Laurus insights: The Role of Virtual reality in the property development industry

Virtual reality is going to change the construction industry. Laurus, in this article, takes a look at how.

​Virtual reality is no longer the domain of video games. It has the potential to change the property development industry; it has the potential to allow involved parties (builders, architects, clients and more) the opportunity to walk into a building before the slab is poured.

So, with the continuous growth of virtual reality, what benefits and changes could we be looking at in the coming years?

Cost Efficiency
Once you’ve gotten into the construction phase of a building, any changes or alterations that need to be made can be both costly and time consuming. Discussions about whether the work can be changed, or whether the requirements will work with the current design push back build times. Virtual reality allows any party that is involved in the building process to spot potential issues in the design phase, giving the design team a chance to change, modify or redesign a section of the building.

Meeting Client Expectations
Clients have an idea in their mind of what they want their property to be. Some are great at explaining what exactly they want, whereas others have some great ideas, but they can’t get them out onto paper. Virtual reality provides the opportunity to stop those “it doesn’t look like I imagine/expected” conversations. Clients can access the “property”, explore every corner, confirm everything matches their expectations and needs, and then provide feedback to the design team. Miscommunication becomes almost impossible when utilising virtual reality.

Providing Remote Virtual Site Visits
On large projects, it can be hard to get the relevant people out to visit the site as frequently as contractors need them to. When VR is combined with a 3D camera, a contractor on site can stream a 360-degree real time video giving a site tour to those who need to monitor the progress of the build.

Training for Construction Workers
Training workers on heavy-equipment, or site-specific equipment can be expensive. Imagine giving your staff all the time they need to learn how to use dangerous equipment with no risks. With VR there is also no need to hire the equipment prior to construction – all training is done virtually.
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Currently virtual reality is really starting to take hold in the beginning of the construction project where designers are using the technology to help clients and potential clients see how the project will come together. By utilising 3D models, combined with the virtual reality technology, clients can take a tour of the space, working out whether there is enough room for what they need, deciding on paint colours and layout.
With the ability to save money and speed up parts of the construction project, there is huge potential in virtual reality in the construction industry going forward.