Fiction is fun, but reality will sell
Imagine standing on the balcony of your yet-to-be-built house on your still vacant block and seeing the sunset or ocean views. This is no longer science fiction, says Darren Pesich.
A director and Perth civil section manager of Wood & Grieve Engineers (WGE), Pesich (pictured) is leading the development of a new service offering called Reality Engineering.
Pesich says WGE’s offering applies advancements in various existing technologies – from 3D modelling to Google Maps – to create reality-based engineering models.
“We are essentially bringing together gaming platform software with actual engineering designs to be applied to the land development industry, and this hasn’t been done before,” he explains.
How does it work?
Imagine you’re in the market for a block of land, and are weighing up blocks in several developments. WGE’s Reality Engineering provides extra information at your fingertips.
“You will be able to drive through the estate to get a feel for the layout, walk onto your lot and check out the views down the street. You’ll be able to get a better understanding of the landscaping, types of fencing, street lighting, road surfaces, walls and the lot levels,” Pesich says.
The technology can replicate the street lights at night time, and forecast shadow lines or sun movements at any time of the day or year.
“You’ll be able to overlay your house plan to get a better perception of how your house will exist within its future environment. And we can couple this reality model with live horizon imagery, so you’ll be able to stand on your balcony to see the actual views you can expect once your house is built.”
The use of WGE’s product isn’t restricted to virtual reality headsets either, as people can access the models on their phones, tablets or via the web. “The ease of how these models are consumed will make it scalable,” Pesich says.
“This technology gives more power to purchasers, and helps developers market their product. As people are assessing their options, they’ll naturally favour the one with less risk and greater certainty, and this is what Reality Engineering offers.”
It may also help allay the concerns of communities gripped with NIMBYism.
Pesich says WGE’s technology can remove ambiguity and help communities and stakeholders to understand how a development will look and feel, the impact it will have on the streetscape and solar access.
The technology is useful throughout the lifecycle of projects, Pesich adds.
“At the feasibility stage, Reality Engineering allows people to see what is achievable; the percentage of homes that will get ocean views, what blocks will be affected by powerlines, for instance.
“It can help sell a vision, opportunities and challenges to investors, and the models can be used throughout the life of the project. The benefits stretch well beyond marketing.”