Representational Thickness: the architectural application of virtual reality in public participatory projects

Contemporary communicational and informational processes contribute to the shaping of our physical environment by having a powerful influence on the process of design. Applications of virtual reality (VR) are transforming the way architecture is conceived and produced by introducing dynamic elements into the process of design. Through its immersive properties, virtual reality allows access to a spatial experience of a computer model very different to both screen based simulations as well as traditional forms of architectural representation. The dissertation focuses on processes of the current practice of VR in relationship to the built environment and the professionals engaged in shaping those environments. The context of their use to which most attention is given is that of public participation - the involvement of citizens in a design process and the concomitant communication of design ideas by ‘professionals’ to ‘laypeople’. The thesis articulates problems in VR’s current application, specifically the CAVE and Panorama theatres, and seeks an understanding of how these problems may be addressed. The central questions that have motivated this research project are thus: What is architectural VR representation? How is virtual reality used in public participation and how do virtual environments affect participatory decision making? How does VR thus affect the physical world of built environment? Given the practical collaborative possibilities of immersive technology, how can they best be implemented to improve design conditions for architects, thereby increasing the “thickness of representation”. The study commences from a broader theoretical enquiry, a review of previous research and examples of relevant context in which virtual reality has been used in practice. It develops from this discussion three research hypotheses. Subsequently, using a hypothetical-deductive model, employing the CAVE and Panorama facilities at Aalborg University, it empirically tests the hypotheses by collecting observations in a controlled ‘laboratory’situation and submits them to statistical analysis. From these specific findings, it induces implications to a wider level of generalisation to applications of VR in practice.