Integration of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Virtual Reality (VR) for Collaborative Design Review: A Comparative Study

Abstract

The increasing complexity of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) projects necessitates more effective communication among stakeholders and places greater demands on streamlining design information and workflows. This research aims to conduct a comparative study by integrating Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Virtual Reality (VR) into the design phase of construction projects using two VR platforms: Arkio and Vrex.

To this end, a framework with three core components has been developed: (1) a BIM model component, which contains the geometric, semantic, and orientation data of building elements; (2) a data transformation component, which transfers this information from the BIM environment into the VR platform; and (3) a collaborative design review component, which integrates BIM with VR and provides a set of functions to support collaborative design review.

The developed framework was applied to a case study to demonstrate its validity and practicality and to analyze the capabilities of Arkio and Vrex. The results highlight the potential of BIM–VR integration for improving cross-disciplinary collaboration and informed decision-making during the design phase. This research supports practitioners in incorporating BIM and VR into their design review workflows, helping to eliminate design errors caused by limited collaboration or inefficient communication.