ARCH Seminar. Memory of the World

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Digital Heritage through VR and Generative AI

ARCH 7036-04/ARCH5051-04.Elective Theory Seminar, SAID, DAAP, Spring 2025

Class time: Monday. 10 am -12:50 pm.  Classroom: 4425-E, CGC Lab, DAAP building. 

Faculty: Ming Tang, Professor in Architecture and Interior Design, DAAP. Director of  Extended Reality Lab. XR-Lab

 

Seminar Description
This seminar invites students to explore the intersection of architecture, history, artificial intelligence, and immersive technology to reimagine the past through digital heritage. Using historic documents and archives from Cincinnati as reference, students will collaborate with historians to construct one Cincinnati street—enabling users to travel back in time and experience its stories through real-time visualization and extended reality (XR).

Throughout the semester, students will investigate how generative AI, virtual reality (VR), and interactive visualization can preserve and reinterpret cultural memory. Using Unreal Engine as the primary platform, participants will design interactive VR environments for mobile headsets, creating spaces where history, atmosphere, and narrative merge into immersive experiences. The seminar aligns with UNESCO’s  Memory of the World initiative, emphasizing the preservation of documentary and architectural heritage for future generations.

In addition to a large collaborative group project, each student will conduct a samll individual research-based design investigation focused on a “lost” historic artifact—such as a forgotten art work or street furniture. Through AI-assisted modeling, reality capture, and digital prototyping, students will gain hands-on experience reconstructing the intangible layers of history while developing advanced technical and conceptual skills in digital heritage creation.

Skills covered: Unreal Engine 5, Generative AI tools, Immersive VR development for Meta Quest

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Explain how digital media shapes collective memory, fosters cultural understanding, and expands access to heritage across time and space.
  • Employ generative AI tools to create and refine architectural designs informed by reference data and contextual analysis.
  • Design and integrate high-fidelity virtual reality experiences and audio narratives to enhance spatial storytelling, deployed in the Meta Quest VR headset.
  • Critically analyze and articulate the workflows, challenges, and methodologies involved in digitally reconstructing historic architecture.
  • Develop a generative AI-assisted design project that augments and streamlines the 3D modeling process.

 

By Caroline McCarthy, DAAP, UC. 2024. Unreal Engine. 

Week 1 – Introduction: Digital Heritage + Course Overview

  • Lecture: Reimagining History through XR and AI
  • Discussion: Historic Cincinnati streets
  • Workshop: Overview of XR technologies, digital twins, and VR hardware (Quest 3 setup)
  • Assignment:  Group organization and individual task

Week 2 – Unreal Engine Foundations

  • Demo: Unreal Engine 5 interface, navigation, and project setup
  • Workshop: Basic environment creation, importing geometry, lighting & material setup
  • Lab: Create a small “street scene” with period references

Week 3 – 3D Assets & Historical References

  • Lecture: Historic Cincinnati
  • Workshop: Importing and optimizing 3D models (AI-generated meshes)
  • Lab: Build the base environment of a Cincinnati street block
  • Assignment: Collect historical images and create a 3D reference board

Week 4 – Generative AI for Architecture

  • Lecture: AI as a Co-Designer in Heritage Reconstruction
  • Demo: Nonbanana + Image/3D AI workflows for architectural texture and concept generation
  • Workshop: AI-to-Unreal pipeline — converting generated images into materials and assets
  • Lab: Generate building facades and signage using AI tools

Week 5 – Advanced Unreal Workflows

  • Lecture: Lighting, Atmosphere, and Period Reconstruction
  • Workshop: Mastering Lighting, Decal, and Quixel Megascans
  • Lab: Create environmental lighting that matches historical mood (day/night, fog, etc.)

