The Imaginary Divide
Tags: augmentedreality, ar, virtualreality, vr
Published: 2022-09-08 10:05:53

Architecture has been a fundamental profession of human history, from the Pyramids of Giza to the Eifel Tower, an architect has always been there to design the monuments of humankind. The profession has seen a few fundamental changes, the advancement of various materials, and the advent of [Computer-Aided-Design](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-aided_design) (CAD), among others. The next change in the industry is the increased use of Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR). 

This technology is going to change the way that clients inform their decisions for investment, architectural field analysis, and the way that citizens experience their own built environments. A client needs an architect to design a building that is able to achieve their specific requirements. An architect makes sure that the design is safe and functional. Throughout, this design process the client is there to approve various aspects of the building through variations of different designs. To demonstrate the designs an architect will show various renderings of the structure on whiteboards. This type of presentation meetings have been part of the industry since the advent of paper. 

This form of representation is limited by the architect’s and client’s ability to imagine a figurative space in the built environment, we are truly limited by our own imagination. Augmented Reality in construction has the capability to bridge this cognitive divide. In fact, Seattle’s BNBuilders have utilized the technology through Apple iPads to demo their projects to clients. In fact, Autodesk, the leader of CAD, has invested a significant amount of research and development into software that makes this possible. These advancements have made it possible for clients to interact directly with the 3-Dimensional model and give on-site feedback. This type of communication streamlines one the most stressful aspect of the design process. A firm will often lose projects and its subsequent funding due to the inability of the architect or the client to communicate effectively. 

Further, smaller architectural firms may not have the vast resources that are needed to take rudimentary measurements that are needed to start the design process. Most architectural work revolves around private individuals seeking solutions for their residences. This work may sometimes lack the appropriate blueprints that are needed to know the measurements of the property. When this is the case a simple tape measurer is not enough when there is a multiple assessment that needs to take place. Augmented Reality is a great tool for this type of use. We can see that the tool has already been developed for the masses, IOS 12 introduced the measuring app for all its users. 

This app along with the LiDAR technology achieves great results in the field with accuracy that rivals costly contractor style equipment. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) works by sending lasers to an object and receiving the light, along with the accelerometer technology that senses the movement of the phone in space we are able to create 3D models with great accuracy (Frontier Metrology). As such, a small firm is able to take these two tools and adapt it to their workflow, creating prototypes in a shorter amount of time thus creating more business opportunities. Often the 3D modeling of a building is what takes the most amount of time for the presentational elements of the architectural process because it falls to draftsmen to accurately depict the model in the 2D environment. This time frame can vary from firm to firm due to the talent and relative skill of each draftsman in each firm. 

Shrinking this time frame to create a proposal for a bid on a project can cost a large firm hundreds of thousands of dollars and of course the ability to add to their portfolio of work. The aforementioned technology along with Augmented Reality development with the client during meetings has the potential to revolutionize the way that feedback is given during the planning process. For example, imagine a meeting where there are markers on the table that places an interactive 3D model on the real world. The client can take a simple iPad and use it to further study the plans instead of relying on the elevations and floor plans that is typical in paper. The client can give feedback about specific components that they would want to be changed. The Architect thus has the freedom to change that specific element without having to print out the presentational materials again saving time, money, and the environment in the process.  

Architecture has always been part of the city landscape, but its decisions have for the most part been made by only a select few in the backrooms of city government. We are in a building boom where companies and architects are continually competing for the attention of people. This type of public architecture can be a great source of revenue for cities, but it is hard to gauge the potential success of a building. We can see the effect that a beautiful building has on a city, such as the iconic Sydney Opera House, the Brooklyn Bridge, Big Ben, or even the whole city of Dubai that has utilized architecture to destine itself to be a tourist hotspot. These types of investments are expensive and the aforementioned limited nature of 3D models on 2D representational planes, can sometimes leave the projects in dust bins. 

One way to get the city leaders and community members excited about these types of public investments is through the use of Virtual Reality. As the country’s cities grow its citizens will continually expect the city to invest in public infrastructure projects that benefit the city and not the pocketbook of the private investors. This sentiment is valid therefore, a great way to bring public opinion to all is to share the experiences that audiences can expect before the contractors have even broken ground. 

Architecture as a field has been a bedrock for the growth of human beings throughout history, without them the planning of buildings would be unsafe and utilitarian. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but no one can deny the beauty of seeing the light show of the Eiffel tower at night. Such marvels of human imagination would not have been possible if were not for the skills to demonstrate their potential to clients. Augmented Reality has the potential to show the interested parties the scope of the project, doing so will revolutionize the age-old tool of drawings. As mobile computing further advances these types of demonstrations it will allow the public to be part of the planning process of their own cities. This creative profession embraces change therefore it is up to the next generation of architects to embrace these technologies.