Thinking in Virtual Spaces

Abstract

Throughout the iterative design process, both students and professionals rely on spatial thinking to develop and simulate these design solutions, but—in most cases—students lack the experience necessary to accurately visualize and translate the real-world scale of interior space. This is primarily because the current tools of representation are noticeably limited to the two-dimensions of visual information viewable on a traditional computer monitor or sheet of paper. The use of virtual reality systems can also support instruction focused on spatial reasoning. An immersive cohabitation of multiple designers within a detailed and complex model – at full-scale, in three dimensions, supports and augments spatial thinking by allowing designers to both conceptualize and reason volumetrically. This article will explore the experiences of the students and faculty using the virtual reality platform, and the challenges and impacts of incorporating full-scale analysis into the student's design process as they relate to scale perception, error recognition, and communication.