Augemented Reality in Architecture
AR Architectural Revolution
Efficiency Goes a Long Way
Before AR most of the architectures had a hard time presenting the plan to all the clients and their colleagues in the company. To do so, they mostly used blueprints and 3D prints which were not wholly efficient. Now, thanks to Augmented Reality, the whole plan of design and construction is virtually available before the process gets started. Therefore, architects are able to make the required decision easily get on the same page with the colleagues and clients.
Inspection and Maintenance; Easy and Easier
Detailed monitoring and close inspection of the equipment are essential procedures in almost all of the industries. When it comes to architecture, these procedures place a significant weigh of responsibility on the staff’s shoulders. Using printed guidelines and checklists is not always the best option. Construction is highly dependent on equipment and having one of the devices not working properly would result in disrupting the flow of work. Aside from the equipment, there are a lot of inspections to the construction elements including pipes, wires, etc.
Following the blueprints for lines and pipes is both time-consuming and inaccurate. Using AR to project the whole map of construction in real surrounding will lighten the load and reduce the errors.
Train with Augmented Reality
Augmented reality-based training is being used in different job training scenarios across multiple fields. To quote Ronald Azuma of Intel Labs, “training is one of the original usages researchers pursued in augmented reality”. In construction sites, the health, safety, and environment experts have to make sure that the safety training is accurately delivered. Using AR, the safety expert can be in contact with the site workers in real-time. The real-time connection and first-hand collaboration make it easier to hold the onboard-training and reduce costs. Plus, safety issues are addressed in an agile and effective manner.
The Client is not Always Right, but the Client Always Comes First
If we couple this famous quote with Tony Stavish’s “the key to great design is capturing the spirit of the client”, the significance of the close cooperation with the client will be understood. Since the whole construction process is the end product of the client, having the two parties on the same page is of utmost priority. An architect needs to plan for the natural setting not for a piece of paper. Augmented Reality helps the architect consider all the aspect of the real environment and convey the plan to the client in a thorough way. Using AR to create different 3D models and boost up customer satisfaction is a wonderful decision that is being taken by numerous firms and architects.
Augmented Reality provides the architect and especially the client with a sense of scale that otherwise would not be so easy to obtain. Also, the architect can add furniture and objects to convey the real image of the end-results to the client. Moreover, AR simplifies the safety training and on-boarding processes. Finally, involving AR in the inspection and maintenance processes would speed-up the whole work flow and eliminate faulty outcomes.
Today, the world construction industry is suffering from a productivity problem. The industry’s productivity has only grown to 1% yearly in the past 20 years. Up-and-coming technologies including AR may be the push this industry needs to serve humans in a more efficient way.