Abstract
The accessibility of architectural cultural information in Hong Kong is limited. Students and citizens often rely on static media, such as books, which struggles to bridge the gap between two-dimensional information and three-dimensional spatial understanding, resulting in a disconnected learning process. While extended reality (XR) technologies have improved engagement and learning efficiency in architectural education (Lima et al., 2024), existing applications are confined to small-scale or interior environments, emphasize technical content for professional audiences, and often overlook modern architecture as part of cultural heritage.
This study proposes an XR-based educational platform that leverages real-time geolocation-based overlays to enable users to interact with real-world urban environments and architectural objects on a citywide scale. Built on Google’s ARCore platform and Meta XR SDK, the platform integrates gesture-interactive educational content developed in Unity, including interactive interfaces, animated panels, and historical building models. Through the Anchor mechanism, the educational content is precisely linked to geolocation coordinates provided by the Google Maps Platform, packaged as geospatial data, and deployed on Oculus Quest headsets. When students wear the headset, they can utilize Passthrough technology to see augmented information dynamically projected onto real building facades in urban environments, facilitating an immersive learning experience about architectural design concepts. Additionally, the platform features Selective Passthrough, enabling users to use a Passthrough Window to view virtual 3D models overlaid on real buildings and explore the construction section and interior detail.
By blending physical and digital environments, the platform provides an intuitive, immersive educational experience that combines historical, cultural, and modern architectural narratives. It emphasizes modern architecture as part of contemporary cultural heritage while democratizing architectural knowledge. By utilizing XR technology, this approach offers a dynamic model for enhancing accessibility and engagement in architectural education, bridging gaps in traditional methods and advancing cultural dissemination, which align with the eCAADe conference theme.
This study proposes an XR-based educational platform that leverages real-time geolocation-based overlays to enable users to interact with real-world urban environments and architectural objects on a citywide scale. Built on Google’s ARCore platform and Meta XR SDK, the platform integrates gesture-interactive educational content developed in Unity, including interactive interfaces, animated panels, and historical building models. Through the Anchor mechanism, the educational content is precisely linked to geolocation coordinates provided by the Google Maps Platform, packaged as geospatial data, and deployed on Oculus Quest headsets. When students wear the headset, they can utilize Passthrough technology to see augmented information dynamically projected onto real building facades in urban environments, facilitating an immersive learning experience about architectural design concepts. Additionally, the platform features Selective Passthrough, enabling users to use a Passthrough Window to view virtual 3D models overlaid on real buildings and explore the construction section and interior detail.
By blending physical and digital environments, the platform provides an intuitive, immersive educational experience that combines historical, cultural, and modern architectural narratives. It emphasizes modern architecture as part of contemporary cultural heritage while democratizing architectural knowledge. By utilizing XR technology, this approach offers a dynamic model for enhancing accessibility and engagement in architectural education, bridging gaps in traditional methods and advancing cultural dissemination, which align with the eCAADe conference theme.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe 2025) |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - 2025 |
