BIM Meets Virtual Reality: Research on Immersive Teaching Presented at EC3 2026

Researchers Hanwen Hu and Merna Emara from the Institute of Construction Informatics at TU Dresden, together with Prof. Karsten Menzel, published the paper “A Semi-Automated BIM-to-VR Workflow for Teaching: Robust Model Review in CAVE and HMD Environments” at the European Conference on Computing in Construction (EC3 2026), held in Corfu, Greece.

The research presents a semi-automated workflow for integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) with immersive Virtual Reality (VR) environments. The developed Unity-based system automatically processes BIM-derived building models, identifies building levels and component groups, assigns collision geometry, and enables interactive navigation and visibility control. The workflow supports both room-scale CAVE systems and head-mounted displays (HMDs), reducing the manual preparation typically required to make BIM models accessible in VR.

A central focus of the study is the use of immersive BIM visualization in architectural and engineering education. Students can explore their own building models at a 1:1 scale, examine spatial relationships, isolate individual building levels, progressively reveal concealed components, and inspect material information. These interactions allow students to engage directly with building geometry and technical information rather than relying exclusively on conventional desktop-based model review.

The workflow was evaluated in a teaching deployment involving 40 students. The results indicate that 75% of participants perceived an improvement in their learning experience compared with traditional methods, while 70% reported improved team performance. The findings highlight the potential of semi-automated BIM-to-VR integration to support spatial understanding, collaborative model review, and interactive learning in construction informatics education.

The research contributes to the ongoing development of immersive teaching environments at TU Dresden, connecting BIM-based building information with interactive visualization and collaborative exploration.

Publikation: Hu, H., Emara, M. und Menzel, K. (2026): A Semi-Automated BIM-to-VR Workflow for Teaching: Robust Model Review in CAVE and HMD Environments. European Conference on Computing in Construction (EC3 2026), Korfu, Griechenland.