At DPR I built VR models & led architectural design reviews on $330M biotech building.

Overview

End user scientists & building owners made spatial / ergonomic design decisions in an HTC Vive & collaborative 3D displays. Feedback was shared back to architects & engineers to optimize interior spacing for teams developing cancer medicines. Historically this iteration would occur on 2D plans, a physical mockup or once the building was constructed.

DPR Construction is a pioneer of using 3D modeling (BIM) & immersive tech to design & build projects such as Apple Park, UCSF Benioff Hospital, Google, Duke University, Genentech, etc.

Role: VR Lead / VDC Engineer

• Created VR models weekly by merging 30 design & construction models, applying textures & finishes & pushing into VR environment.
• Developed iterative prototyping process to align on expectations between end-user scientists, architects, & construction mgmt team.
• Managed team of 50+ 3D designers & builders to model building w/ precise geometry & system interfacing.
• Created specs for 3D geometry & data to guide 3D modelers on scope & precision.
• Developed modeling & review schedule w/ project leadership

Accessible Spatial Info for Decision-Making

• Challenge: Get scientist or architect to focus on a specific visual scope when they can access millions of polygons in a 233,000 sq. ft building
• Solution: prioritized decision points via spatial viewpoints to guide the user through “distinguishing features of building”

Takeaways

This further validated the power of VR to communicate the human feeling of space. It’s a rich medium to make decisions on subjective, emotion-driven matters to then translate into objective measurements.

The review process taught me to prototype & collaborate with stakeholders including end-users, designers, engineers, owners and contractors.