To date, Virtual Reality development for use in architecture and design has been limited by lack of money and available technology. There are however, hopes of using VR technology as a medium for interactive, adaptive and team design in architecture in the future. Architecture could potentially be drastically reshaped by Virtual Reality, and this in turn could reshape VR technology. Architecture has been a traditionally non-technical profession. The overall aim of this paper is to achieve an understanding of Virtual Reality and its possible implications on architecture.
Virtual Reality is still very much an evolving technology.
The latest advances in VR technology are of particular interest to architects, so this paper focuses on some of these developments of the last three to four years. I also briefly cover some current developments in Virtual Reality technology in Australia. A secondary aim was to find out if the general impact of Virtual Reality on architecture and the broader community could be more positive if architects and designers become directly involved in the development of this technology. Finally, in this section I will briefly look at recent applications of VR technology in architecture. In the second section I will explore some of the potential future applications of VR in architecture, in relation to social issues, in general and relating specifically to architecture.