Virtual reality applications in architecture: Bill of quantities & virtual reality

Abstract

As time goes on and building practices change, procedures that at one point seemed indispensable can fall by the wayside. One such example is the bill of quantities (B/Q). Research into recent literature attributes this decline in use to a multitude of reasons such as its complexity and potentially drawn-out time to produce, non-traditional procurement systems growing in popularity and the challenge of using its information in a construction schedule. With these issues in mind, a combined process of BIM, Virtual Reality and including the client in the design process has been proposed as a potential solution. Following a literature review and precedent study, an experiment was carried out using this new process to simulate a client's design decisions on window and interior furnishings specifically. Their choices made using Virtual Reality automatically updated a B/Q Revit Schedule and allowed the client to have a firm grasp on the project costs. Not only did this process give the client more confidence in a pleasing final outcome, but the technology ensured an up-todate, accurate and easily understood B/Q. Here lies great potential savings in cost, time and gives the B/Q a newfound importance in future construction processes.