Co-presence in Remote VR Co-design: Using Remote Virtual Collaborative Tool Arkio in Campus Design

A participatory co-design approach is most often countedas a time-consuming method and ends without any concrete solution.Since the new evolution of virtual reality-based communication tools,researchers are trying to integrate citizens in the spatial design makingprocess in-situ situation. However, there has been little research on howremotely co-presence in VR can integrate end-users in a co-designenvironment in re-envisioning their own using spaces. This studyadopts a remote VR collaborative platform Arkio to involve novicedesigners remotely to design their known urban places. Participants arein three different virtual communication systems. Groups can activelyengage in co-creating 3D artefacts relevant to a virtual urbanenvironment and communicate through audio together in a remotesetting. The platform was tested with a group of graduate students. Thegiven design task was to re-envision the urban places of their academicinstitute campus. The sessions have been recorded and transcribed foranalysis. The analysis of remote conversations shows that co-presenceexisted while they were engaged in co-design.