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This paper investigates the decision-making outcomes and cognitive-physical load implications of integrating a Building Information Modeling-driven Augmented Reality (AR) system into retrofitting design and how movement is best leveraged to understand daylighting impacts. We conducted a study with 128 non-expert participants, who were asked to choose a window facade to improve an interior space. We found no significant difference in the overall decision-making outcome between those who used an AR tool or a conventional desktop approach and that greater eye movement in AR was related to non-experts better balancing the complicated impacts facades have on daylight, aesthetics, and energy. 

Augmented Reality (AR) tools have shown significant potential in providing on-site visualization of Building Information Modeling (BIM) data and models for supporting construction evaluation, inspection, and guidance. Retrofitting existing buildings, however, remains a challenging task requiring more innovative solutions to successfully integrate AR and BIM. This study aims to investigate the impact of AR+BIM technology on the retrofitting training process and assess the potential for future on-site usage. We conducted a study with 64 non expert participants, who were asked to perform a common retrofitting procedure of an electrical outlet installation using either an AR+BIM system or a standard printed blueprint documentation set. Our findings indicate that AR+BIM reduced task time significantly and improved performance consistency across participants, while also decreasing the physical and cognitive demands of the training. This study provides a foundation for augmenting future retrofitting construction research that can extend the use of AR+BIM technology, thus facilitating more efficient retrofitting of existing buildings. A video presentation of this article and all supplemental materials are available at https://github.com/DesignLabUCF/SENSEable_RetrofittingTraining. 

Building facades are components that shape a structure’s daylighting, energy use, and view factors. This paper presents an approach that enables designers to understand the impact that different facade designs will have over time and space in the built environment through a BIM-enabled augmented reality system. The system permits the examination of a range of facade retrofit scenarios and visualizes the daylighting simulations and aesthetics of a structure while retaining function and comfort. A focus of our study was to measure how participants make decisions within the multiobjective decision space designers often face when buildings undergo retrofitting. This process often requires designers to search for a set of alternatives that represent the optimal solution. We analyze the decision-making process of forty-four subjects to determine how they explore design choices. Our results indicate the feasibility of using BIM-enabled AR to improve how designers make informed decisions.