Development of interactive and distributed virtual environments for immersive communication in the furniture, fixture and equipment sector

Despite the significance of the furniture fixture and equipment (FFE) sector to the UK’s economy and the construction industry, this sector faces challenges that impede its productivity and performance, including an inability to meet end-user expectations in the delivery of its services. Lack of adoption of digitalisation and poor design communication between the stakeholders have been identified as one of the issues leading to challenges in the FFE Sector. In this context, visual representation offered by virtual reality (VR) can play a critical role in communicating the designs with the stakeholders effectively. However, evidence suggests that the current state of the VR application in the FFE sector lacks three critical advancements namely BIM-data interaction (interaction with the meta-data associated with the FFE elements), human-building interaction (interaction of stakeholders with FFE elements in the virtual environment) and human-human interactions (multi-user interaction). Therefore, the aim of this study was to bridge this gap through the development and testing of novel virtual environments for immersive communication between FFE and its construction project stakeholders. Furthermore, pre-conditions for the successful implementation of the developed VR applications were evaluated in this study through experimentation.A sequential, exploratory, mixed-method research design was adopted for this study in three phases. In phase one, an extensive literature investigation was carried out to acquire deeper knowledge of existing literature to understand the state-of-the-art developments of immersive technologies in the construction industry with a specific focus on the current challenges and benefits of implementing immersive technology. Phase two of the study involved the development and testing of immersive, distributed and interactive VR applications for various scenarios of the FFE communications for construction. Each application was developed by applying rapid application development methodologies and combining BIM, game engine and low latency cloud server development paradigm. The developments were tested through quasi-experiments and evaluation by stakeholders to ascertain usefulness and utility in the FFE sector context. The first development focused on interactive VR for FFE and was tested among (n = 12) stakeholders using a quasi-experiment in a single-group, pre-test-post-test design. The second development focused on distributed immersion for FFE design communication and was tested among construction stakeholders involved in FFE design decision-making (n = 26). The distributed VR application was further tested further among (n = 9) stakeholders in the context of FFE retail and showcasing of FFE products. The experimental approaches in the second phase adopted combined quantitative and qualitative evaluations to ascertain system usability which fed into further development and finetuning of applications. Finally, in the third phase of the study, the interactive and distributed VR applications were validated among wider group of construction stakeholders (n = 117) using a survey to ascertain industry-wide utility and usefulness as well as establish factors that influence their wider adoption in the sector. A combination of descriptive and inferential statistics was applied to establish findings including Kruskal-Wallis and ANOVA to measure variations in views across different segments of the population of respondents.Findings indicated that the interactive distributed immersive virtual FFE environment can enhance the productivity of the design team through a collaborative virtual workspace offering a synchronised networked design testing and review platform. Furthermore, it can reduce the time required for the stakeholders (Client/end-user, architect, FFE designer/contractor, FFE manufacturer) to comprehend and test the design options. In addition, the developed VR applications can enhance the design communication and quality of the design and encourage a collaborative culture in the industry and improve the design satisfaction of the stakeholders. It was also identified that the VR applications developed for this study can reduce the time required for design decision-making significantly when compared with traditional methods. In the retail and product showcasing context, the system was found to be a highly efficient and viable tool, which can deliver a compelling and richer experience similar to an FFE in-store experience. The testing also revealed that the proposed system not only improves the sense of presence but also brings in a new dimension of a sense of being together, which has a positive impact on decision making. Cumulative findings of this study revealed that distributed and interactive VR has become essential to digitalising the FFE sector’s design communication, with improved design communication being regarded as the most important benefit of its use. Conversely, the most critical challenge that inhibits the implementation of these two VR applications in the FFE sector is the perceived cost. This research proposes a step change in the way furniture design is communicated and coordinated through an immersive virtual experience, thus allowing informed decisions making and creating shared understanding before the commencement of the construction activity

An investigation into Macro BIM Maturity and Its impacts: A comparison of Qatar and the United Kingdom

