The Evolving Role of Virtual Reality in Interior Design and Architecture
Vineeth Kumar is a visionary architect and innovator transforming the future of design through AI, VR, and generative technologies. With over 17 years of experience, he masterfully blends creativity with computation, crafting human-centric, functional, and immersive spaces that seamlessly unite innovation, technology, and storytelling.
In this exclusive interaction with M R Yuvatha, Senior Correspondent at siliconindia Startupcity, Vineeth Kumar shares how AI and VR are revolutionizing design through immersive experiences, global collaboration, and human-centric innovation.
Virtual reality is no longer just a visualization tool it’s reshaping how architects and designers create, collaborate, and communicate. As technology evolves rapidly, the blending of AI and VR is transforming client-designer interactions in real time. Many firms like Blitz Mind Studio are already witnessing this shift, as they present complete virtual reality designs to clients before initiating on-site work. This approach instills confidence, allowing clients to experience a full virtual walkthrough of their space understanding material textures, heights, and finishes leading to faster design approvals and fewer iterations.
The industry is also going a step further with the interactive virtual reality tools, which allows clients to log in, modify furniture color, type or layout and see real-time cost changes, fostering transparency and control of their budget. Moreover, AI technologies such as Midjourney, Stable Diffusion and Gemini are being used to generate brand-specific visuals within days, which represents a huge decrease in turnaround. Collectively, AI and VR are transforming the perception and interaction and acceptance of design ideas by clients.
AI and VR together are not just changing how we visualize spaces they’re redefining how we design, decide, and experience them in real time
Redefining Global Design through VR
Interior design and architecture industry strongly believes that AI and VR should now be an integral part of the academic curriculum in architecture. Currently, this area remains largely unexplored in education, but incorporating it would allow students to gain hands-on experience with advanced tools, making them more capable and employable in leading firms. Moreover, the industry is also exploring the potential of haptic feedback and related immersive technologies to expand virtual experiences beyond design.
In fact, proposals have been submitted to the Government of India to digitally map significant Indian monuments such as Hampi into virtual reality. This initiative could revolutionize the tourism sector by allowing visitors to experience heritage sites virtually. For instance, tourists waiting in long queues at temples could use VR glasses to explore the interiors in real time. Additionally, these VR experiences could be embedded on tourism websites, enabling global audiences to explore cultural landmarks virtually before visiting them in person, bridging accessibility gaps in Indian tourism.
VR Empowering Education
Interior design and architecture industry strongly believes that AI and VR should now be an integral part of the academic curriculum in architecture. Currently, this area remains largely unexplored in education, but incorporating it would allow students to gain hands-on experience with advanced tools, making them more capable and employable in leading firms. Moreover, the industry is also exploring the potential of haptic feedback and related immersive technologies to expand virtual experiences beyond design.
In fact, proposals have been submitted to the Government of India to digitally map significant Indian monuments such as Hampi into virtual reality. This initiative could revolutionize the tourism sector by allowing visitors to experience heritage sites virtually.
For instance, tourists waiting in long queues at temples could use VR glasses to explore the interiors in real time. Additionally, these VR experiences could be embedded on tourism websites, enabling global audiences to explore cultural landmarks virtually before visiting them in person, bridging accessibility gaps in Indian tourism.
Also Read: From Concept to Creation: The Role of Cutting-Edge Tools in Transforming Design Processes
The Future of Design with VR and BIM
The field of interior design and architecture is taking a turn towards the application of BIM (Building Information Modeling) and virtual reality (iPad VR and other immersive platforms), which is a significant breakthrough in terms of efficiency and sustainability. In case of BIM integration into the virtual reality, the visualization of different services and structural elements is possible in real-time, allowing the designer and the client to detect issues such as clash detection instantly in the immersion environment. This enables the possible issues with the interior or architectural spaces to be fixed prior to implementation, which greatly minimizes the errors and reworking.
Additionally, the use of BIM application in VR improves cost estimation and optimization of materials by offering various options of designs and materials. Through interactive VR models, clients can experiment with different materials, furniture, and finishes while instantly viewing how these changes impact the overall project cost. Such design flexibility in real time allows making smarter decisions, minimizing the amount of materials wasted, and making sure that the decision made in design is in line with aesthetic appeal and budget.
As virtual reality continues to enhance the way users experience cultural heritage sites, the interior design and architecture industry acknowledges the ethical challenges that arise around intellectual property and cultural authenticity. The industry believes that creators and developers of such technologies must receive due recognition and protection for their innovations.
Many firms have already applied for patents and trademarks for their VR technologies to ensure that their ideas are not replicated without consent. Instead of copying, industry professionals encourage collaboration to further refine and expand these technologies into globally adaptable platforms.
Looking Ahead
As tourism increasingly merges with virtual reality, the industry stresses the importance of maintaining equilibrium between digital and physical experiences.
The intent is not to replace real-world exploration but to create immersive previews that spark curiosity and motivate travelers to experience India’s rich heritage firsthand. By doing so, the industry seeks to preserve cultural integrity, ensure fair access, and advance innovation in a way that remains authentic, inclusive, and future-ready.
