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La réalité virtuelle : le nouveau dada de votre architecte

28 October 2016 Comments (0) Architecture, Technology

Virtual reality: your architect’s new hobby horse

Go from the living room to your bedroom by moving a lever. Zoom into a detailed view of the kitchen…

All this with a virtual reality helmet… Bouygues Immobilier France has been testing an “immersive apartment configurator” for several months now. This software solution enables the potential customer to make a virtual visit to a building without having to go there and also to project themselves into a future asset before it has even been built. It enables them to choose the finishes of the facilities (bathroom, kitchen, home automation, etc.) or decorative features (tiling, parquet floor, paintwork) down to the smallest detail. As the visitor goes into the different rooms the software generates the possible options. The apartment’s look can be changed with one click and if the customer confirms his/her choices, the software publishes a final bill.

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The professional applications of virtual reality seem limitless. Architects can now propose that you “plunge into” a three-dimensional model of your future dwelling, including interior and exterior. And to reshape it as you like. It is thus possible to build and “de-bone” a construction virtually, to navigate through it and interact with it, with extremely thorough realism. “The depiction provided by VR helmets is approximately 95% reality, in the management of backlighting for example, providing a real idea of a room’s luminosity“, explains Ludovic Oger, the boss of Arka Studio, a company providing digital imagery for real-estate development. Virtual reality reinforces the immersion, giving visitors the impression that they are really there.

This technology could also revolutionise estate agency. In Switzerland, the startup Kaïnoo plans to gain time with customers this way by organising virtual visits via a smartphone application. On its digital platform, owners can put on line 3D models of their property made by the company using its three-dimensional scanner technology. A chat window guides the customer, live, during his/her visit. According to the startup, this method reaches more people and avoids needless travel. Only customers who are really interested will then make a “physical” visit with an estate agent. Something to make architects plans look ancient…

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