QHA_February_Mag_Web

VIRTUAL REALITY IS TRANSFORMING
ARCHITECTURE IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY
QHA REVIEW | 54
Brand + Slater Architects has been using Virtual
Reality (VR) technology as part of our design process
for a number of years, transporting hotels into a fully
immersive 3D environment of their proposed building
projects, before being built.
When you first think of VR, there’s a few things that
may come to mind (The Matrix, Star Trek, nerdy gamers
who spend all their spare time immersed in a virtual
world…). Today though, VR has so much potential for
architects and our clients. From initial design mockups,
to project collaboration, through to the finishing
touches like material finishes and lighting, VR’s use in
the design process is powerful. Here’s how:
COMMUNICATING DESIGN IDEAS BETTER THAN EVER
It takes years of experience to have the ability to read
architectural drawings. A well-rendered 360° image
combined with a VR headset allows our clients to
stand in an authentic environment and look around
in the same way you do in the real world. Tilt your
head up and you see your ceiling and lighting design,
look straight forward and you see your reception and
feature-wall, tilt to the right and view the main foyer
entrance, and looking down you see your selected
flooring in vivid detail.
FEELING THE SPACE
VR offers a person a better sense of spatial awareness
than any other technology we’ve ever had access to
before. Being fully immersed in the model means you
get a real sense of scale. Our clients can not only see
what’s been created, they can “feel” what it is like to
be in that space. Conveying this feeling to clients can
often be one of the hardest parts of a project for an
architect or designer, again speeding up the process
and easing communication.
REAL-TIME FEEDBACK
Our clients can navigate the space and critique it
simultaneously prior to breaking ground on site. This
means less time going back and forth revising designs,
with feedback and revisions happening in real-time
while you walk through your project.
CREATE EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING MATERIALS
There has never been a better tool than VR to get
people excited about your building project and
set it apart from others. Virtual walk-throughs of
hotel redevelopments and refurbishments from the
architectural perspective can be easily translated into
digital content to be posted online or offered as a VR
experience for customers inhouse.
Want to know more? Visit us at Stand 262 at the 2018
AHG Expo to test out our VR technology for yourself!