Tom Hughes, Designer & Lecturer, U.K.
Do you think Augmented Reality technology could change the way/perspective we design?
I don't think it would change the way we design because what I am getting from this is something very much like what I get from a CAD model or a physical model as a designer myself. I have seen this technology demonstrated in some years so I don't think it will change the way we design, but I think it is a very useful presentation tool and I think it would help a lot in communication between clients and if we can improve client understanding of 3D reality via this technology, then I think it would help the design process a lot. Because that I am getting the ability to look from different angles that I am in control of it, as I could interface it with CAD models, it is actually very intuitive to do. I don't think it would change the way we design but definitely it would change the communication wkith clients.
How can this technology be applied in the design process?
From early on in the development of 3D design. It would be able to communicate with collaborators and clients about the spaces and environments we creating.
What do you think AR can achieve in architecture and design?
I think one of the big thing that it can help us to overcome is people's fear about new design. For example, the impact that the new design will have towards the existing environment. So, I would love to be able to take clients, planners, community members and people think they will going to be negatively impact by new design, take them to site so they can see the existing site and they can hold up the devices and see how it would look with the new design in the actual context. To me, that would be a huge leap forward because a lot of people can't read architectural drawings and they fear new designs so they object to it.
Do you think that AR could improve the communication between designers and clients?
Definitely. I think this technology is great for the shapes and the urban context. I think one of the major problem that we have is explaining and communicating the vision of interior spaces so I would like to see this kind of technology that allows you to go into the interior and move around as well. For me at the moment that does not quite answer that problem because the actual client for building are usually inside the building and experience interior space as much as looking at it as an object to the environment.
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