27 October 2022

What are the Benefits of using Virtual Reality within Architectural Projects?

What are the benefits of using virtual reality within architectural projects.
What are the benefits of using Virtual Reality within Architecture?

Our Design Haus founder, James Brindley, first encountered the benefits of using virtual reality within architectural design over 4 years ago. As a result, we were one of the first architect firms in the UK to use VR within our residential design process. We have been refining our offering and investing in cutting edge technology ever since. 

We use 3D visualisation via VR technology and other innovative presentation techniques throughout each project. This offers collaboration with our clients in a real-time environment and enables them to contribute and visualise how that idea could look. This involves moving walls, changing roof designs, specifying materials and amending furniture layouts. 

Our homeowners can collaborate and bring their ideas to the table at every step of the way. Alongside experiencing the design in its entirety before construction even begins. 

We offer this VR architectural service to clients across the East Midlands and overseas. Our local clients can visit our offices in Nottinghamshire, where they can experience first hand their new home in VR. For our clients further afield we can offer these technologies remotely. 

What are the benefits of using Virtual Reality within architectural projects?

Virtual reality removes the guesswork from the design process. Clients are able to explore the proposed design from within, rather than simply imagining the end result.

Everything from lighting solutions to changing weather can be simulated within the virtual space, producing a realistic representation of how the building will function once complete. We can specify different materials to see how they change the look and feel of a room, as well as incorporating interior design choices such as furniture and decoration.

Taking advantage of VR allows clients to make informed decisions and specify any necessary design changes before construction begins. This reduces the need for expensive or last-minute alterations; saving time and money on the project.

We work with you to ensure the spaces we create match your lifestyle. We can assist with furniture design, layouts and tonal and material specification to create truly personal spaces.

Using VR not only benefits our clients but also other businesses working on the project; from the Planning Officers, Quantity Surveyors, Engineers to Construction Professionals. Our use of VR and 360° scenes allow all parties to see exactly what has been proposed. This avoids any ambiguity and helps to prevent costly mistakes for those involved as well as encouraging a much smoother process. 

How can virtual reality help the planning stage of an architectural project?

When submitting architectural plans for approval, especially for a listed building or one within a conservation area, it is critical that the conservation officer can clearly understand the plans being proposed. 

There have been many times when our use of VR technologies have contributed significantly to the success of a project. 

On a recent project we modelled the entire plot of a listed building in 3D, including boundary walls, topography of garden and surrounding structures and trees. The proposals were designed through collaborative design work with the client (using VR). These were issued to the planning officer via a web link, allowing the conservation officer and planners to visualise the scene in VR using their own phones. 

This ensured the proposal was clearly understood as we were able to present the finished project as it would be seen in real life, allowing the planners to assess its impact on the existing listed building and surrounding area. The Conservation Officer was highly complimentary of our approach and supported the proposals for approval.

How can virtual reality help the construction stage of an architectural project?

Showcasing our designs to the construction company via 3D ‘real time’ modelling and VR scenes enables them to also visualise the design in the clearest possible way. 

Construction companies frequently tell us that our use of VR greatly assists their planning process. It allows them to visualise and more easily engage with the scheme. This often raises unforeseen issues and queries which can be managed and resolved far more quickly than if they were discovered during construction.

What do our clients think about our use of virtual reality?

Our clients unanimously say that our use of VR dramatically improves the whole collaborative design process as well as the finished design. This is shown in our excellent client feedback on Houzz and Google reviews. We are extremely proud of our high customer satisfaction and our client referrals. 

“We were initially astounded at the 3d model of our property which enabled us to see how the design would work with the rest of the house. However the best was yet to come. A virtual 'walk through' of the design, using the VR headset enabled us to see sunlight entering into the room and to appreciate the sheer scale. This is a fabulous USP that James has that you only ever see on the property shows on TV.”

West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire project

How will virtual reality in the architecture industry change in the future?

Virtual reality technology and 3D visualisation techniques are continuously improving. The VR experience is becoming more aligned with reality. As a company we are focused on embracing these technologies and offering them to our clients wherever we can. 

The benefits of using virtual reality in Architecture are only just becoming more widely acknowledged. We are extremely proud to be at the forefront of offering this exciting technology to our clients.

If you would like to see how Design Haus could use virtual reality to assist your architectural project, please get in touch.

8 September 2022

Building Innovation Awards 2022 – Finalist

Building Innovation Awards 2022

We are delighted that Design Haus Architecture has been shortlisted for a Building Innovation Award.

