As 2016 begins and we look ahead to what the year may bring, what technological advancements could breakthrough, one in particular stands out; virtual reality. The world of 3D virtual design and engineering is growing at a rapid rate and many industry experts predict this rise will keep going at a fast pace. When you’re in work on a cold Monday morning you could be forgiven for imagining you are on a beach, drink in hand, relaxing, with virtual reality this could be possible, well at least in your mind it will be! So how does this tech phenomenon translate to the construction industry?

Virtual reality can be extremely useful in the construction industry, which is often known as having a very high amount of inefficiency and low profit margins. Using a virtual environment, an organisation can not only render the resulting structure in 3D but also experience them as they would in the real world. A virtual world would give architects and engineers the opportunity to test a number of factors without the time and cost of building the structure, reducing the number of errors present in the completed building.

Another factor which virtual reality can help with is the eradication of human error. All architectural designs need to be tested to see if they are viable. For a long time, human judgement and scale models were the only methods to determine whether a structure was viable or not. This can lead to mistakes being made, as scale models cannot fully simulate the environment the structure must withstand. With virtual reality, not only can the viability of a building be tested before it’s built, construction workers and employees can actually explore it.

With the ability to simulate the construction of a building, it allows the relevant organisation to make sure the whole process is as efficient as possible. Consequently, this can mean a faster construction period on site and less money being spent on wastage. Grand buildings can be built in a much shorter timescale, something which will go down extremely well with industry professionals as well as clients.

It is difficult to put an exact date on when virtual reality will become as common in construction as bricks and mortar, but it is clear big strides are being made. With the recent announcements of virtual reality being used for theme park attractions, and with companies such as Apple and Google trying to outdo each other with their respective technologies, it is clear that this is the year of virtual reality. In fact you could say the reality is this technological titan could virtually change the course of construction for future generations.

• TruVision provide virtual reality visualisations for arhcitecutre, click here to view their profile