Week 6 – Interactivity and Blueprints

  • Lecture: From Scene to Experience – Building Interaction in Unreal
  • Workshop: Unreal Blueprints for triggers, movement, and simple interactions
  • Lab: Create an interactive object or trigger zone (e.g., play sound)

Week 7 – Midterm Critique

  • In-class: Presentation of progress on group and individual projects
  • Peer + Instructor Feedback on historical accuracy, visual quality, and interactivity
  • Workshop: Optimize scenes for Quest VR performance

Week 8 – Audio, Narrative & Spatial Storytelling

  • Lecture: Sound as Memory – Integrating Audio Narratives
  • Workshop: Implement 3D spatial audio and voice narration in Unreal
  • Lab: Add sound cues tied to specific historical events or locations

Week 9 – VR Deployment for Quest

  • Workshop: Unreal project packaging and optimization for Meta Quest 3
  • Lab: Build and test interactive VR scenes on headsets
  • Debug session: Frame rate, lighting, and control issues
  • Milestone: Playable VR prototype

Week 10 -14 – working time

  • Workshop: Optimize lighting and build levels for immersive storytelling
  • Check-in: Instructor reviews individual and group progress
  • Lab: Full-scale integration – environment, audio, and narrative flow

Week 15 – Final Exhibition & Reflection

  • Public or in-class VR showcase: Historic Cincinnati in Virtual Reality
  • Final critique and documentation

Reference

Previos courses taught using Unreal Engine for VR

Publications

Paper: VR Training to De-escalate Patient Aggressive Behavior

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Journal Paper: Virtual Reality Training to De-escalate Patient Aggressive Behavior: A Pilot Study

Daraiseh, N. M., Tang, M., Macaluso, M., Aeschbury, M., Bachtel, A., Nikolaenko, M., … Vaughn, A. (2025). Virtual Reality Training to De-escalate Patient Aggressive Behavior: A Pilot Study. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2025.2576635

Abstract
Despite intensive crisis de-escalation training, psychiatric staff continue to face high injury rates from aggressive patient interactions (APIs). New approaches are needed to enhance the application of effective strategies in managing APIs. This study explored the efficacy and feasibility of VR training for psychiatric staff in recognizing and selecting appropriate de-escalation interventions. A quasi-experimental design with psychiatric staff (N = 33) tested the effectiveness and feasibility of VR training depicting a common API interaction. Effectiveness was assessed through pre-post comparisons of the Confidence in Coping with Patient Aggression (CCPA) survey, correct answer percentages, response times, and attempt success rates. Feasibility was indicated by mean scores above ‘neutral’ on usability, presence, and learner satisfaction surveys. Results showed significant improvements in response times and confidence (p<.0001), with over 75% of participants rating the training positively. VR training is effective and feasible for enhancing de-escalation skills, offering a promising approach for psychiatric facilities.

More information on the project Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Simulation. P1,P2

XR-Lab moved

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As the XR-Lab continues to grow and welcome more talented students, I’m thrilled to announce that we’ve officially moved into our new home — Suite 320 in the Digital Futures Building!

We’re deeply grateful for the incredible support from the University of Cincinnati in making this transition possible. This new space will allow us to expand our research, collaboration, and innovation in immersive technologies.

We warmly invite you to stop by, explore our new lab, and experience one of our mixed reality demos in action!

 

 

 

 

 

Call for Papers: Architecture Journal Special Issue

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Call for Papers: Architecture Journal Special Issue

Next-Generation Building Performance and Optimization

Dear Colleagues,

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry is undergoing rapid transformation driven by artificial intelligence (AI), computational design, and digital twin technologies. As the demand for high-performance, low-carbon buildings grows, research focus has shifted from isolated efficiency measures to integrated frameworks linking early-stage design with long-term operation. This Special Issue invites contributions that advance the discourse on next-generation building performance and optimization, exploring how computational intelligence, sustainable strategies, and smart systems can reshape the building lifecycle. By combining theoretical inquiry with applied research, this Special Issue seeks to illuminate how emerging technologies are redefining design workflows and operational performance, effectively bridging pre-construction simulations with post-construction realities.

