Drake Farmer
Virtual reality offers users a peek into an augmented present. As virtual reality (VR) technology continues to advance, so do options for implementing the technology in a variety of fields.
Chattanooga is no stranger to VR technology. The Tennessee Aquarium already uses it to give students a deep-dive experience into Chattanooga’s nearby streams and rivers. Students use the technology to observe the wildlife that inhabit the waterways that surround Chattanooga.
Now VR has begun to expand further in our region, lending its services to businesses who want to make Chattanooga home.
One Chattanooga architecture firm, TWH Architects, has begun using virtual reality headsets as a way to give clients a glimpse into the future of their business.
With several successful projects completed, TWH merged with Knoxville based Architectural and Engineering firm, Michael Brady Inc. (MBI), in 2016.
In March, TWH and MBI used virtual reality technology as a tool to show Finnish Tire Company Nokian Tyres, a projected plan for a proposed factory in Rhea County. At the time, the company hadn’t decided on a location.
The VR headset allowed TWH and MBI’s clients to see their future plant on site.
In May, Nokian announced it would be building a new, 830,000-square-foot plant on the site TWH showed them.
TWH Principal Architect Ronny Rahn suggests that VR technology facilitated Nokian's decision to invest in our region.
“We’ve been using VR as a design tool for over a year now to help our clients better visualize their projects,” Rahn says. “However, this was the first time we did this remotely on the project site.”
Visit TWH’s Facebook page to learn more about the company.
For more information about MBI, visit their website.
You can learn more about TWH, here.
