As Lifetyle Custom Homes' One6Nine Jones Townhomes launched to the public, prospective buyers gathered to peruse the floorplans, learn about the amenities, and walk through the model suite of the Open Architects-designed building. Yet, while the on-site launch included food, wine, and a three-piece jazz ensemble, the door to model suite was nowhere to be found. Instead, a small crowd began to gather around a large TV screen, where an Oculus Rift headset opened the door to a more immersive experience. 

The sales centre on launch day, image by Stefan Novakovic

The technology and computer design for the virtual reality model suite was provided by Invent Dev Inc., a company specializing in interactive 3D Marketing. "The experience is like walking through any model suite, but much more detailed and flexible," explained Invent Dev CEO David Payne. "You can experience how the sunlight comes into the suite, and the exterior views are realistically rendered, so you know exactly what you'll see out of each window once you move in." 

A sales centre visitor tries out the Oculus Rift, image by Stefan Novakovic

Our own virtual-reality tour proves to be an engrossing experience. Strapping on the Oculus Rift headset, movement is controlled by an Xbox controller, while natural head movements guide perceptions in the virtual model suite. The right trigger on the controller instantly changes the colour scheme of the Wiklém Design-appointed interior, toggling through a range of finishes. An online virtual-tour is also available via Invent Dev:

While the experience is somewhat disorienting at first, the virtual-reality tour arguably provides a more thorough overview of the suite. At One6Nine Jones, the Oculus Rift walk through allows for realistic views of the terraces, balconies, and landscaping, providing an uncommon degree of contextual detail for the area immediately surrounding the suite. 

A rendering of the exterior shows the landscaping and terraces, image courtesy of Lifestyle Custom Homes

The four-storey townhome project will feature 12 multi-level suites, all of which will have at least two bedrooms, ranging in size from 1,300 to 2,400 square feet. While the building will bring new density to the area, the modest scale of the project makes the new development cohesive with the area around it, while the larger units serve to provide much-needed new family housing in a new construction market still mostly dominated by one-bedroom suites.

A spacious terrace looks out over the city, image courtesy of Lifestyle Custom Homes

Additional information and renderings can be found in our dataBase file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment using the space provided at the bottom of this page.