We are a finalist in the ‘Best use of Augmented Reality or Virtual Reality in a Construction Project’ at the Building Innovation Awards 2022.

These awards recognise and celebrate those individuals and organisations that embrace emerging technologies in the construction sector. Commenting on the awards, editor at Build in Digital, Siôn Geschwindt, said:

"It's impressive to see the calibre of this year's finalists. These projects, people and technologies represent the future of construction in the UK. We look forward to presenting the winners on the night and welcoming you all to an event that promises to be a night to remember!"

We use virtual reality and emerging technologies across all of our residential projects - so it’s fantastic that this has been recognised and to be a finalist is a huge honour for us!

We are very much looking forward to celebrating with all the other finalists at the awards ceremony in October.

See the full shortlist here.

If you would like to know more about how we use Virtual Reality in the design process of our architectural projects, please get in touch with us. We’d love to hear from you.

24 September 2021

We’re featured in Grand Designs Magazine this month!

We are delighted that one of our architectural projects is featured in the award-winning publication ‘Grand Designs’ this month. Grand Designs magazine supports the Bafta winning programme broadcast on Channel 4, presented by Kevin McCloud. 

Our clients, Emma and Nye, had a 1920s family home that they wanted to modernise and extend. Using virtual reality we were able to show them our ideas on expanding their home and collaborate in real time on how the new space would work for them as a family. 

The build transformed their home and family life, and Emma and Nye were thrilled with the results, “We’re so incredibly happy with how this project has turned out, it’s probably better than we had ever imagined and it isn’t just about the extra space, it’s about how we use the space as a family. We all have our individual areas that are our go-to and we talk about it quite often - what it’s brought to our quality of life as a family, and it really felt like home from the moment that it was finished”.

We are pleased that Grand Designs magazine chose to showcase this project and thanks go to Karen Wilson and Katie Lee from Beautiful Homes in the North who wrote and photographed the project for the magazine.

If you would like to discuss your architectural project with us, please get in touch at kate@www.designhausarchitecture.co.uk

See more of Emma and Nye's project >>

Grand Designs Magazine

19 April 2020

Virtual reality really can help you to make your home perfect

If you’ve caught the recent BBC Two series Your Home Made Perfect, you’ll have seen architects using virtual reality and visual effects to show people first-hand how architectural changes can improve their existing homes before committing to any construction.

The idea of an architect using virtual reality might sound like something from Tomorrow’s World (If, like me, you’re old enough to remember that show!), but it’s actually a very real tool that architects are already using. In fact, the tech that they use on Your Home Made Perfect is a little simplistic compared to what I use here at Design Haus.

How do architects use virtual reality?

When trying to add space or build character in an existing building or creating entirely new homes, it can be hard for my clients to visualise how a familiar space can be transformed to produce the outcome that they’re looking for.

Instead of just giving them 2D or 3D architectural drawings, which people who aren’t used to them often struggle to visualise, I use VR. This makes it much easier for someone to completely understand the proposed design with no prior architectural knowledge.

By creating a complete virtual scene of the finished building in its existing environment, I give my clients the opportunity to walk around and see exactly how it will look from the inside and the exterior. They can then specify changes before committing to a design or budget, leading to better communication throughout the project, and a more satisfactory experience for everyone.

I also like to show the effects of various materials, lighting solutions and even weather to provide a truly realistic picture of the final outcome and how different conditions alter the atmosphere.

Can you hire a VR architect for a domestic project?

If watching Your Home Made Perfect has got you wondering whether you can hire an architect that uses VR for your own project, the answer is yes!

Many larger practices use VR for big, multi-million-pound projects, but more and more firms have begun to adopt it for smaller clients. As the technology has developed, it’s become cheaper and easier to implement, so virtual reality is no longer out of reach for domestic architectural clients.

Over the next couple of years, you can expect to see a rise in the number of practices offering this service, especially due to the attention and interest generated through shows such as Your Home Made Perfect.

VR architectural design from Design Haus

I am one of the first to offer virtual reality to all of my clients. It has become a standard and essential part of the design process for each and every one of my projects and I have refined this over time to ensure a high-quality service.

I know how important it is for you to feel in control of the project’s outcome, and giving you the best possible understanding of the proposal ensures that you are able to be involved from start to finish.

Read more about my virtual reality architectural design service, or get in touch with me to chat about your project. You can even pop into the studio to try out VR for yourself!

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Design Haus Architecture
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West Bridgford 
Nottingham NG2 6DN

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