Virtual reality software for modular architectural design

• Grant number: 23/12198-1
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: February 01, 2024
• End date: October 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Architecture and Town Planning - Architecture and Urbanism Technology
• Principal Investigator: Fulvio Ramos Roxo
• Grantee: Fulvio Ramos Roxo
• Company: T de Moraes Alves Arquitetura
• CNAE: Comércio varejista de ferragens, madeira e materiais de construção ; Desenvolvimento e licenciamento de programas de computador não-customizáveis
• City: São Paulo
• Associated researchers: Taís de Moraes Alves
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/00545-1 - Archflex Virtual Reality Software: Development of Modular Component Library, BP.TT; 24/03438-1 - Virtual reality software for creating modular architectural projects, BP.PIPE

Abstract

We propose here the development of Virtual Reality Software operated through specific Headsets and controllers used to create modular architectural projects in the feasibility study phase. Named Archflex VR Software, this project creation tool will be based on the Archflex Desktop Software, currently in the final revision stage of the alpha version, and will be developed using the Unreal Engine. The Archflex VR Software will feature a library of modular components that follow a 1.2m module and fit together according to predefined rules and principles, making the design process intuitive and playful. In addition to the ease of starting a project with a careful curation of components, the ability to create in an immersive environment, surrounding the screen around the user and simulating the final construction with high fidelity, contributes to avoiding project errors and improving communication with end users. Furthermore, the software will provide real-time budget and environmental impact data, thus encouraging solutions that address carbon emissions from the project's conception phases and supporting proper financial planning that ensure the viability of the designed projects. An export solution to Revit, already implemented in the Desktop version of the software, will allow users to continue working on projects created in VR. It is also worth noting that the software will be integrated into the Archflex Modular Components Marketplace, an already developed application where users can access the list of products used in each VR-created project and make complex purchases conveniently. Considering the growing interest in immersive virtual reality technologies and the quest for solutions that contribute to increasing the productivity in the construction sector and to mitigating its environmental impacts, we are confident that integrating Virtual Reality, modular construction, and environmental impact data into a creation software will be a significant contribution to the industry. The Research Plan is organized around three complementary axes - Programming, UI (User Interface), and UX (User Experience), and Library of Modular Components - and we aim to achieve a STRL 5 maturity level by the end of this project, with a functional internal alpha version. (AU)