SEATTLE – HTC VIVE shared that its VIVE Pro HMDs (virtual reality headset) and the VIVE VR platform were used in the design and development of a $1.5 billion expansion of The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Construction firm Suffolk-Yates and creative studio Theia Interactive were able to resolve the majority of construction details for the expansion in VR with VIVE Pro, saving Hard Rock International a significant amount of time and cost.
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida is the brand’s expanding flagship destination. The extensive expansion includes a 450-foot guitar-shaped tower that will hold an additional 630+ luxury guest suites, a redesigned and rebuilt 6,500-seat event center, and a 10-acre pool complex complete with waterfalls and private villas.
With VIVE Pro, room-scale tracking enabled the physical exploration and interaction of architectural designs in a virtual space, enabling Hard Rock and Suffolk-Yates to explore and interact with models and designs – from furniture to fixtures to equipment – in virtual reality with scale and accuracy, in the most realistic fashion possible.
“When doing architectural design review, our customers need to be able to reach up and touch the door frames and look under cabinets with the assurance that every inch is perfect. The benefit of highly accurate spatial tracking and full coverage is invaluable,” says Stephen Phillips, CTO/co-founder of Theia Interactive.
“VR helped us get all the details just right, which is especially important for customer-facing spaces,” said Kyle Goebel, senior VDC manager, Suffolk-Yates. “We were able to have rich, dynamic discussions about stone ledges behind the headboards, curtain mechanisms, and even the color of soap in the bathrooms.”
