AR in Architectural Education

Augmented reality architecture is a section that never slows down. The demand keeps on growing every day. Technology adoption in the arena is at an all-time high. And the market commands the need for well-appointed architects in the upcoming years. 

The augmented reality education market was at $656.6 million in 2018 and will reach $13,098.2 million by 2026. The market will display a CAGR of 42.9% from 2018 to 2026.

The time looks suitable to invest. Many leading players are already abroad, and the market is expecting a boom. 

Architectural education  

Crafting moments during the analysis sessions helps students to learn how to design, either by experiencing collaborative design with their tutor or seeing their instructor designing. 

Through design studio critique, the instructor and students discuss design issues that drive the development of the students’ designs. Designing can be achieved during the session by either the instructor, student, or both. This moment is educationally important, which is why communication and collaboration should be a major concern. 

Conversations on potential solutions and design issues revolve around design representations. Miscommunication between instructors and students can castigate the learning potential of the discussion. Mix-ups drive the lack of positive communication, which can be a result of the gap between the design expertise of both instructor and student, as well as the difficulty

Augmented Reality Architecture Education

Basically, the following benefits have been exhibited by AR for training purposes:

  • Understanding deep diving and structures into the construction process with augmented reality architecture.
  • Design learners can have remote cooperation in architecture, enabled by AR, confirming an efficient workflow that leads to great outcomes.
  • Substitute data representation preferences are showcased by mixing AR, BIM, and AR in architecture & real estate into the curriculum.

Going a bit deeper into the advanced applications of VR across sectors, we can emerge with the following surplus use for VR in architecture education:

The Challenge

 • A solid understanding of space, proportions, and forms is vital for architecture learners. A theoretic environment does very little to refine these. 

• Also, through academic learning, the students may spend energy and easily lose focus to create a great looking building instead of a standard one. 

• This is major because architecture cannot be decoded into a photograph. The details of a design need to be experienced and explored.

The Solution

 • Augmented reality in manufacturing allows the integration of digital tours into the curriculum. 

• Through financial and geographic constraints, virtual tours become obsolete. 

• The learners can get access to their favorite architect’s most high-quality creation from the comfort of their own space and determine it to their heart’s content. 

• The tutor can add tools and elements to guide the learner’s attention to the essential architectural elements to originate a better learning outcome.

• Another added wisdom is the skill to get views that would be terrible in actual life. Like an overview of a tower.

We have only touched the surface of the perspective of augmented reality architecture in training and educating architecture students. 

Advantages of Augmented Reality in Architectural Education

Universities like the University of Paris Val De Marne and the University of Strathclyde have integrated VR into the architectural syllabus.

But what makes AR in architecture beneficial for them? 

Some of the key advantages of augmented reality architecture are given below-

1. Engaging visualization 

Architectural design contains difficult building models, but learning about them within the standard setup is not sufficient. AR in architecture & real estate allows learners to interact and explore the 3D models of the buildings, which lets them gain a complete understanding of the concepts in the architectural sector. 

2. Showcasing Immersive Designs

With the practice of VR in architectural institutions, the learners can showcase their accurate final products in the immersive digital environment without building the actual project in real life.

With this notion, the clients and stakeholders can understand the structure and experience the design process before even beginning with the physical construction procedure. 

3. Alternative Data Representation

By combining BIM (building information modeling), Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality in manufacturing with the existing educational syllabus, the learners can showcase their substitute data representation approaches.

And the consequence? It will affect student preparation as per the different manufacturing demands. 

Instances of AR in Architecture Education

 I. College of Strathclyde was the primary to integrate a digital environment lab into their architecture department to enhance the speed and structure of educating the learners.

Ii. The College of Paris Val De Marne included CAVE architecture in their CAAD lessons. 

Iii. The University of Bialystok in Poland has intended digital cities and free buildings for the learners to explore to understand architectural integrity and city planning in detail.

iv. Lately, the University of Cincinnati has included a variety of architectural elements in the digital format for students to learn and explore in more detail.

Wrapping up

When it comes to the augmented reality architecture spectrum, the leading providers are NIKKEN SEKKEIN, HDR, Jacobs Engineering, Stantec, IBI Group, and AECOM. 

AR, including augmented reality architecture, is presently being adopted as a picturing tool. The prospect lies in converting AR into an input methodology rather than a mere therapy asset.