
has also been able to view the models in VR and this has helped them to
understand and make decisions and contribute to design changes along
the way. Our architects have been able to communicate more quickly with
each other, and visualize the project and each other’s ideas even better
than through drawings and simple 2D renderings alone, enabling us to
continuously make improvements to the design for the better.

When one architect did not fully understand or was not on board with another’s
idea it was very simple to view the model in VR and get a definitive decision
without wasting any time. We were also able to make more informed decisions. A
major decision helped by VR was in changing the roofline of one of the buildings.
If not for VR, we would not have been able to identify and improve this area as
quickly, before it may have incurred major costs to modify.

Did using virtual reality meet or exceed your expectations?

VR and its benefits went beyond expectation and far exceeded our goals. As
mentioned before, we knew it would benefit the client in gaining funds and
support, increase project communication and benefits related to the client.
However, we had no idea how much it would help us internally to refine our
design and see what we were designing as we designed it. We can honestly say
that the overall building shapes would be different if it had not been for VR, which
especially helped with the difficult task of designing a metal building to blend in
with the surrounding traditional construction. By introducing VR we think we
saved time both internally in decision making and externally with decision

37
making. We were able to button up schematic design in good time because the
client was able to understand the design easily and give their approval.

Case Study: Marmon Mok Architecture

Marmon Mok Architecture  worked on Shrine of St. Padre Pio in San Antonio,
Texas as a pro-bono project. We spoke with Carlos Lucio ASAI/ACM,  visual
designer, about the use of VR to get feedback from the congregation, generate
interest in the project, and ultimately to help raise money to build the new church.

Why and How Marmon Mok Uses Virtual Reality

What prompted you to consider using virtual reality for this project?

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While concept sketches and renderings are a great way to help visualize a
project, virtual reality is the most realistic way to help a client truly gain a sense
of scale and the proportions of a space. Due to the immense size of this church,
it would be challenging without VR to ensure that all parishioners would be able
to see the altar and priest from every seat and angle. Virtual reality was also a
great marketing tool to show people the grand scale this project was in
comparison to the existing structure.

What steps did you take to produce the content used with Prospect?

We developed the initial model using SketchUp for the general massing and

conceptual design. Then we transitioned to Prospect in order to virtually walk
through each space and take notes of any changes that needed to be made. We
would then take it back to SketchUp to perform any modifications and then easily
upload into Prospect so that we could see our ideas come to life. This back and
forth progression took place throughout the entire design phase of the project
until the space was exactly how we wanted it to be.

How do you have your VR station setup?  

We have an entire room in our office dedicated to the VR experience. We

currently use the HTC Vive  system which allows us to work in our office or take
VR on the road to client meetings so that they can experience the designs
firsthand. Our VR room is setup with ample space for guests to walk their project,
while we have benches around the perimeter of the room for those waiting their
turn to do the same. For our mobile VR, we have a laptop and travel bag that
easily transports our entire setup to any outside location. We like to take our VR
experience to the future project site which helps our clients truly understand how
their new space will look while standing in their existing space.

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Results and Reactions to VR

How did the meeting go?

One Sunday after their scheduled mass, we set up our mobile VR system using
Prospect to present our design to the entire congregation. We had a line of
people that didn’t dissipate for over 5 hours. From children to seniors, everyone
was excited to try out “this new technology”.

Their overall reaction was extremely positive, and they provided comments and
feedback about what they liked or didn’t like about the space, which allowed us
to modify our design. A lot of people have a very hard time visualizing a space
just looking at elevations, sketches, or renderings, but allowing them to see
everything in VR was a game-changer. There were several members that even
preselected where they planned to sit in their new church once it was built. They
were even arguing over who had “the best seat in the house to see their priests’
funky socks” that he always wore to mass.

What were the goals you set out to achieve by using virtual reality?

Virtual reality provides a great opportunity for clients to encourage fundraising for
future projects, which is one of the reasons we used it with this particular project.
It is also a great marketing tool for our office. Several of our competitors are just
now embracing VR, but are only scratching the surface, while we have been
incorporating it into our design service for some time.

Did using virtual reality meet or exceed your expectations?

Using VR definitely exceeded our goal as we were able to make necessary

adjustments prior to sharing our design with its parishioners. Then we were able
to take our mobile VR configuration to the existing church and allow the
members to virtually walk the space which was such a great tool to help them
visualize their new church home.

40
Our client now knows that they can trust us to efficiently execute a design
without wasting their time or money, and can provide a 3D service that allows
their members to truly feel like their donations are being put to positive use.

How does it compare to not using virtual reality? Were there any
quantifiable gains?

Without the use of VR we would have depended on 3D renderings, sketches,

elevations, and floor plans to convey our ideas. We would have probably built a
physical model for the client to use for fundraising, all of which would have cost a
lot of money and taken hours to complete. Also, if the client wanted to make a
change it would have been much more costly and difficult to revise something
without having to recreate all of these 2D graphics and a physical model. This is
especially the case in a project with such grand scale; some items may appear to
work in a 2D environment, but when brought into 3D they can look out of
proportion.

Did it improve/facilitate coordination within your team as well?

This was one of the first projects that we tested out on our team, and the overall
experience was the buzz of our office for months. Everyone was excited to walk
their projects and designers and architects were able to make changes to their
own projects that they may not have seen until the project was under
construction. Now a project doesn’t leave our office without first being tested with
VR. As we continue to use VR we are able to better work together to solve
problems and work out design solutions prior to showing a client, which is a great
time and budget saver.

