By Joanne McGuffie for Stand Up For Southport
Imagine being able to walk inside your new home, your new extension or your new business before it has even been built.
The exciting opportunity is now being brought to life by Southport firm Clayton Architecture.
The innovative organisation is believed to be the first in the region to be creating 3D designs before allowing clients to ‘walk around’ them using Virtual Reality (VR) headsets.
I was fascinated to find out more so was delighted to be invited into the Clayton Architecture office in Ainsdale in Southport to try out the technology first hand.
The experience was amazing. Absolutely amazing.
It takes a minute to acclimatise to it, to get used to what you are seeing. But when you do, being able to actually walk around your new home, your new extension or your new business is quite incredible.
The detail in the creations is quite something, from the croissants on the table, to the art on the walls or the books on the shelf, which all have to be added individually.
I am a big fan of the new BBC2 series Your Home Made Perfect, the first British virtual reality and visual effects property show which first aired last year.
Presented by Angela Scanlon, the property and makeover series sees architects Laura Jane Clark and Robert Jamison transform ordinary homes into extraordinary ones using state-of-the-art virtual reality (VR) and visual effects.
Now you can do the same thing from an architect’s office right here in Southport.
I was kindly given a tour of a bright, modern home extension which the team are in the process of creating, as well as the exciting transformation of a local business.
Sometimes it’s difficult to picture what a new home or room might look like when someone has drawn it on a piece of paper.
If you are struggling to get everything into your head and visualise just what it will look like, then the new VR technology is really exciting.
When you can actually ‘walk around it’ and see what it would feel like to be in that space – wow.
It’s been a big investment in the new software, but it’s absolutely revolutionary.
When you are redeveloping your home or business it costs thousands of pounds, so it’s important you get it right, and it really helps when you can get a real sense of exactly what it is going to look and feel like.
Joe told me that it’s a huge help for architects and builders, too, because they can review designs before they build it, and can make any changes they need to before starting building and then spotting a potential problem.
It is the first time I have ever tried something like this.
For home owners or business owners being able to ‘step into’ their newly imagined home or business, this is the ultimate ‘try before you buy’ experience.
It is the future. As a tool to be able to see a design in virtual reality, it is amazing.
● For more details please contact Clayton Architecture Limited online at: claytonarchitecture.co.uk or email them, at: info@claytonarchitecture.co.uk call them on: 01704570752 or 07435569465 or find them at Clayton Architecture Limited on Facebook and Instagram.
