Virtual Reality Meets the Construction Industry
Virtual Reality may be a reasonably new concept when it comes to computer games and related technology, but in other areas it's been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years. One of those areas is building construction, where simulated materials are used more often than you think.
To give you a few examples, consider Sutton Place in Surrey or the gateway of London's Syon Park. King Henry VIII's brewer used faux stone and brick all over Sutton Place, while Syon Park's gateway contains artificial stone manufactured in the 1700s.
In America, George Washington's home at Mount Vernon is a classic example of virtual reality in home construction. What appear to be stone blocks making up the exterior of the home are actually pine blocks that have covered with a paint and sand mixture to give the appearance of natural stone.
Today, faux materials include both wood and stone products, used most extensively in flooring and exterior paving. Amtico is one name in simulated flooring that's been around for more than 40 years. They have mastered the art of manufacturing vinyl flooring that so closely resembles natural materials, even experts have a difficult time recognizing it once the floor is installed.
Of course, there are engineered wood products that use plywood and laminate to give the look and feel of natural wood. But since the products are made almost entirely out of real wood, they aren't in the same league as Amtico's vinyl flooring.
Various types of slate, marble, and other stones are all the rage for interior flooring and counter tops. The problem is, natural stone is extremely expensive. With poured concrete and the right dyes, you can simulate an expensive marble floor or granite kitchen counter at a fraction of the cost.
On the outside, concrete stone products are being used to create chimneys, façades, and patios. Poured concrete is treated with rubber stamps and coloured dyes to produce the look of real stone or brick on walkways. Even the fountains and pools that look like they've been imported from Italy probably aren't real.
We are living in a world where we've learned how to simulate natural products with such great detail; it's becoming hard to discern the real from the fake. On the one hand, the subsequent loss of natural materials in our surroundings could be a bad thing. On the other hand, the benefits of reduced cost and greater durability that are associated with simulated materials is a good thing.
One way or the other, simulated materials are here to stay in the construction industry. Next time you're visiting a friend who has just remodelled, you might be walking on an Amtico floor. Would you dare ask?