homeWelcome, sign in or click here to subscribe.login
     


 

 

Architecture & Engineering


print  email to a friend  reprints add to mydjc  

April 29, 2016

NBBJ and Visual Vocal create a VR design tool

Image courtesy of NBBJ/Visual Vocal [enlarge]
The new tool will use virtual reality to provide 3-D immersion into unbuilt projects.

The Seattle architecture firm NBBJ is partnering with a startup called Visual Vocal to develop a virtual reality tool that will help clients visualize and give feedback on projects during design.

The new tool will combine virtual reality with mobile and cloud-based communications platforms, the firms said in a press release.

Teams working in different offices now use 3D modeling software to design buildings. But the 3-D media teams use to communicate “are typically flattened into drawings, renderings, or worse, email,” Visual Vocal said on its website. This makes it difficult to visualize designs and offer feedback.

The new tool will use virtual reality to provide a 3-D immersion into an unbuilt project.

Visual Vocal is a virtual reality firm that was founded in 2015 with backing from NBBJ. It has seven employees who are based in NBBJ's Seattle office.

The startup will launch the beta version of the tool this year, and NBBJ will test the software on health care, corporate and urban planning projects. The tool ultimately will be available to firms in architecture, engineering and construction fields.

Visual Vocal is led by John SanGiovanni and Sean B. House. SanGiovanni was with Microsoft Research, and was responsible for that company's worldwide research funding for advanced user interface, mobile devices and augmented reality.

House has led cloud and mobile engineering teams at Microsoft and several high-profile startups.

Visual Vocal is seeking funding outside of NBBJ, and said there is “strong initial support from several prominent angel and super angel investors.”

NBBJ and Visual Vocal said a number of firms in the design industry have explored virtual reality, but this is the first instance of an established design firm incubating a virtual reality startup in its office and developing new tools to improve decision-making and efficiency.

They said the tool could eventually power “immersive conversations” in aerospace, product design and biotech that also make heavy use of 3D models.




Email or user name:
Password:
 
Forgot password? Click here.