Emine Mine Thompson

The Role of Virtual Reality in Built Environment Education

Abstract This study builds upon previous research on the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) within the built environment curriculum and aims to investigate the role of VR and three-dimensional (3D) computer modelling on learning and teaching in a school of the built environment. In order to achieve this aim, a number of academic experiences were analysed to explore the applicability and viability of 3D computer modelling and VR into built environment subject areas. Although two-dimensional (2D) representations have been greatly accepted by built environment professions and education, 3D computer representations and VR applications, offering interactivity and immersiveness, are not yet widely accepted. The study attempts to understand the values and challenges of integrating visualisation technologies into built environment teaching and investigates tutors’ perceptions, opinions and concerns with respect to these technologies. The study reports on the integration process and considers how 3D computer modelling and VR technologies can combine with, and extend, the existing range of learning and teaching methods appropriate to different disciplines and programme areas.

What makes a city 'smart'?

Taking advantage of information and communications technology tools and techniques for city administration, whether it is for urban planning activities, for transport solutions or many other purposes, is not a new concept. However, in order for a city to be classified as ‘smart’, a synthesis of intelligence that transcends mere utilisation is essential. This article analyses the increasing use of information and communications technology and sensing technologies in cities by examining this new way of city governing from a critical perspective. Existing projects and initiatives were investigated to find out how, and to what extent, these tools are being employed by cities. The advantages and the current shortcomings of smart city are also discussed in order to understand the viability of using these tools.

Strategic Perspectives on the Use of Virtual Reality within the Building Industries of Four Countries

Abstract This paper presents results from the first stage of an analysis of the use of virtual reality (VR) within the building industries of strategically selected countries, namely, China, Sweden, the UK and the US. The aims of the research are to assess VR usage and its benefits within the building industries of these countries and to identify perceived barriers to VR usage and ways of overcoming them. The countries selected offer a range of experience in the adoption of VR technologies and the paper provides an initial analysis of developments at an international level. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior professionals from each of six leading construction companies within each country. The findings included the rationale for the adoption of VR and the barriers to doing so, as well as some divergence between the respondents in their working definition of what visualization and, specifically, VR actually represents.

Everyday Cycling in Urban Environments: Understanding Behaviors and Constraints in Space-Time

Cycling in British cities is increasing but at a slow rate nationally. The ultimate realizations of cycling benefits in urban areas, such as cities in North East England, are hampered by lack of appropriate data to aid in our understanding of cycling behaviors to inform policy strategies and improve cycling uptake as well as data processing methodologies. Several efforts are being made to enhance data availability to understand cycling behaviors to inform policy strategies for which this research aims to contribute by providing evidence on the use of the area’s cycling infrastructure by utility cyclists. A proposed corridor space analytical approach was used to analyze the newly collected 7-day GPS data from 79 utility cyclists to estimate the extent to which respondents used the area’s cycling infrastructure. The data was used together with the area cycling infrastructure data from Newcastle City Council. Findings from the corridor space analysis suggest that 57.4 % of cyclists from sample prefer cycling on the cycle network, while 33.8 % cycle outside the cycle network with 8.8 % near the cycle network. Also, for all cycle trips, men tend to dominate in cycling on and near the cycle network. Both the males and females tend to use the cycle network more than off the network for utility trips. With 42.6 % of cyclists still cycling outside the designated cycle network, it is imperative that policy initiatives are aimed towards investing in cycling research and infrastructure to further deepen our understanding to encourage cycling around the study area. It was also suggested that the captured detailed actual route choice preferences could serve as input to the development of agent-based models towards understanding cycling behaviors around the study area.

Understanding the interoperability of virtual city models in assessing the performance of city centre squares

The increasing development of three-dimensional virtual city models and leadingedge computer software applications is providing innovative possibilities for analyzing the performance of existing city-centre public squares. In the design and assessment of city squares, the use of accurate virtual city models is often limited to visual geometrical assessment alone. There is little evidence that such models are being adapted to carry out urban performance simulations. There are, however, existing and emerging tools that can simulate a number of performance aspects—pedestrian movement, noise level, wind movement, and temperature—that show scope for integrating virtual city models to aid in the assessment of public squares. This paper describes a study which investigates the interoperability of off-the-shelf three-dimensional virtual city models to integrate with selected ‘urban performance’ software to contribute to a more integrated approach to the assessment of existing public squares and the future sustainability of virtual city models. Methodologies for utilising virtual city models within ‘urban performance’ software are established, with results demonstrating that the integration of virtual city model data can aid in both the visual and performance assessment of existing public squares, with scope for application to new proposals. The argument is also made that the application of virtual city models in this manner also contributes towards the sustainability of virtual city models, one that takes a more multifunctional approach. This paper acknowledges that the majority of the evaluated software is not related directly to urban design—indeed, there is no software currently available that brings together all the performance aspects and relates them to geometrical characteristics. However, this study offers a significant contribution to this subject and identifies the need for future research into the evolution of information-rich virtual city models.

Human Perception, Virtual Reality and the Built Environment

Recent research indicates that Virtual Reality (VR) as a communication tool to convey design intent and construction methodologies in the built environment sector has been utilized to varied degrees. Currently, the effectiveness of VR has been demonstrated from conception to the final stages of projects in many fields, yet its potential within the Built Environment has still to realised, despite a variety of successful demonstrations. There is concern that the current utilisation of VR compromises its full potential, unsurprisingly, as environmental representations focus predominantly on the visual modality, regardless of the multi sensory nature of the spatial experience. In addition, there is a distinct paucity of research exploring the complex interaction of environmental design and the user, such as the role of attention or conceptual interpretation. This paper aims to identify the issues concerning the utilization of VR models to aid communication for the Built Environment with specific reference to human perception issues.