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VIRTUAL REALITY AS A TOOL FOR ARCHITECTS AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS

Updated: Jun 25, 2020

How does the world of physical spaces adapt to a global pandemic, which restricts travel, business, and even human contact? With the help of the technology that has been essential to industries that explore uninhabitable spaces for decades: representation through Virtual Reality.


Thankfully, virtual reality has been a powerful tool used in building design for some time now, prior to the restrictions put into place by the coronavirus pandemic. Virtual reality platforms have provided architects and real estate developers with the keys to universes where clients can investigate new environments from their homes.

There are a number of computer aided technologies available to enhance the traditional methods of architectural representation, however, it is inevitable for a spatial disconnect to exist when designers attempt to sell the spaces to their clients. While the masterminds of the built environment in question are able to immerse themselves in the drawings, photographs, and digital models they produce as though they are real spaces, clients less versed in such technologies may struggle to share the same vision as those who designed them. Architectural Virtual Reality as a representational tool used by rendering companies for real estate development and architectural visualization offers clients the experience of understanding how built environments will look and feel within their site context, before a dime is spent on physical construction.


Conversely, Virtual Reality technologies can be equally as beneficial to the designers and developers of spaces throughout their processes, as having the opportunity to step into their creations before beginning construction can reveal hidden flaws, inconsistencies, or unusual architectural moments that may not have been noticeable in other 2D and 3D platforms. This is especially impactful for real estate development, as oftentimes when sites have conditions like existing structures, neighborhoods and social patterns, some elements may be concealed throughout development, that may only be realized when animated representation comes into play. Developers and designers that currently utilize Virtual Reality are favorable in their respective industries, as those who do not employ this technology will undoubtedly need to catch up as VR continues to become part of the standard of real estate and architectural visualization.

Virtual Reality offers interactive opportunities for spatial exploration that no other technological medium is capable of. Rather than framing singular, stationary views of a project and its surroundings, Virtual Reality as a device for aiding the architectural visualization process for designers, or as a marketing tool in real estate development, presents clients with authentic perspectives, which are undoubtedly much more valuable than a curated still-frames of the project when choosing to invest in a property. Virtual reality invites clients to actively engage with various environments and imagine themselves in the represented spaces, rather than simply admiring them passively.


The use of Architectural Virtual Reality is especially valuable in these current challenging times; as we see some social distancing restrictions begin to life many people are still, quite reasonably, fearful for their own safety with the increasing numbers of citizens beginning to gather again. Even with so many precautionary measures in place, the thought of reentering certain aspects of society can be conflicting, as the risk of infection is still prevalent. With the option to employ architectural Virtual Reality as a method for viewing structural environments, users are afforded the decision to reduce social contact and remain in the safety of their homes, while still being provided with the complete experience of occupying and investigating spaces, whether they are already built or construction is eminent.


Architectural Virtual Reality will only become more prominent as the development of physical spaces as the technology advances. It is crucial for clients and potential occupants to be able to connect with the environments they are interested in, even when the spaces cannot be explored physically. Imagine comparing two different pre-construction condominium buildings, one with a Virtual Reality experience and animations on its website, while the other only shows basic, still-image renderings; which would you likely be more interested in? The difference is in the details, and Virtual Reality offers the opportunity to interact with such details first-hand, while a still-image viewing experience is far more restrictive. As times change and standard business practices and procedures are adjusted to conform to social restrictions imposed, Virtual Reality as a form of representation for architects, designers and real estate developers will likely become the guiding light for the future of client interaction with built environments. GRender Studio is proud to offer Architectural Virtual Reality as one of our specialized 3D architectural visualization services. If you are interested in incorporating Architectural Virtual Reality into your visualization project, please visit our Create page.


People around the world have discovered the astounding capacity for socially-distanced interaction that modernity offers since the global lockdown in response to the coronavirus. We have learned that adaptation is everything; companies and individuals that are able to swiftly direct their focus to keeping their services available through various mediums are the ones that will thrive during situations like the pandemic, as well as afterwards, when the world slowly returns to a new version of “normal”. Very luckily for the industries involving the design and sales of buildings, the existing integration of Virtual Reality as a tool for spatial discovery gives a substantial advantage, and will continue to help clients envision new spaces as we move toward a post-pandemic future.



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