Development of a virtual heritage model to enable a comparison of active navigation with passive observation

In the context of urban redesign and public participation, this research project is investigating whether active exploration of a desktop virtual model of an urban environment leads to better understanding and perception than passive observation of a walkthrough of that same model. The results from the experimental study will potentially have implications for how architects and planners present their design ideas to clients and the public in the future. This paper also provides an overview of a methodology used to design, programme and enable a fully interactive virtual model of an existing built environment using the Unreal Runtime engine. The method emerged from a study of heritage values within the built environment, which included an assessment of the heritage values associated with the tradition of timber grass-roofed buildings and narrow passageways that make up the old town centre of Torshavn known as Tinganes.