A Feasibility Study: Exploring Design Using BIM-based Virtual Reality

Abstract

The use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) has been a growing trend in the architecture industry because it dramatically improves workflow, collaboration, data visualization and production costs. However, BIM has some significant limitations, particularly for clients and other non-experts who need to understand a design as it develops. For buildings not yet built, people are unable to experience the space physically, so most architectural representations—including those produced with BIM—project a virtual 3d environment on paper or on a computer screen. These 2D projections are often difficult for non-experts to understand, and 3D visualizations on a computer screen may still not support users’ spatial perception. Virtual Reality, as the most immersive medium for visualizing a digital model, can offer people another way of understanding a project in terms of the feeling and perception of being inside a space. This thesis discusses the integration of BIM and VR, which excel in different areas, as a means of offering better representations of architectural projects. An experimental research methodology is used to assess the effectiveness of BIM and BIM+VR environments for communicating building information to people who are not experts in architecture (such as potential clients or users). The study findings support the improvement of building representation in BIM models by applying VR technology, and suggest that the combination of BIM+VR supports decision-making in the preliminary design process by supporting potential users’ perceptions of the space.