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In an age of highly sophisticated video games and smart everything, virtual reality (VR) is proving to be an approachable and attractive way to engage both clients and their stakeholders during the design process. Our team works closely with the higher education industry, and we¡¯ve found that VR tools are providing a mechanism to foster stronger relationships with clients and users.

For most of our higher education clients, we¡¯re entrusted with designing their largest capital investments. Helping them get buy-in on the design from donors and other revenue-generating parties becomes a very important part of our job as their architecture team. One way we¡¯re achieving this is through VR.

Interacting with engaged end-users

At Western Michigan University (WMU), our Detroit and Boston teams are currently fine tuning the design of the school¡¯s new South Neighborhood student housing. A few months into the design process, we set up a booth during the school¡¯s annual Bronco Bash¡ªa massive, wildly popular welcome-back celebration¡ªto engage and assist students in transitioning to campus life each fall. Our team offered passers-by the opportunity to put on a headset and see how the new housing facility was shaping up.

We thought VR would be a fun way to introduce ourselves to the greater WMU community, but it actually allowed us to glean perspective from quite possibly the most important stakeholders involved in our project: the students who will be living there. This simple activity created trust from the students, and thus started a relationship between them and us. As a potential renter, their critiques and feedback were invaluable as we were designing the building. VR allowed them to be part of the process. We were speaking the same language.

The Bronco Bash VR booth was the most engaged we¡¯ve ever seen end-users at this stage of a building¡¯s design, and even though it was a bit chaotic, we walked away with insights not previously discussed in team meetings.

Relationship building

Another way VR is supporting our education studios is by allowing clients to feel the space before it¡¯s built¡ªsomething you just can¡¯t get from a rendering. We¡¯ve found that when everyone can see and feel the same space, decisions can be made more quickly and with greater confidence.

In a meeting with another university where we were giving a progress update on a renovation design, just pulling out the headsets completely changed the mood of the room. Eyes looked up from phones, hands were raised. We watched the meeting go from routine and mundane to energetic and productive¡ªeven fun. Acting as an informal ¡°ice-breaker,¡± VR let the owner see the project from their own perspective. As the trust grew, a sense of informality kicked in and they were empowered to say exactly what they were thinking. This allowed us to make smarter design decisions with our client on the spot, ultimately reducing the need make changes down the line.

For higher-ed clients, gone are the days of walking around with a clipboard and some drawings to drum up interest and endowment. We¡¯ve seen VR significantly improve overall project marketing for clients as well¡ªbefore, during, and after the fact. Clients in any market can use such assets to offer a glimpse of what¡¯s coming. For our commercial, retail, and multi-family residential clients, they can now ¡°walk¡± potential renters through spaces before a facility¡¯s built, helping them work toward a fully-leased building before it even breaks ground.