How Much Can VR Improve Spatial Experience? - A Case Study with a Commercial Building Project

Authors

  • Yi-Kai Juan Department of Architecture, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
  • Hao-Yun Chi Department of Architecture, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
  • Yang Zhang Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11113/intrest.v16n2.200

Keywords:

Building information modeling, virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, commercial building

Abstract

With the development of Industry 4.0 and the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, the global construction industry has undergone a rapid digital transformation, pushing the development of building information modeling (BIM), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) technologies towards greater maturity. However, from the perspective of building developers and end users, does VR technology have any benefit for complex building projects? What are users' acceptance and evaluation on VR emerging technology? After constructing a VR simulation navigation system for an actual commercial building project, this study investigated and compared the differences between using the VR system and the traditional navigation system in the four dimensions of the technology acceptance model. The results showed that the subjects generally believed that the VR system has significant benefits in terms of usefulness, users’ attitude, and users’ intention, however, there is still room for improvement in the perceived ease of use. Moreover, feedback from developers supported the benefits of the VR technology validated the system effectiveness. Hence, VR and BIM technologies are recommended to be effectively integrated, in order to enhance the integrity of industrial applications and establish a new design communication and collaboration model for the architecture, engineering, construction, and facility management industry.

Author Biographies

Yi-Kai Juan, Department of Architecture, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan

Professor at Department of Architecture, Vice Dean of College of Design, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST), Taipei, Taiwan. Recent research interests include the topics of environmental perception analysis in built environments, environmental psychology, big data analysis, real estate marketing, design quality, circular economy and so on. He has served as reviewers for many SCI & SSCI international journals for a long time, and now is an Editorial Board Member for the International Journal of Real Estate Studies.

Hao-Yun Chi, Department of Architecture, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan

PhD Candidate at Department of Architecture, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST), Taipei, Taiwan. Recent research interests include the topics of VR, AR, MR development and application in the architecture industry, real estate marketing, architectural and interior design, construction quality, and so on. He is also an architect and interior designer, has multiple awards in international design competitions, and is now a visiting scholar at UCLA.

Yang Zhang, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Assistant Professor at Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Samueli School of Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States. Recent research interests include human-computer interaction (HCI), augmented and virtual reality, digital twins, sensing technology, AI, and accessibility. He has served as an organizing committee and committee member for top HCI journals and conferences including ACM IMWUT, CHI, UIST, and MobileHCI. He is also serving as one of the Topic Editors at Frontiers in Virtual Reality.

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Published

2022-12-29

How to Cite

Juan, Y.-K., Chi, H.-Y., & Zhang, Y. (2022). How Much Can VR Improve Spatial Experience? - A Case Study with a Commercial Building Project. International Journal of Real Estate Studies, 16(2), 75–85. https://doi.org/10.11113/intrest.v16n2.200

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 2 (2022): INTREST

Section

Articles

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