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Designing digital space
Bertol D., John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Chichester, UK, 1997. Type: Book (9780471146629)
Date Reviewed: Mar 1 1998

Bertol presents virtual reality as a medium for exploring and designing architecture, coupled with the notion of a digital space that can be the subject of architecture in its own right. By delving into the normally exclusive disciplines of virtual reality and architecture, this book may cull an audience from both fields. For architects interested in virtual reality, Part 2 is a wealth of introductory and reference material on the technologies and techniques that virtual reality comprises. For computer scientists already active in virtual reality, the reference material in Part 2 may be a little tedious, but the historical development in Part 1 should be interesting, because it makes virtual reality seem a natural step in the evolutionary process of incorporating new technology into architecture.

Part 3 is a collection of nine papers that present contemporary work in virtual environments dealing with architecture. The papers can be grouped into three categories, though the author did not choose this arrangement. Implementations of technology, such as walkthrough environments or new interfaces, are presented in chapters 10, 11, and 15. Systems capable of design and specifically targeted toward architecture are described in chapters 8, 9, and 12. The remaining chapters, 13, 14, and 16, deal with more abstract research projects that explore virtual spaces.

The technology implementation chapters are a supplement to the reference material in Part 2. They represent the state of the art in technologies for viewing and interacting in virtual reality. Chapter 10, “Architectural Realities,” presents case studies using 3D graphics to present architectural designs. Chapter 11, “Augmented Reality Applications in Architectural Construction,” describes augmented reality technology that superimposes computer-generated 3D models over real scenes. Chapter 15, “Haptic Interface and Virtual Environment,” discusses interfaces that provide force feedback to users of the virtual environment.

The next group of papers discusses some elements of designing and interacting with an architectural model. Chapter 8, “Architectural Applications and the Responsive Workbench,” presents a virtual environment intended for use in architectural design. In it, virtual buildings are perceived, through stereo shutter glasses, as sitting above a table. The system permits collaborative interaction between multiple users for comparative design and exploration. It presents a means by which to assemble buildings using a “kit-of-parts” technique. Chapter 9, “Architectural Education and Virtual Reality Aided Design (VRAD),” describes a system in which users attempt rudimentary design tasks using voxel elements while immersed in virtual reality. Chapter 12, “Community and Environmental Design and Simulation,” discusses several projects in which design is enacted in immersive virtual environments. These systems also enable networked simulation for collaborative work.

The last group of papers, and the most interesting, focuses on the composition of, and interaction with, abstract virtual spaces. Chapter 13, “Conceptual Design Space: Beyond Walk-Through to Immersive Design,” describes a virtual reality system used to shape, position, and interact with objects in three dimensions. It addresses the user interface required for direct manipulation of objects. Chapter 14, “Genetic Algorithms and Evolving Virtual Spaces,” is the most fascinating. In it, genetic algorithms for mutation, crossover, and inversion simulate natural selection of the elements of a virtual space to produce interesting and complex, if not practical, structures. Finally, chapter 16, “Real Buildings and Virtual Spaces,” presents a sample of work by Myron Krueger, considered by some to be a pioneer in the field. As opposed to immersive 3D virtual environments, these systems use unobtrusive sensors to translate a user’s motions and gestures into actions on a projected display. The actions affect a 2D icon, a video image, or, in some cases, the parameters of a 3D scene. Having interactive elements integrated into a real building is another way in which architecture and virtual reality can be related.

Finally, Part 4 is a short but insightful discussion of issues arising from the use of new technology for architecture and from the introduction of architectural formalism to a digital space.

This volume is both a reference book that depicts the state of the art in a fast-evolving field and a formulation of the synergy produced as these two fields intertwine and evolve.

Reviewer:  P. Sabella Review #: CR120843 (9803-0152)
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Virtual Reality (I.3.7 ... )
 
 
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) (J.6 ... )
 
 
Interaction Styles (H.5.2 ... )
 
 
Virtual Device Interfaces (I.3.4 ... )
 
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