Blog How VR is changing the face of Architecture
 

How VR is changing the face of Architecture




The first stage in conceptualizing a structure for most architects to practice is to sketch out their conceptual ideas as sketches or, more commonly, 'plans.' As a result, architectural drawings are simply idea receptacles.

Designers' drawings are complicated and dense as their ideas get more nuanced and coherent. In today's formal architectural practice, the first attempts at design are mostly used to capture one's ideas on paper. These concepts are reviewed, added to or deleted from, and then detailed to the level necessary to bring them into reality on subsequent "visits" to the drawing. Making drawings is a never-ending process. Because there is a progression and development of ideas, the final design or final image of the building is the result of many sittings and sleepless nights.' As a result, the sketch essentially fleshes out the designers' own idea of a building or space from a rudimentary skeleton.

You have blueprints and scale models traditionally. Most commonly 3D modeling has been around in force for the last 20 years. Virtual reality plays into these traditional tactics because the two/3D modeling is more tightly linked than the makers understand. It is largely known for the gaming platform, but visionaries are realizing its incredible uses in the world of architecture and designing. Slowly the practice of introducing VR in architectural programs is being undertaken by different institutes teaching Bachelor of Architecture degrees.


VR Is Rapidly Rising Virtual worlds are designed to transport customers to another reality, a well-constructed environment that can transmit subtle sensitive things like emotions, feelings, and sensations. Clients can experience the influx of those emotions before physically standing in the building. It allows for changes to be made before committing to the execution of the project.

In comparison to standard rendering, scale models, or animations, the immersive environment in nature delivers a considerably more accurate portrayal of the geometry overall - scale, depth, and spatial awareness.
When you as an architect or the designer have the capacity to present the client with -
  • Immersive experience and
  • Sense of actually inhabiting the environment,

Your ability to convey creative purpose becomes immediately visible and much clearer without any further misconceptions. So, make sure you upskill and learn these techniques while pursuing your Bachelor of Architecture course.

Virtual reality has been present in some form for decades. The first head-mounted systems were introduced in 1968. Anyway, the technology has not been flexible or advanced enough to be widely used until now. It has exploded in popularity in the last 10 years. All thanks to advancements in smartphone technology that put high-resolution visuals in everyone's hands.
  • Oculus Rift,
  • Samsung Gear,
  • HTC Vive,
  • Microsoft HoloLens,
  • and Google Cardboard are examples of widely available head-mounted displays (HMDs).
They have made the usage of VR more accessible and inexpensive (compared to other tech pieces). Summary of VR, AR, and MR: These are Similar but Have Different Capabilities
  • It is the immersive, full-headset experience that most people associate with this technology.
  • With AR, data and instructional information are animated over the real-world view. (often through smaller devices such as a mobile phone or tablet)
  • It is most commonly associated with the immersive, full-headset experience. That is when you use it, you're entirely immersed in a virtual environment. And, you cut off from the visuals of the rest of the world
  • Then there's MR, which combines elements of VR and AR to overlay virtual items onto the actual environment. Two persons (for example, an architect and a structural engineer from another nation) can be connected into a virtual world and interact with a virtual building on a real site.
Advantages of using VR in Architecture
  • It can be used at various stages of the Design Process. The advantages of employing virtual reality are as follow -
  • It can be employed early in the conceptual stages to further investigate the relationships between different locations, light, construction, and materiality.
  • Using an immersive depiction, rather than merely looking at a scale model or visual image, enables a more instant grasp and appreciation of key design features.
  • Individuals who are not familiar with the architectural professions may struggle to comprehend spatial relationships and scale. When viewing a two-dimensional render; however, virtual reality is more universal and can elicit a positive response in the same way that physical architecture can.
  • It can be rendered at various Levels of Detail (LOD), allowing an architect in the early stages of creativity to immerse themselves in a non-photorealistic environment to gain a sense of spatial connections and massing.
  • Alternatively, the experience could be hyperreal, with soft sunlight flowing down through a clerestory window and the nature sounds outside in a movie (for client presentations).
  • Architects are increasingly combining technological gear like the HTC Vive and Oculus with BIM (Building Information Modeling) software. This will effectively help architects and clients alike to properly comprehend the spatial aspects of the project.
  • This spatial awareness should give clients more confidence in the creation and cut down on meeting time and the study integrates knowledge of engineering and building aesthetics with an understanding of the evolution of architecture.
Wouldn’t it be an amazing opportunity for Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch) aspirants to get experience of such an evolving platform beforehand? The most important factor in such a case would be to look for an institute that is ever-adapting and which will guide you and help you explore.

The Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch) course offered by ITM Group of Institutions offers an attractive course plan. The study here integrates knowledge of engineering and building aesthetics with an understanding of the evolution of architecture. Bachelor of Architecture here at ITM covers professional, technical, and theoretical components of architectural history. The bachelor of architecture program also covers environmental control systems, building enclosure, advanced building technology, sustainability integration, vernacular and regional studies in the designed coursework. The flexible Bachelor of Architecture program adapts to changing business demands and provides students with the knowledge and technical abilities in all areas of current field science.

Conclusion Indeed, in this field, the merging of the actual and virtual worlds is undoubtedly the most exciting, and revolutionary possibility for such technologies. AR avatars could provide insights to make buildings more comfortable for their occupants; facility managers could cross-reference real data from buildings to keep energy costs down.

One day, architects could create entirely in a virtual environment; those files could be directly used in digital fabrication. Contractors could see the digital and physical side by side to guide the construction & it will never be the same again if this occurs.

End Note - So, if you want to pursue a Bachelor of Architecture, scout for a fine design school such as ITM University, Raipur. It has the best pedagogy and design labs to help you equip yourself with futuristic knowledge.


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