VIRTUAL Prague Research & Teaching Conference
Abstract
The integration of Virtual Reality (VR) in architectural and urban design education is transforming studio pedagogy. This paper provides insight into how seamless VR integration across all design stages in studio classes can enhance students’ spatial understanding, conceptual exploration, and project assessment in a graduate-level urban design course. For this design studio, six master’s students developed ideas for a neighborhood masterplan, utilizing VR for research, site analysis, design development, final presentation, and an international exhibition. Participant observation and surveys captured their interactions with the technology and its impact on learning. VR was applied at multiple stages of the studio. During case study and site analysis, VR is used with Google Earth Pro to explore similar cases, as well as navigating through existing urban conditions. For schematic design phase, VR facilitated iterative master planning, ensuring contextual integration. In later design phases, it supported design assessment for the instructor and students, refining pedestrian pathways, urban form, and human-scale considerations. VR walkthroughs were used in final presentations, offering an immersive review experience, while VR-ready files allowed stakeholders and ordinary people to explore projects interactively. The findings highlight VR as an effective pedagogy tool that enhances traditional studio teaching methods and enriches urban design education. The study provides evidence that VR is also beneficial for large-scale urban projects, extending beyond its conventional use in design visualization. Survey responses suggest it provides a deeper engagement with design complexities, better preparing students for real-world urban challenges.
Dr. Maryam Shafiei is Program Director for Master of Urban Design and Digital Environments (MUDDE) at American University in Dubai. She holds a BS in Arch Eng, M.Arch and a PhD in Architecture and Urban design. Throughout her career, she has gained valuable teaching and research experience across a wide range of topics in Architecture and Urban Design, particularly environmental sustainability, digital design, and application of emerging technologies such as Digital Twins, robotic arm, and Virtual and Augmented Reality in design and construction.