Historic Avondale in VR

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Virtual Reality Development for Historic Avondale and Digital Heritage 

Principal Investigator (PI):  Anne Delano Steinert, Co-PI: Ming Tang, 

Timeline: 1/13/2026-07/01/2026 


Project Overview

The Historic Avondale Digital Heritage Project aims to create an immersive Virtual Reality (VR) reconstruction of Cincinnati’s historic Avondale neighborhood, focusing on cultural heritage preservation and community engagement. Through a collaborative effort between A&S and DAAP’s XR-Lab, the project will visualize approximately six urban blocks of Avondale as they appeared in a historically significant period in 1950s, enabling users to explore the environment through VR headsets and interact with its digital elements. 

This initiative supports experiential learning, public history dissemination, and digital preservation. The final VR experience will be designed for accessibility on standalone VR headsets (Meta Quest) and optimized for community outreach, classroom education, and museum-style exhibition. 

 Scope of Work

The Extended Reality Lab (XR-Lab) will lead the technical development, 3D modeling, and immersive environment creation. 
Specific responsibilities include: 

  • Environment Modeling: Develop a high-fidelity 3D digital model of approximately six blocks of historic Avondale, including building facades, streetscapes, and key landscape features based on historical references. 
  • Visual Assets: Integrate architectural elements, materials, vegetation, street furniture, and atmospheric lighting to accurately represent the period context. 
  • Immersive Interactivity: Configure the scene for full VR immersion, allowing users to navigate and interact using Meta Quest headsets. 
  • Narrative Integration: Collaborate with the A&S team to embed audio narratives, historical commentary, and interpretive storytelling within the VR experience. 
  • Optimization & Testing: Optimize performance for standalone VR headsets, conduct iterative testing, and ensure accessibility and stability for public demonstration. 
  • Deployment: Package and deliver a functional VR build ready for viewing via Meta Quest Browser or as an installable application. 

 Deliverables

  • VR Model of Historic Avondale – A completed, interactive VR environment covering approximately six city blocks. 
  • High-Fidelity Visual Assets – Accurately modeled architecture, landscape, and environmental elements. 
  • Integrated Audio Narratives – Recorded and embedded voiceovers provided by A&S collaborators. 
  • VR-Ready Application – Optimized and deployable version compatible with Meta Quest 3 headsets. 
  • Documentation Package – Summary of technical workflow, file structure, and recommendations for future updates or expansion. 

 

Figure 1. Coloraization of a historic photo with AI. By student Mario Bermejo.

Figure 2. video clips based on historic photo, using AI.