Benefits Of VR In Property Development
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality are two terms that you've probably heard a lot about recently. While VR is not new, it has recently found its way into building design, development and construction as a way to bring models to life and allow users to experience their designs before they are built. In this article, we'll discuss the benefits of these emerging technologies and how they're already being used in the construction industry.
Contents
How Is Virtual Reality Used In Property Development?
4 Benefits Of Virtual Reality In Property Development:
How Is VR Used In Construction?
7 Benefits Of VR For Construction:
What Is Virtual Reality?
Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way, which is highly beneficial for architects, surveyors, developers and key members of a construction project. The technology used for VR systems is based on display screens and tracking devices that respond to changes in the user's position, providing an illusion of movement within the generated environment.
How Is Virtual Reality Used In Property Development?
Virtual Reality can act as an immersive visual medium for property investors, local councils and real estate agents both domestic and commercial. In addition to virtual tours or animated show homes, VR is making its way into earlier property development stages such as planning, surveying, and even construction.
4 Benefits Of Virtual Reality In Property Development:
Provides a unique experience for clients and investors
Virtual reality is not a technology that’s been around for decades, and it still remains a relatively new thing to most people. This technology has been steadily gaining popularity over the past few years because it provides a unique experience for clients and investors, but the real estate sector is yet to take full advantage of it.
It’s compact and easily shareable
VR in promoting pre-development is more compact than the physical model of any building or landscape. You have the advantage of not needing to create huge mockups, cityscapes or printed material. VR can also be viewed on a range of screens and platforms, making it an easily shareable, yet highly immersive experience of what it would be like to live in your building or community.
Highly immersive and informative
Because there are many things we decide based on our personal experience, it can be hard to provide enough detail when we try to explain to others or provide them with static promotional visuals. That’s where virtual reality provides a huge edge on the competition - by allowing clients or investors to immerse themselves into the property or development and communicate with the space as if they were truly there.
Allows for instant customisation
Property development is notoriously riddled with ongoing amendments to the planning, decor and general use of space, often with costly consequences that can push developers and construction firms behind schedule. With the use of Virtual Reality, amendments are more of a breeze, with the added benefit of having a wider scope for R&D and testing stakeholder satisfaction.
How Is VR Used In Construction?
VR allows construction planners and surveyors to experience their space or development in highly accurate 3D before it is built and tested in the field, allowing engineers and stakeholders to walk around a site, view it from every angle and integrate processes such as BIM or health and safety.
7 Benefits Of VR For Construction:
Test Design Features
The design phase is the most important part of a project. It's where you can see your idea for what it will look like, and make changes before moving on to construction. With VR, you can visualise your design in 3D and better communicate features to people who are not as familiar with architecture or engineering.
Reducing Design Errors
VR reduces design errors by 60%+ and helps ensure project success due to improved collaboration between team members and better awareness of what works well and what can be improved.
Streamlining Costs And Schedules
Virtual reality and BIM are two powerful tools that can be used together to streamline projects and save time and money, by allowing users to experience a project virtually, prior to its completion. BIM also provides real-time data on project progress and cost, which can be used to identify potential problems early on, preventing them from becoming costly mistakes.
Improving Communication And Collaboration
One of the best ways to improve communication and coordination between stakeholders is through the use of virtual reality. VR can be used to simulate construction processes, allowing you to test out different scenarios with ease. This means that you can show your client exactly what the finished project will look like before it is made, giving them peace of mind that there won't be any surprises once construction begins. These simulations also allow stakeholders to seek out potential problems before they happen, which helps eliminate unneeded stress during the actual build process.
Avoiding Rework:
BIM also offers significant benefits to construction companies by allowing them to create 3D models of buildings before they are built. This allows them to make changes to the designs on the fly and reduces the need for expensive rework later on in the process. Virtual reality can help construction companies identify problems before they happen by providing a 360-degree view of a project site. This allows them to assess potential issues with the design or materials before they begin building.
Increasing Client Accessibility
Construction projects are by nature very difficult for clients and stakeholders to access, especially if collaborating overseas. However, the use of virtual reality programs and building information modelling systems can help clients better understand the complexities of these projects without ever having set foot on the site, and provides more justice than sketches and blueprints.
Increasing The Overall Quality
Virtual reality in BIM can help improve the quality of delivery and efficiency in construction projects, by allowing on-site personnel and planners to immerse themselves within visualisations of the project, further aiding education, training, and helping users to identify and rectify any errors on the horizon.
Who Uses VR In Real Estate Development & Construction?
VR isn't just a tool for designers—it also benefits engineers, project managers and contractors who want to know exactly how much material they need for their projects. When using this technology, you can model any element of a building or structure without having to build anything first (which saves time). You'll be able to see how many walls are needed, where pipes should go, or even what colour carpet would look best!
This technology is being used by everyone from the real estate industry to the military, healthcare, and even education. The excitement may seem like it's just another fad that will fade away as quickly as it arrived - but it's not. VR has been around for some years, and is only developing a larger presence in property development as the current age of tech progresses.
VR and BIM are changing how we work, but they won't replace everything we do in traditional 2D environments. Instead, they will complement what we've done until now by making things faster, easier, safer and more efficient all at once!
Conclusion
Virtual reality and augmented reality technologies are relatively new, but they’re already making an impact on the construction industry. They can be used to improve communication among teams and project stakeholders and help designers visualise their ideas before committing them to paper. They also allow for more detailed designs than ever before. Although there are still many challenges to overcome before VR becomes widespread in construction sites around the world, we’ve seen first hand just how these innovations show great promise for helping construction firms create better developments for their clients, and more immersive marketing material.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team here at H4 Group if you are considering the use of VR in your construction or development project, and discover our full range of visualisation solutions.