An Investigation on the Use of Virtual Reality Applications in Interior Architecture Design Studio

Today, there is an ever-increasing use of digital tools in design processes. Markedly, Virtual Reality (VR) applications have secured a prominent place in the interior architecture industry. The potential use of digital tools in the scope interior architecture education, how the same can be used especially in studio environment, and their respective impact on design processes have been a matter of curiosity. Nevertheless, a literature review and preliminary field research for the present study suggested that the potential uses of digital tools were not yet well known and put in place in the field of interior architecture education. Accordingly, the present study focused on the potential contribution of VR use to interior architecture education. The study was designed as experimental research with semi-structured interviews, and a studio-based practical application accompanied the literature review. In the context thereof, the Design Studios available in the Semesters 3 and 5 curricula of Istanbul Aydın University Department of Interior Architecture were taken as the study area, and semi-structured interviews were held with 42 individuals, including project tutors and students, following the VR training. The results were indicative of the fact that the use of VR technology in interior architecture design studios increased students' creative thinking skills, could help them with making correct and effective decisions in design processes, and significantly contributed to transferring the design skills of master instructors to students and increasing the level of design-based communication with their students.