Journeys through the cave: The use of 3D immersive environments for client engagement practices in hospital design

One of the benefits of the growth in BIM use in the design and construction industries is the opportunity for increasing the involvement of, and interaction with, various stakeholders and end users through the design process. This includes the use of virtual models in collaborative 3D immersive environments, such as the CAVE (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment), during critical moments of client engagement. These opportunities and developing work practices have, however, received little academic attention. These encounters provide the opportunity for stakeholders to virtually experience the proposed design of buildings and spaces ahead of construction, and for design teams to communicate in a sensory and embodied way that the contract and design requirements are being met. This research uses video-based methods to study the collaborative, 'real world' design review work undertaken during client engagement sessions in the CAVE, in the context of a bidding process for a new NHS hospital. In this immersive setting, the navigable space is both a site of interactive encounter and an architectural model. It is argued that design teams establish a narrative to support the navigable space which the client participants experience, through the careful consideration and planning of their journey including what can be revealed or concealed along the way.