Application of Virtual Reality in Architectural Education  Case of Northern Cyprus

Barham  Abdulrahim Abdalla; Hardi  Wahab Ahmed; Samal  Osman Saied

doi:10.25098/7.2.39

Authors

Barham Abdulrahim Abdalla College of Engineering, Architecture Department, Cihan University – Sulaimaniya, Sulaimaniya, Iraq
Hardi Wahab Ahmed College of Engineering, Architecture Department, Catholic University in Erbil, Erbil, Iraq
Samal Osman Saied College of Engineering, Architecture Department, Koya University, Erbil, Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25098/7.2.39

Keywords:

Architecture Education, Architectural Design, Virtual Reality, Northern Cyprus

Abstract

The use of technology in architecture education has become essential in the current digital age. VR is a technology that has the potential to completely transform not only how we communicate and have fun, but also how we learn about space, design, and architecture. The immersive, participatory nature of virtual reality offers architectural students a special chance to transform the imaginational thinking into visual images. This study tries to find the problem in applying the VR in the classes of Architecture and its slow interaction to be a main element of the Architectural classes. For the purpose of examining this problem Research have been taken in Cyprus’s use of virtual reality (VR) in architectural education. The study investigates the impact of VR on student performance and comprehension before its practical application using a quantitative research method, along with a targeted survey among architectural students at Cyprus International University. According to preliminary findings, of the 28 respondents, 74% were familiar with virtual reality, and 50% thought it had applications in architectural design. Only 23% of respondents had actual experience with VR outside of architectural contexts, though. This study examines the pedagogical intricacies of VR, going beyond simple technology integration to highlight the educators' duties in maximizing its potential and the students' expectations regarding its influence on their educational journey. This article explicitly considers the future of VR in architecture education, identifying crucial stages in the design process where VR can have the biggest influence. VR has numerous uses in many other sectors. The study gives insights into the potential roles and benefits of VR in shaping the future trajectory of architectural education in Cyprus after a thorough data analysis and contextual assessment.

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