Transforming Architectural Visualization: Mixed Reality at KPF and Arkio in Action

Photo by Anna Mytcul, AIA.

For centuries, architecture has grappled with the challenge of representing space in a way that faithfully translates into built reality. At AIA UK’s recent event, it became clear that Mixed and Virtual Reality have the potential to redefine not just visualization, but the way architects design, communicate, and experience space. Led by Anna Mytcul of KPF and Johan Hanegraaf of Arkio, the session offered a compelling look at how these emerging technologies are fundamentally altering architectural thinking.

Photo by Cristina Mock, AIA.

Anna’s presentation showcased how VR and MR introduce a more intuitive and immersive dimension to architectural design. By integrating these tools into public consultations and client meetings, architects can bridge the cognitive gap between two-dimensional drawings and three- dimensional space, fostering a deeper level of engagement and understanding. Her case studies from KPF illustrated how these technologies are already being used to create more interactive, dynamic design reviews that go beyond static renderings or physical models.

Photo by Cristina Mock, AIA.

The event’s hands-on session, led by Johan Hanegraaf, was a highlight, providing participants with an opportunity to experience Arkio’s capabilities firsthand. This intuitive XR tool enables architects to sketch, manipulate, and inhabit their designs in real-time, eliminating the historic lag between conceptualization and spatial experience. By merging the physical and digital realms, Arkio allows for a new kind of architectural interaction—one that is more fluid, iterative, and collaborative than ever before.

For many attendees, this event marked their first encounter with XR as a practical design tool rather than a speculative novelty. Beyond the excitement of experiencing VR and MR in action, the session underscored an important takeaway: XR is not merely an add-on to architectural practice; it is quickly becoming an essential medium for ideation, iteration, and presentation. As these technologies continue to evolve, they will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping the future of architectural design and discourse.

AIA UK looks forward to continuing the conversation and fostering innovation at the intersection of architecture and emerging technologies.

Written by Anna Mytcul, AIA and Johan Hanegraaf

2025 Annual General Meeting

The 2025 President Mark E Breeze gives the ‘Year Ahead’ presentation

This year’s Annual General Meeting was held on 16 January 2025 at the Herman Miller London showrooms. Following a tradition starting in 1994, Herman Miller - our long-standing sponsor - treated us to an educational presentation by MillerKnoll representative, Mark Catchlove, called The Rise of Relationship-Based Work.  The 2024 President, Taylor Rogers, AIA, followed with a comprehensive Year in Review Presentation.  

The formal part of the AGM dealt with the election of the 2025 Officers and Board of Directors, an annual Membership report and mandatory review of the financial accounts.  The complete list of new Officers and Directors can be found here.  Finally, the newly elected 2025 President, Mark E Breeze, AIA, gave a Year Ahead Presentation for the upcoming year, which are:

• Architecture and the climate emergency

• More events on approaches, technologies, policies, and actions

• Shaping architectural debates

• More talks, events, and discussions on the issues shaping the profession

• Strengthening our inclusive community

• More in-person, free, social, relevant events for all

We closed the meeting by honouring 30+ year AIA UK Board Director, Michael Lischer, for his dedication to our Chapter.  We wish him all the best on his new adventure back across the pond  - we will miss you, Michael!

Written by Anna Foden, Associate AIA

Mark Catchlove’s presentation The Rise of Relationship-Based Work

Honoring founding board member Michael Lischer’s 30+ years of contribution to the chapter

Movie Night - New England Modernism

Chris Musangi introduces New England Modernism. Photo by Lana Kustrak.

The grey and dark London winter days call for a visit to the cinema, and those who joined us for our first screening of 2025 definitely had some warmth added to the cold February days. We kicked off this year with a sold-out screening of ‘New England Modernism,’ a compelling documentary that traces the evolution of Modernist architecture in the American Northeast.

The film masterfully chronicles how the United States experienced a dramatic transformation in architectural design between the 1930s and 1970s. Through carefully curated archival footage and stunning contemporary photography, we witness how European Modernism took root in New England soil, beginning with pioneering works like William Lescaze's Field House in New Hartford, Connecticut, and Albert Frey's Ralph- Barbarin House in Stamford.

The documentary's narrative heart centers on the remarkable concentration of talent that emerged in New Canaan, Connecticut during the 1940s. Here, the legendary "Harvard Five" - Marcel Breuer, Landis Gores, John Johansen, Philip Johnson, and Eliot Noyes - established what would become a crucible of Modernist innovation. Their presence attracted other visionary architects including Victor Christ-Janer, Andrew Geller, and Edward Durell Stone, whose collective work would reshape the architectural landscape of New England and beyond.

What makes this film particularly poignant is its exploration of preservation versus progress. While celebrating these revolutionary designs that still inspire architects worldwide, it also confronts the ongoing challenges these architectural treasures face from redevelopment pressures. The documentary serves as both a celebration of this remarkable period and a call to protect its legacy.

The film was well received and the debate that followed was engaging. Some sentiments were that it would be important for the public to see this documentary, a coffee table book of all the featured buildings and their architects would be nice, and it was interesting to see modernist buildings from the context of high-end residences, as opposed to social housing as is common in the UK.

One of the questions asked during the discussion was about the length, which was longer than our usual screenings, and if this documentary was a series. As a follow up, Director Jake Gorst responded: 

“Regarding the length, this film was originally going to be a miniseries, but due to a 2-year COVID production shutdown and discussions with the executive producer it was decided that we would make it one solid feature-length documentary. It is lengthy, but we have been marketing it as a “deep dive” into the history of modernism in New England. Believe it or not, we’ve had people complaining about things we left out! 

I had actually trimmed about a half hour out of the original cut to get the film to the length it is now. And I’m taking those deleted sequences and incorporating them into a short film called ‘Curating Modernism’ about various forms of preservation, which we will release later this year.“

Special thanks to Jake Gorst of Mainspring Narrative Films for making this film available to the AIA UK before its London Premiere in June this year. (Watch out for news about Curating Modernism on Mainspring Narrative’s website HERE.) Many thanks for your continued support of our movie night series, and we look forward to having you join us for our next screening: ‘Green Over Grey,’ on Tuesday 18 March.

Written by Chris Musangi, AIA

Photo by Lana Kustrak.