The aim of this Special Issue is to advance both theoretical and practical knowledge on the ways in which emerging technologies can be embedded into the design and operation of buildings. Submissions may highlight methodological innovations, case studies of energy-efficient and low-carbon strategies, and cross-disciplinary collaborations connecting architecture, engineering, computer science, and environmental studies. By positioning building performance within the wider discourse of sustainability and cyber–physical systems, this Special Issue will provide a platform for envisioning next-generation approaches in which design intelligence and operational feedback converge to foster a more resilient and sustainable built environment. We welcome submissions that investigate, but are not limited to, the following thematic areas:

  • Integration of AI-driven generative designs for massing, orientation, and layout to improve daylighting, ventilation, thermal comfort, and carbon reduction;
  • Predictive modeling and energy simulation in early-stage design;
  • Use of AI and computer vision for occupancy analysis and behavioral insights;
  • Adaptive building automation for HVAC, lighting, and environmental control;
  • Machine learning applications for predictive maintenance and resource efficiency;
  • Digital twins and IoT sensor networks for real-time monitoring, feedback, and optimization;
  • Development of intelligent, data-driven, and responsive building systems;
  • Sustainable strategies at the urban scale;
  • Performance-based design approaches;
  • Building Information Modeling (BIM) for integrated workflows;
  • Building energy modeling for efficiency and carbon reduction.

Prof. Ming Tang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Architecture is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI’s English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • building performance
  • energy simulation
  • digital twins
  • IoT data integration
  • green building
  • smart buildings
  • sustainable design
  • performance-based design
  • post-occupancy evaluation
  • artificial intelligence
  • data-driven prediction
  • generative design
  • computational design
  • parametric modeling
  • machine learning for built environments
  • predictive maintenance
  • real-time monitoring and control
  • human-centered design
  • climate-responsive architecture
  • net-zero energy buildings
  • resilient and adaptive design
  • lifecycle assessment (LCA)

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal’s social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI’s Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.

ARCH Studio: SENSE

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ARCH 4001. Fall 2025

SENSE: Spatial Experiences for Narrative and Sensory Emotions

Studio Overview

This design studio invites students to explore the complex relationship between architecture, human emotion, and experiential design through the conceptualization and design of a Museum of Emotion. Students will investigate how spatial design can evoke, mediate, and communicate emotional states—moving beyond functionality to create environments that resonate on a deep psychological and sensory level. By integrating neuroscience, art, culture, and digital technologies, students will develop speculative proposals for a museum that acts not only as a cultural institution but also as a space of introspection, empathy, and transformation.

Studio Objectives

  • Understand and interpret the spatial, sensory, and material qualities that influence human emotional responses.
  • Translate research on emotion into architectural language (form, light, material, scale, sequence, etc.).
  • Design immersive environments that express or evoke specific emotional states.
  • Engage interdisciplinary methods (AI, Extended Reality, digital media) to inform spatial experience.
  • Critically assess cultural, ethical, and therapeutic dimensions of designing for emotion.

Key Questions

  • How can architectural elements—light, space, materiality, proportion—evoke emotional responses?
  • What is the role of immersive and interactive technology (VR/AR, AI, biometric feedback) in shaping emotional experiences?
  • How do cultural, personal, and neurophysiological factors affect emotional perception of space?
  • How can architecture foster emotional literacy, empathy, and collective memory?

Program

Each student (or team) will design a Museum of Emotion on a site of their choice. The museum must include:

  1. Core Zones (Required):
  • Emotion Lab: Interactive gallery presenting scientific and technological perspectives on emotion.
  • Rooms of Emotion: A minimum of three immersive emotional environments (e.g., joy, fear, sadness, awe, love, anger).
  • Memory Archive: A participatory or data-driven installation space where emotional memories are recorded, interpreted, and displayed.
  • Cultural Expressions Gallery: A rotating exhibition space focused on how different cultures represent and process emotions.
  1. Optional Programs (Student-Defined):
  • Workshop or educational spaces
  • Performance or therapeutic spaces
  • Café or gathering zone
  • Outdoor sensory garden or emotional path

Design Tools and Methods

  • Precedent studies of museums, memorials, and immersive installations
  • Digital modeling and rendering (with emphasis on atmosphere and mood)
  • Use of AI-assisted simulations, AIGC, and VR walkthroughs
  • Assessment through user feedback survey

Waterfalls of light: Universe of Water Particles on a Rock where People Gather (2018/2024), teamLab Borderless, Azabudai Hills, Tokyo© teamLab, courtesy Pace

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