41
IMAGE COURTESY OF MARMON MOK. 

42
Discussion
From our findings regarding the usage of mobile applications in education,
wefoundthat10participants have not used any educational applications on their
mobile phones. The reason for this might be the fact that schools and universities
are providing students with the materials needed in their studies. The ability to
search the Internet for any topic provides faster access to information instead of
downloading an application for a specific topic. The students who did benefit from
mobile applications were using it on the go and within the domains of languages and
programming. Where we found that they can benefit from learning smaller amount of
information, such
As words in languages, syntaxes in a programming language and quizzes. Overall,
we can see that the current market for mobile educational applications is targeting a
younger audience therefore it does not appeal to most of our participants in our
study. Since they are mainly high schools and university students together with
educators. Understandably, most students we interviewed had never tried a VR
HMD prior to the interview due to the fact that the technology is relatively new. From
the students who had a positive experience, they have had the opportunity to
experience VR through a HMD that is optimised (Gear VR, Rift) compared to the
students with a negative experience and attitude who tried a cheaper and less
optimised VR HMD (Google Cardboard). But this is not the only factor that affects
the outcome of the experience, it is also important to have optimised software.
Results suggest there is a correlation between the differences in the hardware,
software and the acceptance of the technology. By providing the best possible VR
solution to the participants, they will be more likely to have a positive experience and
an better acceptance towards the technology.

43
CONCLUSION

VR consist of, first and foremost the immersive experience, where the user can be a
part of the virtual world; this offers the user and sense of exploration and
involvement into the VR. VR is also an active experience, where VR incorporates
active learning. Because the user is so involved, this also makes the user more
concentrated on the VR, but at the same time it also means that operating VR
isolates the user from the real world. In we discovered that the benefits of using VR
is that it paints a picture of the subject, in our case of astronomy, it allowed the users
to experience the scale of the planets. In other fields such as medicine, it has been
used to show the anatomy of a human body. At the same time it allows users to
perform tasks that carries safety concern so cannot be achieved in real life. In fields
of architecture and design, it encourages users to be creative. We also discovered
that VR technology could be used in a variety of educational fields, mainly the ones
that requires as emulation or 3Dpresentation. From simple subjects like interactive
environments to teach kids about basic science facts and small lab simulations to a
more advanced higher education subjects like engineering in general, architecture
and medical studies. History and geography are other fields VR can help improving,
the ability to relive historical events or explore places in the world in a 3D virtual
environment will be the closest experience a student can get. With the cheaper cost
and the accessibility of VR, it is a necessary tool in education in the near future. The
unique way of delivering information with virtual experience is something that cannot
be reproduced with other types of tools used in education today and when used in
right context VR can provide a great amount of help for both educators and students
alike.
In design, traditional communication approaches may not reveal the details of a
client’s concerns or requirements. Without full understanding of the client’s intention,
correcting and adjusting a design can be a slow and painful process. Although
designers often use CAD to help visualize potential solutions, clients with limited
technical skill cannot be expected to properly use these advanced digital tools.To
solve that problem, this thesis proposed a web-based interactive tool that allows
clients to visualize and comment on potential design solutions. In developing the
proposed tool, this research began with a review of the literature in virtual reality. It
found that a web-based VR system could be employed to enable non-professionals
to view and manipulate 3D graphics using a regular web browser. Given the access
to an interactive 3D environment, clients would be able to express their design
intention through assembling a virtual design using the standard design components
created by interior designers. Based on this premise, this research suggested a new
communication framework to enhance collaboration efficiency between clients and
designers. In this framework, a web-based VR application was implemented to
confirm the client’s design intention. Based on the information collected through
traditional communication approaches such as conversation and questionnaires, the
interior designer prepared a series of digital design materials and categorized them
into catalogues to be displayed on the website. The client then previewed different

44
design options in a virtual environment rendered on a web page. Each option was
built using the virtual objects from the catalogues provided by the designer. This
process would allow the client sufficient time to communicate with the designer
should any concerns arise .To implement the VR application in the proposed
communication framework, this thesis presented a specific methodology. The first
step was to prepare the virtual design materials used online. Specifically, this thesis
introduced X3D, the ISO standard XML based file format for representing 3D
computer graphics over the Internet, and illustrated the workflow in converting a
CAD-based computer model into the X3D format used online (Section 3.2). The
second step was to operate with these design materials in an interactive virtual
environment, and this thesis sketched a web-based user interface and specified the
script support required for this interface to function (Section 3.3). To examine the
feasibility of this methodology, a proof-of-concept, YY3D, was created, enabling a
client to design an interior scene complete with furniture. Having multiple viewpoints
allowed the client the opportunity to preview each design option and decide which
solution best satisfied their requirements (Section 3.4). The creation process of the
virtual design materials of YY3D, including the interior scenes and furniture models,
verified the methods suggested in Section 3.2 (Chapter 4). The YY3D’s webbased
user interface implemented the interface prototype and its scripts as outlined in
Section 3.3 (Chapter 5). Finally, a test of the completed proof-of-concept
demonstrated the functions developed in Chapters 4 and 5 (Section 6.1).
The results of this research confirm the technical feasibility of employing a webbased
application to facilitate the communication process between clients and designers.
Clients using this YY3D should be able to express their design intention with an
easy-to use web-based application.
In the examples cited above, it has not only “enabled new possibilities” but also
“added value to existing possibilities” in architecture as in the virtual reconstruction
projects. VR’s use in architecture may not be as convincing as the real, due to the
present software and hardware technology constraints, however it does enable us to
perform tasks that were not possible before or facilitate us to do them more
effectively. While much can be expected from future technology developments, such
problems are not likely to disappear anytime soon. Hence, from our research we
found that even with its current limitations, VR has a potential impact on the way we
conventionally think and design our built environment, pushing it beyond space and
time constraints.

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