The 2016 edition of SXSW Interactive had no shortage of virtual reality demos, including virtual reality as it applies to architecture. On Tuesday, IA Interior Architects and InsiteVR held a panel on the impact that VR has had on the design process and communication with clients.

I had the pleasure of speaking alongside IA's Guy Messick, AIA, director of design intelligence; and Kelly Funk, IIDA, senior workplace strategist. While 2015 was a big year for early adopters, VR has rapidly left the "beta" phase with firms like IA equipping all their offices with VR headsets and integrated work flows with InsiteVR, which lets them easily present their Revit models at human scale with the click of a button.

A core focus of our panel was describing direct experiences that IA has had with clients using VR. In a video shown to the audience, a confidential client was challenged to comprehend various design options and a specific ceiling solution. When the client put the VR headset on, one could see an immediate reaction revealing his sudden understanding.