The, “Tag der Architektur” (day of architecture) happens once a year in Berlin. Thankfully the event occurred during my time here. The event runs through the weekend, and multiple architecture firms and buildings open their doors to the public. Some even have tours of the structures and presentations going on. It didn’t take me long to realize all of those activities were in German, so I decided to visit a few firms instead. I have learned a lot about the architecture world here through my internship, but it was nice to get a brief view from the perspectives of other firms.

I knew that architecture firms are beginning to utilize the capabilities of virtual reality technologies, but I had never got the chance to experience it firsthand until this weekend. One of the firms let the visitors experience their projects in the virtual world. It was so interesting to be able to basically walk around the structure, and truly get a feel for how it could be in the real world. These new technologies are really going to open many doors for architects and their clients. Aside from virtual reality, renderings are the typical way to show clients what potential design options could look like, in the form of a picture or model. Architects/Designers usually have an ideal vision in mind of what a project should look like, but many of these factors change according to the client’s wishes. Some times when this occurs, it is because the architect and client visualize the design differently, since the rendering can only show so much. However, being able to walk through possible design options with virtual reality, is the best way to really envision how the final product will look. This allows the client and architect to be on the same page.

Firms that already utilize this technology advance are a step above the competition. It is important to stay up to date with the various programs and technologies coming into the architecture world to design more efficiently.