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Albany Street, Kingston upon HullPioneering
technology created in Hull will allow residents to participate in the planning
and development of their neighbourhoods. The
University of Lincoln’s Hull School of Architecture, VOICE Regeneration
Services Limited, and Hull City Council are creating a virtual reality model and
linked internet site which will allow communities to experience proposed urban
development schemes before they are built.
Residents will be able to walk around a three-dimensional environment
interacting with buildings in real time, opening doors, climbing stairs and even
communicating with fellow residents. Dr Carl O’
Coill and Dr Kathleen Watt, lecturers in Architecture and Participatory Design
at the University and Directors of VOICE, and Mark Doughty, a lecturer in Games
Simulation and Virtual Reality, are working with a team using a software package
called Virtools Development. The virtual
reality project combines the principles of computer game technology with
computer-aided design, creating a totally interactive way of involving the
community in the design of their street. “Architectural
drawings and models are static and can sometimes be difficult for the viewer to
interpret,” said Carl. “We wanted to allow the community to actually experience and comment on the developments.”
Although other basic software is available for creating static images of
buildings or video‑based “fly-throughs”, this package is different
because it will allow the viewer to immerse themselves completely in a virtual
environment with interactive animation and sound. The team
will be testing the new technology over the next year during the community
consultation and design phase of Hull City Council’s £450,000 “Home Zone”
scheme on Albany Street, off Spring Bank. Home
Zones are an attempt to strike a balance between vehicular traffic and everyone
else who uses the street, pedestrians, cyclists, business people and residents.
Home Zones encourage motorists to drive with greater care and at lower
speeds by means of physical design alterations to streets and roads, such as
landscaping and planting, recreational spaces and planned parking. The virtual
reality project has aroused quite a lot of local interest. “We are all very enthusiastic about the technology”, says
Debbie Skalli, Secretary of the Albany Street Residents’ Association,
“primarily because it will help residents to better understand and participate
in the design process”. “The fact that we will be able to walk around our
own neighbourhood, viewing, experiencing and interacting with any proposed
changes is also very exciting”. By
linking together through the internet, residents will also be able to consider
design proposals collectively, discuss with one another any changes they would
like to make as a group, and record their ideas.
“The idea
of interacting with a virtual environment is very attractive to young people in
particular”, says Carl, “a group who rightly or wrongly feel community
planning and other forms of local democracy can be exclusive or just plain
boring.” “Ultimately, we hope
this technology will help stimulate greater democratic involvement in
architecture and urban design”. ------- For more
information contact: Dr. Carl
O’ Coill, Hull School
of Architecture University
of Lincoln Tel: 01482
462016 / 07957 760453 (m) Email: cocoill@lincoln.ac.uk |
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