The architects themselves often walk around in their designs with these VR-glasses as well, to gain more insight into which decisions they’ll have to make regarding their designs. Basically, our mobile VR set is in continuous use at Gortemaker Algra Feenstra!
Aside from that we’re also directing our attention to new technologically supported methodologies within the design process. With our participation in the European STREAMER research project we’re focusing on furnishing our health care buildings energy efficiently. The Early Design Configurator, which has been developed within this project, searches for the most efficient floor plan layout based on design parameters that have been drafted in advance as well as a programme of requirements which has been formulated in detail for each individual room. The design proposal that is generated from this can then be imported into our modelling software. This way, different design proposals can quickly be compared with each other. Not only does this help the architects in finding the best solution, but also in demonstrating that the chosen solution is genuinely the best one based on the demands that were formulated in advance.
The combination of these innovations results in better use of expert knowledge and interaction with interested parties.
Design-lab method
For the design phase we’ve developed our own methodology to involve clients and users in the design process, outside of the usual fortnightly design meetings. We’ve called this the Design Lab method. In the Design Lab we’re employing the following methodologies: