If you're building your dream home, would you prefer to have intricate blueprints mailed to your home or have a quick glance at it through a futuristic virtual reality platform? The choice seems simple. And unlike flying cars, this technology already exists and you can get your hands on the software as soon as you're done with this article. Founded by Gautam and Tithi Tewari, Trezi is the world's first fully immersive platform that connects architects and designers with all the stakeholders involved in a project.
"All the 3D renders and walkthroughs in the world were not enough to help clients visualise the end-product. So the gap between their expectations and the actual built space caused delays, miscommunications and waste time and money. These challenges pushed us to think of a solution that would facilitate seamless design collaboration, virtual co-location of teams and hassle-free remote working," says Gautam.
In 2015, the idea took seed in the form of their start-up SmartVizX. Dedicated to using Virtual Reality to provide professional services within the realm of design communication to architects, suppliers, students and real estate developers. In 2018, they introduced Trezi which allows users to experience, review and modify their designs at full scale and color. A breakthrough in the Software as a service (SaaS) product world, it has been slowly transforming design communication in the building industry by allowing people to step into the virtual world with co-designers and clients to interact with the design in real-time.
Thanks to Trezi, architecture and design students can now communicate their designs with their faculty in a quick few minutes. The platform also conducts masterclasses and workshops in schools and colleges. The interface encourages design students to understand the concept of spatial design by enabling the development of awareness and perception of form, geometry and the relationship between design elements by visualising their project data through an immersive environment.
Gautam adds, "In addition to all this, students can also receive feedback from their faculty members, giving them practical knowledge on a silver plate. It also allows them access to the various products available in the market, adding to their exposure. Once you step out into the real world, you're better informed and can ideate better, making you a perfect addition within the design community."
Some of the largest Indian and overseas architecture firms like Venkataramanan Associates, Sanjay Puri Architects, DFI, Hundredhands and HKS have introduced Trezi into their workflow for the design experience and VR collaboration. But Gautam and Tithi are celebrating something much bigger. They say, "The real win for us was when smaller firms had also not hesitated in picking up the software. We have a customer base of manufacturers as well as design schools." At the time of writing, subscriptions to Trezi have crossed 100.
