Development of sustainable landscape design guidelines for a green business park using virtual reality

Abstract

Green business parks (GBPs) are attractive to employees because of their environmental and social benefits. Recently, sustainability has become an international trend that is intended to tackle climate change. Therefore, there is a persistent need for sustainable landscapes in GBPs to ensure that workplaces are productive and healthy. The main focus of this research is developing a methodology of the GBPs` landscapes, in order to guide the stakeholders in the decision-making process. Moreover, getting users` and experts` opinions using Virtual Reality (VR) techniques plays an essential role to correctly predicting how a space will perform. By considering these contexts and their significance to sustainable development in a hot-dry climate area, the study evaluates the practice of landscape design for a GBP in terms of compactness and greenness. Consequently, three different landscape design models—formal, xeriscape, and biomimicry designs—were constructed as 2D and 3D models on AutoCAD and SketchUp. Then, the three alternatives are evaluated by experts and users using VR headset and mobile devices (MDs). The main finding is merging the sustainable principles with the aesthetic appearance which satisfies the users` opinions. The essential aim of this study is creating guidelines for sustainable landscape design for the future GBPs.