Using multi-level virtual environments as a medium for conducting design review through a shared IFC dataset

For a long time the Architecture-Engineering-Construction (AEC) community has had difficulty in communicating the content of their work, not only the various specialties involved, but also to their clients. Studies (Doorst and Cross 2001, Bakhtin 1994) suggest the importance of multi-role collaborative environments in supporting design processes. We are developing a Multi Level Design Review Tool for the AEC industry which allows multiple actors to congregate and interact as agents around a central Building Model. It merges real-time virtual 3D visualization technologies with Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) to support both high levels of semantic content and seamless interoperability