Emerging frameworks of BIM implementation have proposed several attributes as measures of macro-scale BIM maturity within countries. Such macro-scale BIM maturity indicators determine the policy and institutional imperatives for BIM diffusion at the national and market levels. Although macro-scale initiatives are enacted to ultimately drive micro-scale (organisational) BIM adoption, it remains unclear whether they have been effective in practice. To ascertain this, the macro-scale BIM maturity of two countries (Qatar and the United Kingdom) are examined in order to identify the influence of the key macro-scale maturity factors on implementation at the micro-scale. Based on expert BIM maturity evaluation and interviews (n=16), the maturity of both countries was ascertained and compared. Subsequently, a survey (n=73) of construction businesses was used to solicit opinions about the relevance of macro-BIM maturity factors to implement at the micro-level. The study further identifies peculiarities with respect to the maturity levels of both countries. The findings indicate that both Qatar and UK have generally comparable levels of macro-BIM maturity, although, in some areas, both countries failed to meet the expectations of organisations in terms of facilitating their BIM adoption at the micro-level. Qatari organisations were of the opinion that further maturity is required in relation to champions and drivers, as well as regulatory frameworks. Similarly, in the UK, organisations were of the view that there was a need for more in terms of champions and drivers as well as noteworthy publications in order to facilitate micro-scale adoption

An approach for semi-automated data quality assurance within BIM models

Successful Building Information Modelling (BIM) enabled projects that require large volumes of project data to be embedded within BIM models. However, with this wealth of data, relevance and accuracy have been identified as important issues affecting the BIM performance of the project. Currently, Quality Assurance (QA) in the industry has focused on geometric data, including scrutinising physical and spatial clashes. However, as BIM practices progress in the industry, the requirements for nongeometric model data and their quality have become more necessary. This study aimed to ascertain the feasibility of using visual programming for semi-automating the BIM QA process in a practical case study on using BIM in infrastructure projects. This paper outlines a generic semi-automated QA methodology and its application in a construction project case study. The validity of this method was tested and evaluated in practice through (n=2) workshops. The methodology was implemented within an integrated engineering consultancy, employing visual programming methodology to generate QA summaries and additionally highlight model elements with data quality issues based on a defined set of parameters. Based on the evaluation findings, the proposed process was feasible and provided a pathway for low-cost and low-skill QA of BIM model data within the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. The paper’s main scientific contribution is a conceptual framework for using visual programming to achieve automatic quality assurance

Feeling the Earthship house: Eliciting a perspective of posterity through immersive virtual reality

PurposeThe surging cost of living and shortage of affordable and sustainable homes fuel the global housing crisis. Earthship buildings are marketed as the epitome of affordable and sustainable alternative housing. This paper aimed to elicit the perception of Earthship buildings among youngsters in the United Kingdom using immersive Virtual Reality technology. Additionally, the impact of Virtual Reality on perception compared with two-dimensional drawings was investigated in the study. Design/methodology/approachA three-phase, experiment-based survey was adopted: Phase 1: literature review, Earthship house model conception, and the virtual environment creation; Phase 2: two-dimensional drawing-based pre-visualisation survey; Phase 3: Virtual Reality-based post-visualisation survey.FindingsThe findings indicated that youngsters had a remarkable, positive change in attitude towards the uptake of the Earthship houses after Virtual Reality visualisation. In contrast, sustainability experts shared more concerns regarding the concept's viability in the United Kingdom, even after the Virtual Reality visualisation. However, both youngsters and experts agreed with the pre-eminence of Virtual Reality over two-dimensional drawings. OriginalityThe lack of awareness about Earthship buildings for posterity was noted in previous studies, which could be attributed to there being very few Earthship buildings in the United Kingdom. The importance of this awareness among youngsters cannot be over-emphasised since youngsters are affected most by the shortage of affordable and sustainable homes. This gap was addressed by enlightening the youth about Earthship houses and imparting awareness through near-real-life Virtual Reality visualisation

Understanding the challenges of immersive technology use in the architecture and construction industry: A systematic review

Despite the increasing scholarly attention being given to immersive technology applications in the architecture and construction industry, very few studies have explored the key challenges associated with their usage, with no aggregation of findings or knowledge. To bridge this gap and gain a better understanding of the state-of-the-art immersive technology application in the architecture and construction sector, this study reviews and synthesises the existing research evidence through a systematic review. Based on rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria, 51 eligible articles published between 2010 and 2019 (inclusive) were selected for the final review. Predicted upon a wide range of scholarly journals, this study develops a generic taxonomy consisting of various dimensions. The results revealed nine (9) critical challenges which were further ranked in the following order: Infrastructure; Algorithm Development; Interoperability; General Health and Safety; Virtual Content Modelling; Cost; Skills Availability; Multi-Sensory Limitations; and Ethical Issues

An Approach for Integrating Mixed Reality into BIM for Early Stage Design Coordination

Building Information Modelling (BIM) and its associated technologies have proved to be one of the most promising developments in the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. Over the past few decades, the AEC sector has been restricted in its communication of design as a result of single interface methods based on 2D and 3D visualization of information. Thus, most issues with respect to construction are identified fairly late, resulting in costly changes. With the introduction of BIM, many other approaches to data visualization can be leveraged including Mixed Reality (MR) applications for the virtual representation of spaces and objects beyond 3D. MR offers a revolution in the virtual representation of objects and space through context awareness as well as the incorporation of information beyond 3D offering countless opportunities for more effective design visualization and coordination. Despite the capability of MR, however, few examples exist of its application to design coordination in the AEC. In addressing this gap this study proposes a novel methodology for the application of MR in design coordination as well as investigates the impact of introducing MR into BIM workflow with a focus on the identification and avoidance of clashes. A prototypical model of the MR design coordination is presented and discussed. Findings indicate that MR improves design productivity and quality but also highlights potential infrastructure issues inhibiting the mainstreaming of MR for design practice

BIM-based immersive collaborative environment for furniture, fixture and equipment design

One of the most critical issues related to the current application of virtual reality during design appraisal is the inability to have a collaborative virtual environment where a group of geographically remote stakeholders can interact and communicate effectively in real-time. This paper addresses this shortcoming by proposing a collaborative furniture, fixture and equipment virtual environment (COFFEE) that allows concurrent multi-users to interact, communicate and collaborate virtually during the design appraisal of interior furnishings of a facility. The testing of the proposed system among various construction stakeholders (n = 26) to demonstrate the usability and functionality showed high degree of acceptance by stakeholders as a result of improved visualisation, multi-user communication, and collaboration in the virtual environment. In practice COFFEE is expected to assist interior design stakeholders to make informed decisions and create shared understanding before commencement of construction activity

An Approach for Integrating Mixed Reality into BIM for Early Stage Design Coordination

Building Information Modelling (BIM) and its associated technologies have proved to be one of the most promising developments in the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. Over the past few decades, the AEC sector has been restricted in its communication of design as a result of single interface methods based on 2D and 3D visualization of information. Thus, most issues with respect to construction are identified fairly late, resulting in costly changes. With the introduction of BIM, many other approaches to data visualization can be leveraged including Mixed Reality (MR) applications for the virtual representation of spaces and objects beyond 3D. MR offers a revolution in the virtual representation of objects and space through context awareness as well as the incorporation of information beyond 3D offering countless opportunities for more effective design visualization and coordination. Despite the capability of MR, however, few examples exist of its application to design coordination in the AEC. In addressing this gap this study proposes a novel methodology for the application of MR in design coordination as well as investigates the impact of introducing MR into BIM workflow with a focus on the identification and avoidance of clashes. A prototypical model of the MR design coordination is presented and discussed. Findings indicate that MR improves design productivity and quality but also highlights potential infrastructure issues inhibiting the mainstreaming of MR for design practice

An approach for semi-automated data quality assurance within BIM models

Successful Building Information Modelling (BIM) enabled projects that require large volumes of project data to be embedded within BIM models. However, with this wealth of data, relevance and accuracy have been identified as important issues affecting the BIM performance of the project. Currently, Quality Assurance (QA) in the industry has focused on geometric data, including scrutinising physical and spatial clashes. However, as BIM practices progress in the industry, the requirements for nongeometric model data and their quality have become more necessary. This study aimed to ascertain the feasibility of using visual programming for semi-automating the BIM QA process in a practical case study on using BIM in infrastructure projects. This paper outlines a generic semi-automated QA methodology and its application in a construction project case study. The validity of this method was tested and evaluated in practice through (n=2) workshops. The methodology was implemented within an integrated engineering consultancy, employing visual programming methodology to generate QA summaries and additionally highlight model elements with data quality issues based on a defined set of parameters. Based on the evaluation findings, the proposed process was feasible and provided a pathway for low-cost and low-skill QA of BIM model data within the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. The paper’s main scientific contribution is a conceptual framework for using visual programming to achieve automatic quality assurance