Dynamic simulation in virtual environments as an evaluation tool for architectural design

Prediction and evaluation of future performance of buildings are essential aspects of an efficient design process. This thesis aims to discuss dynamic simulation as a prediction and evaluation tool for architectural design. It is discussed that since buildings are living entities, whole life-cycles of buildings should be dynamically simulated in a highly visualized virtual environment to evaluate the future performance of prospective designs. The media of architectural design (traditional media: paper-based drawings and physical scale models; and digital media) are analyzed in terms of their capacity to support dynamic simulations. It is concluded that virtual reality systems and resulting virtual envu'onments are yet the best media for the dynamic simulation of building designs. Some recent applications are mentioned and some important considerations for the future use of dynamic simulations in virtual environments are presented.