An innovative approach to facilities management in the workplace design brief: Virtual reality in design

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the potential use of virtual reality systems in facilities management design solutions. Design/methodology/approach - The approach focuses on the human designer and acknowledges the importance of human input to the design process. The development of a metaphor-based VR system is reported along with initial field trials, which compare VR with conventional CAD systems. Findings - In the context of facilities management solutions advantages of using VR over CAD are shown and discussed along with strengths, weaknesses and future work. Research limitations/implications - The literature reviewed is not exhaustive. Many concepts are mentioned and referenced but not explained fully due to space constraints. The research suggests the future use of VR systems in FM solutions. Practical implications - This paper discusses immersive virtual reality (VR) in support of building design tasks as an innovative tool, enabling more effective facilities management input at the building design phase. Originality/value - The paper is based on original research. The paper explains and reviews the uses and potential uses of VR systems. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.