An immersive virtual reality learning system for building systems in architectural design education

Since building systems play a key role in shaping the final design of a building, knowledge about their foundations has been an integral part of the undergraduate architecture curriculum. However, building systems are often considered by architecture students as engineers’ main responsibility. This mindset has caused inadequate attention in education. VR technology, with its ability to simplify complex concepts through immersive, interactive experiences, offers a promising solution. This study proposes a VR-based building systems-learning (VR-BSL) system, which aims to increasing architectural students’ motivation and engagement in understanding the fundamentals of building systems. A prototype of the VR-BSL system was integrated into the classroom activities, where students and lecturers explored virtual spaces of major building systems using HMDs and controllers. This study demonstrated that VR-BSL enhances learning experience by allowing students to easily grasp distributed information and knowledge through the visualization of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems in the VR.