ARchitect: advancing architectural visualization and interaction through handheld augmented reality

The architecture, engineering, and construction industry requires enhanced tools for efficient collaboration and user-centric designs. Traditional visualization methods relying on 2D/3D CAD models often fall short of modern demands for interactivity and context-aware representation. To address this...

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Main Authors: Sabahat Israr, Mudassar Ali Khan, Muhammad Shahid Anwar, Kamran Ahmad Awan, Saoucene Mahfoudh, Turki Althaqafi, Wadee Alhalabi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Virtual Reality
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2025.1592287/full
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author Sabahat Israr
Sabahat Israr
Mudassar Ali Khan
Muhammad Shahid Anwar
Kamran Ahmad Awan
Saoucene Mahfoudh
Turki Althaqafi
Wadee Alhalabi
Wadee Alhalabi
author_facet Sabahat Israr
Sabahat Israr
Mudassar Ali Khan
Muhammad Shahid Anwar
Kamran Ahmad Awan
Saoucene Mahfoudh
Turki Althaqafi
Wadee Alhalabi
Wadee Alhalabi
author_sort Sabahat Israr
collection DOAJ
description The architecture, engineering, and construction industry requires enhanced tools for efficient collaboration and user-centric designs. Traditional visualization methods relying on 2D/3D CAD models often fall short of modern demands for interactivity and context-aware representation. To address this limitation, this study introduces ARchitect, a mobile-based markerless augmented reality (AR) framework aimed at revolutionizing architectural artifact visualization and interaction. The proposed approach enables users to dynamically overlay and manipulate 3D architectural elements, such as roofs, windows, and doors, within their physical environment using AR raycasting and device sensors. Algorithms supporting translation, rotation, and scaling allow precise adjustments to model placement while integrating metadata to enhance design comprehension. Real-time lighting adaptation ensures seamless environmental blending, and the framework’s usability is quantitatively evaluated using the Handheld Augmented Reality Usability Scale (HARUS). ARchitect achieved a usability score of 89.2, demonstrating significant improvements in user engagement, accuracy, and decision-making compared to conventional methods.
format Article
id doaj-art-a0bf2d44a9ef40c2b938f6b10768dd43
institution DOAJ
issn 2673-4192
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Virtual Reality
spelling doaj-art-a0bf2d44a9ef40c2b938f6b10768dd432025-08-20T02:58:11ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Virtual Reality2673-41922025-08-01610.3389/frvir.2025.15922871592287ARchitect: advancing architectural visualization and interaction through handheld augmented realitySabahat Israr0Sabahat Israr1Mudassar Ali Khan2Muhammad Shahid Anwar3Kamran Ahmad Awan4Saoucene Mahfoudh5Turki Althaqafi6Wadee Alhalabi7Wadee Alhalabi8Department of Computer Science, Government Postgraduate College for Women, Haripur, PakistanHigher Education Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PakistanDepartment of Information Technology, The University of Haripur, Haripur, PakistanIRC for Finance and Digital Economy, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Information Technology, The University of Haripur, Haripur, PakistanSchool of Engineering, Computing, and Design, Dar Al-Hekma University, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaComputer Science Department, School of Engineering, Computing and Design, Dar Al-Hekma University, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaImmersive Virtual Reality Research Group, Department of Computer Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Computer Science, Dar Al-Hekma University, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaThe architecture, engineering, and construction industry requires enhanced tools for efficient collaboration and user-centric designs. Traditional visualization methods relying on 2D/3D CAD models often fall short of modern demands for interactivity and context-aware representation. To address this limitation, this study introduces ARchitect, a mobile-based markerless augmented reality (AR) framework aimed at revolutionizing architectural artifact visualization and interaction. The proposed approach enables users to dynamically overlay and manipulate 3D architectural elements, such as roofs, windows, and doors, within their physical environment using AR raycasting and device sensors. Algorithms supporting translation, rotation, and scaling allow precise adjustments to model placement while integrating metadata to enhance design comprehension. Real-time lighting adaptation ensures seamless environmental blending, and the framework’s usability is quantitatively evaluated using the Handheld Augmented Reality Usability Scale (HARUS). ARchitect achieved a usability score of 89.2, demonstrating significant improvements in user engagement, accuracy, and decision-making compared to conventional methods.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2025.1592287/fullaugmented reality3D interactionmarkerless trackingarchitecturehandheld AR3D visualization
spellingShingle Sabahat Israr
Sabahat Israr
Mudassar Ali Khan
Muhammad Shahid Anwar
Kamran Ahmad Awan
Saoucene Mahfoudh
Turki Althaqafi
Wadee Alhalabi
Wadee Alhalabi
ARchitect: advancing architectural visualization and interaction through handheld augmented reality
Frontiers in Virtual Reality
augmented reality
3D interaction
markerless tracking
architecture
handheld AR
3D visualization
title ARchitect: advancing architectural visualization and interaction through handheld augmented reality
title_full ARchitect: advancing architectural visualization and interaction through handheld augmented reality
title_fullStr ARchitect: advancing architectural visualization and interaction through handheld augmented reality
title_full_unstemmed ARchitect: advancing architectural visualization and interaction through handheld augmented reality
title_short ARchitect: advancing architectural visualization and interaction through handheld augmented reality
title_sort architect advancing architectural visualization and interaction through handheld augmented reality
topic augmented reality
3D interaction
markerless tracking
architecture
handheld AR
3D visualization
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2025.1592287/full
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