PrismArch
Cross-disciplinary immersive technology research project
12 January 2021PrismArch is a cross disciplinary immersive technology research project funded by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. The main objective of PrismArch is to achieve a “prismatic blend” between aesthetics, simulation models and meta-information that can be presented in a contextualized and comprehensive manner in Virtual Reality (VR) in order to allow collaborative manipulation of the design and accurate assessment of new design decisions.
Mission
The recent past of the AEC industry is characterised by digital breakthroughs that have dramatically shaped the design process. The realisation of structurally complex constructions is an inter-disciplinary process that passes through the close collaboration of architects and engineers. By employing advanced VR applications, designers can immersively perceive and interact with the current status of their creations and realise the consequences of their decisions. PrismArch is a cross-disciplinary immersive technology research project funded by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, which was initiated and inspired by one of the ZHVR Group’s former research projects named BigWorld. BigWorld was set out to capture the entire architectural design and production processes from pre-concept, concept, design, procurement, execution - and beyond, to operation. The research process was documented and helped to develop the core concept and roadmap for a fully networked, singular inclusive, digital real-time platform.
This on-going research collaboration PrismArch succeeds the DNA of the professional multidisciplinary work concept, to achieve a “prismatic blend” between aesthetics, simulation models and meta-information that can be presented in a contextualised and comprehensive manner in Virtual Reality (VR). By supporting dynamic collaboration among the partners from the AEC industry with exclusive academic partners from gaming industry, artificial intelligence and cognitive science, PrismArch proposes an innovative, intuitive and immersive platform design and solutions, allowing the AEC project participants to jointly decide, preview and assess the outcome of their decisions towards a universal optimal solution. Through PrismArch, the designers will be able to experience in real-time how their decisions affect both their own and other disciplines via a discipline-specific and personalised point of view.
Within the collective collaborative VR space, a unified information space with fundamental data classifications are essential for effective knowledge exchange, and for creating and hosting holistic, multi-author constructs. ZHVR Group’s research extends to the approach of Sphering, exploring the questions of authorship, IP, and access privileges within the singular virtual space.
Credits:
PrismArch, Horizon 2022
AEC partners: AKT II, Sweco, Zaha Hadid Virtual Reality Group (ZHVR)
Technical partners: CERTH – Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS
KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXIS) – Information Technologies Institute, UNIVERSITA TA MALTA –Institute of Digital Games, MINDESK, ETH – Chair of Cognitive Science
