VR walkthrough - yay or nay?

[Beechgate]

Our architect is developing 2 sketch options based on our project brief, a site visit, and an upcoming design meeting. As an optional extra they can offer a virtual reality walkthrough to help us visualise their two proposed designs. It would be presented alongside the main feasibility study using an Oculus Quest 2 headset. The cost is £1,500 + VAT.

 

We’re currently on the fence so interested to hear if anyone here has done similar and if they think it is a worthwhile extra?

 

[Kelvin]

Wtf if money is no object then by all means but £1800 for a 3D render. No thanks. 
 

I used Roomsketcher to draw our floorplans. It can produce 3D renders that you can manipulate. It’s a cheap to buy and easy to learn. It can’t do the whole house externally or the roof but it’s fine to visualise the inside and is a little limited for complex shapes but as ours is a rectangle it was easy enough. 
 

 

 

 

[AppleDown]

I'm sure you get get a simple version from Fiverr on the cheap.

[nod]

A big Nayyyy

There will be better things to spend your hard earned cash on 

Keep the professional fees down the a minimum 

[Iceverge]

If you can I would build a literal model before committing to the design. 

 

Some card and sticky tape and a few hours will give you a great feel for the building. It's literally child play. 

[Temp]

+1 I built one from Architectual Foam board. You can get it in different thicknesses to match wall thickness roughly. It's easy to cut with a sharp knife and glue with PVA in similar.  

 

This stuff..

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cathedral-A3-Foam-Board-White/dp/B00BYT1KS2/ref=asc_df_B00BYT1KS2/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=218064744885&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10478447782417066573&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007037&hvtargid=pla-419758783142&psc=1

 

Glueca floor plan to a sheet of mdf and build model on top.

Edited March 21, 2023 by Temp

[Beechgate]

1 hour ago, Kelvin said:

Wtf if money is no object then by all means but £1800 for a 3D render. No thanks. 
 

I used Roomsketcher to draw our floorplans. It can produce 3D renders that you can manipulate. It’s a cheap to buy and easy to learn. It can’t do the whole house externally or the roof but it’s fine to visualise the inside and is a little limited for complex shapes but as ours is a rectangle it was easy enough. 
 

 

 

 

Yeah it is a lot isn't it.. and it's money that we could spend on the house itself.

 

I can see it having value though and I suspect as the tech gets better (and cheaper) it could become an integral part of a design phase.

 

We did a VR gaming experience for a friends birthday and being jumped on by a low-quality VR zombie was surprisingly scary!

 

20 minutes ago, Iceverge said:

If you can I would build a literal model before committing to the design. 

 

Some card and sticky tape and a few hours will give you a great feel for the building. It's literally child play. 

Now this is an excellent idea.

[ETC]

https://99percentinvisible.org/article/one-one-full-scale-floor-plans-help-architects-walk-clients-designs/

[Seren161]

A VR walk through would give you a lot more “ feel” for the space arguably way more than you can get from room sketcher or even 3d renders..having used both and a bit of money spent on this sort of planning can yield superb results ..but at £1500 plus vat I’d say definitely nay…get a few 3d renders of the key spaces that are different in the two proposals .. costs way less..

[miike]

If they'll send you a BIMx model of the house, you can use the BIMx mobile app which has a 3d mode that you can use with Google Cardboard VR (£20). 

[Blooda]

We went to W__n Kitchens, sat through their spiel, drank their coffee, ate their biscuits, had a walk round our VR Kitchen Diner, walked out.  

Without a physical house built you can easily avoid the "site visit" and say we'll see you in 2 years.