We’ve often seen at VRFocus that to many virtual reality’s (VR’s) be-all and end-all will be videogames. Yet the majority of news we carry is often about what VR and other immersive technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) can bring to a variety of industries.
For younger users it can be a great source of education, used to bring topics such as science or history to life, a good example of the former being the various lesson packs that are provided by the team at MEL Science. In professional fields it is being used for methods as varied as reconstituting archaeological treasures, training doctors, surgeons and other medical staff in procedures and treatments. It’s used to make interactive movies, allows you to watch existing movies in a new way and allows you to see the world as you have not seen it previously.
Another field we are talking about increasingly is that of architecture and design and that partiuclar part of the immersive industry has a new name to take notice of: AVR Studio.
The company in question is a new creation of existing Los Angeles-based firm, and specialist in luxury architecture IR Architects. With AVR – standing for Architectural Virtual Reality – today announced as its new sister company. AVR, which will be staffed by a number of seasoned professional VR developers and architects will look to develop virtual walkthroughs of properties at various stages of development.
It comes after much speculation and developments within the real estate industry, such as Mattersport teaming up with Truss to make a VR real estate viewer at the same time as the idea of virtual house tours increasingly felt to be in demand. A recent US based poll by Coldwell Banker Real Estate revealed 77% of 3,000 adults surveyed being interested in a VR tour of their potential future home.
Targeting the same luxury end of the market as its sister company, AVR Studio will, according to them, provide a service that will help ease many issues over a new house. Thanks to its role as a ‘virtual blueprint’ it is believed it will helping with everything from planning approvals to tweaking elements of everything from the design of the house to the furnishings inside it.
“AVR Studio stems from the needs of IR Architects’ clientele, who required a better way to visualize their property beyond traditional renderings, in order to cut down on costly revisions. Clients, developers and financial investors can experience future properties at their leisure with a VR head-mounted display.” Explains the company in a statement. “Viewers are immersed in a fully interactive three-dimensional environment that provides a virtual representation of the building as a whole, including every room and hallway, down to pieces of furniture within. Some of the highest-level VR models allow viewers to manoeuvre throughout the property and open doors, turn on the television, experience future poolside and city views.”
Founder of both IR Architects and AVR Studio, Ignacio Rodriguez, believes it is a necessary next step for the industry in the 21st century. “AVR Studio is going to radically change how client’s design, review, and approve projects in the future. The challenge that many people feel when trying to understand two-dimensional architectural plans will no longer be an obstacle, as with VR, we are all speaking the universal language of volume and space.”
You can see a trailer for the company below. VRFocus will bring you more news on the developments taking place over the coming months to come.