Users' evaluation of a virtual reality architectural model compared with the experience of the completed building

It is important that the properties of a Virtual Reality (VR) model support its purpose in the specific context in which it is used. This study investigated how employees of a company experienced a VR model of their yet-to-be-built office building. We also compared the VR experience with the employees' experience of the completed building. The results showed that the employees felt that the VR model was a useful aid in the decision-making process concerning their future workplace. In addition, The Semantic Environment Description Scale was used to compare the experience of the VR model with the experience of the real building. The results suggest that the VR model gave a fairly accurate representation of the real building.

[1]  Albert Yonas.  Attached and cast shadows , 1979 .

[2]  R S Kalawsky,et al.  VRUSE--a computerised diagnostic tool: for usability evaluation of virtual/synthetic environment systems. , 1999, Applied ergonomics.

[3]  Jonathan Grudin,et al.  Interface: an evolving concept , 1993, CACM.

[4]  Lisa R. Klein.  Creating virtual product experiences: The role of telepresence , 2003 .

[5]  Dace A. Campbell.  Architectural construction documents on the web: VRML as a case study , 2000 .

[6]  Carl Martin Allwood,et al.  Usability and database search at the Swedish Employment Service , 1998, Behav. Inf. Technol..

[7]  Roy S. Kalawsky,et al.  The Validity of Presence as a Reliable Human Performance Metric in Immersive Environments , 2000 .

[8]  Y. Ma,et al.  4D visualization of construction site management , 2001, Proceedings Fifth International Conference on Information Visualisation.

[9]  Colin G. Ellard,et al.  Context and consciousness , 1995, Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

[10]  Rikard Küller,et al.  Environmental assessment from a neuropsychological perspective , 1991 .

[11]  D. F. Fisher,et al.  Perception and pictorial representation , 1979 .

[12]  Luca Caneparo,et al.  Shared virtual reality for design and management: the Porta Susa project 1 The article is based on t , 2001 .

[13]  WooYoung Kim,et al.  Visualized construction process on virtual reality , 2001, Proceedings Fifth International Conference on Information Visualisation.

[14]  Clark A. Cory.  Utilization of 2D, 3D, or 4D CAD in construction communication documentation , 2001, Proceedings Fifth International Conference on Information Visualisation.

[15]  Ching-Yuan Lin,et al.  A virtual-reality-based feasibility study of evacuation time compared to the traditional calculation method , 2000 .

[16]  Karel Brookhuis,et al.  Preface "Human Factors in the age of Virtual Reality" , 2003 .

[17]  Peter Fröst,et al.  Virtual reality used in a collaborative architectural design process , 2000, 2000 IEEE Conference on Information Visualization. An International Conference on Computer Visualization and Graphics.

[18]  T. Gärling,et al.  Environment, cognition, and action : an integrated approach , 1991 .

[19]  P D Gardiner,et al.  Interactive urban development control with collaborative virtual environments , 2001, Proceedings Seventh International Conference on Virtual Systems and Multimedia.

[20]  Jonathan Grudin,et al.  The computer reaches out: the historical continuity of interface design , 1989, CHI '90.

[21]  Martijn J. Schuemie,et al.  Research on Presence in Virtual Reality: A Survey , 2001, Cyberpsychology Behav. Soc. Netw..

[22]  Matthew Lombard,et al.  At the Heart of It All: The Concept of Presence , 2006 .

[23]  B. Nardi.  Context and consciousness: activity theory and human-computer interaction , 1995 .

[24]  Ebad Banissi,et al.  Visualisation of the degradation of building flooring systems , 2001, Proceedings Fifth International Conference on Information Visualisation.

[25]  Chimay J. Anumba,et al.  Computer visualisation as a communication tool in the construction industry , 2001, Proceedings Fifth International Conference on Information Visualisation.