Most people who have the pleasure of strapping on one of today’s charmingly clunky virtual reality (VR) headsets onto their faces will, within minutes, set off on a riveting escape from the world that surrounds them every day, transported instead to a simulated realm of endless possibilities and fantastical adventure.
Where everyday consumers use VR to inhabit a digital land completely separate from their own, the construction industry has been quietly utilising the very same tools to simulate the physical world – to which it is so intrinsically linked – in a way that aids future design and planning.
Particularly helpful in the circle of design and architecture, VR is a revolutionary (if not fledgling) technology that evolves on building information modelling (BIM) that allows users in these fields to not only create and witness the possibilities of their imagination but inhabit them in a virtual space.
Digs against its limited current graphic fidelity aside, VR tech is squaring up to be a permanent tool in the arsenal of the innovative designer who wants to test new ideas, or the spearheading architect seeking to iron out any potential problems before construction starts in earnest.
This evolution of accessible virtual examinations of construction projects is no less appealing when considering that so-called ‘bad data’ accounted for 14% of all reworks performed in 2020, equivalent to about £63 million.
Far from saving time and energy for just the design teams, a project’s virtual manifestation has the potential to save supervisors and management hours in physical visits to a site, where instead they can don a VR headset and asses it from the comfort of an office chair hundreds of miles away.
Much like how Zoom illuminated the working world to the futility of the physical conference, VR and its boundless scope will no doubt revolutionise the nature in which early concepts of construction projects are examined and approved. This will become no less true as the firms and organisations within our industries become ever more globalised.
Educational institutions like colleges and universities have a history of pioneering innovation such as this, which is no truer than at the North East Institute of Technology (NEIoT) at New College Durham.
In late October, the college unveiled it had invested £1m into a VR design suite and robotics facility made to support digital construction needs such as building information modelling (BIM) and 3D modelling. These would allow for concept designs to become fully immersible to students in a one-to-one scale walk through model.
Principal and chief executive at New College Durham, Andy Broadbent said the suite was “a fantastic asset for the NEIoT” and would allow its students “the opportunity to create visualisations that support and evolve with fast-moving, complex projects.”
Virtual Safety
Outside of visual design, VR is also being utilised for training within construction. In 2018, Anglian Water saw an opportunity to engage staff in its training programme and bring it to life whilst maintaining a strict health and safety culture.
In collaboration with Edg VR, the system allowed staff to gain experience in scenarios that would otherwise not be possible due to safety considerations such as excavations, working at height, forklifting and fleet driving.
On top of this, the trainees’ eyes were monitored in a way that recorded where exactly they looked and what information they picked up, allowing for future training to be tailored to improve training quality and effectiveness.
Steve Havvas, Programme Manager at Anglian Water said: “Bringing members of staff together through a VR experience not only fosters good relationships during training, but it creates an immersive and realistic experience which is invaluable to new recruits.
“The ability to be mobile with the equipment was essential as we, as an organisation, cover a large geographic area, and it was important to be able to take this equipment to staff on the ground.”
Using the future to preserve the past
It’s a testament to VR’s revolutionary potential that it not only opens opportunities for the future but allows for the preservation of the past.
The Museum of Diversity, designed by London-based architecture practice SPPARC, is a virtual museum aimed at celebrating the diversity of cultural heritage in Africa, all through immersive VR exhibitions and talks.
The concept for the virtual space draws on themes of sustainability, nature, community, and connectedness. The museum interiors feature honeycomb forms, a tessellating shape chosen for its structural strength in numbers.
Trevor Morriss, Principal at SPPARC, said: “To be a part of such an innovative, inclusive and community-focused project is a wonderful thing. SPPARC always looks at the local history and culture of our projects’ sites, but our approach to the Museum of Diversity was more about drawing on the rich and varied histories of African communities and creating a space for them to be celebrated centre-stage.”
Troy Richards, Chairman and CEO Museum of Diversity said: “The concept and resulting virtual space reflect the studio’s long-held interest in culture and people and shows their commitment to making accessible cities and places for all. We look forward to continuing to work with them on the development of our future spaces.”
Despite it only having existing in the commercial and consumer space for a decade, virtual reality implementation is expanding at a promising and exciting rate. Boosted further by a keen investment from Facebook company, Meta, virtual may be the new reality.
