A framework to design and implement cross-platform WebVR walkthrough for a Chettinad heritage building

Abstract

Immersive walkthroughs are increasingly used to document, interpret, and communicate heritage sites to remote audiences. This study presents a framework for designing and implementing a cross-platform WebVR walkthrough of Athangudi Palace, a significant Chettinad mansion in Tamil Nadu, India. The project addresses limited physical access due to conservation sensitivity and geographic distance by developing a browser-based experience accessible on Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs), desktop computers, tablets, and mobile phones. It has a systematic workflow that involves on-site documentation, 360-degree image capture, spatial-audio recording, post-processing, WebVR development in A-Frame, refinement, and deployment. The walkthrough features panoramic shots, guided tours, hotspots, and contextual commentary, to convey the spatial nature and sustainability elements of the palace, such as passive cooling, material selections, and climate-adaptive planning. The paper contributes a reproducible workflow for documenting and interpreting domestic heritage architecture through a lightweight WebVR system. It demonstrates how browser-based immersive media can support remote heritage access, conservation awareness, and sustainability-oriented interpretation without increasing physical pressure on a sensitive site