Game engine based technologies are becoming a more common platform for immersive head mounted displays. Due to the experiences derived from immersive demonstrations, construction industry has adopted the game engines as platforms to produce virtual models for different uses. A virtual model created in game engine can serve as the base for immersive visualization or physic-based simulation of different natural phenomena. Both examples provide information that interests designers and clients in construction industry.

The research is divided into two parts. The first part is definition of a process for production of virtual models through empirical trials. The second part focuses how virtual models could be applied in co-creative design in construction business. The need for virtual models in co-creative design was researched by organizing themed interviews with different parties in construction business. The interviewees had either experience in co-creative design or modern technologies applied in construction and gaming industries. In addition, a case study for using a virtual model as a part of a facilitated workshop in co-creative design was done with help from University Properties of Finland Ltd.

As the result of this thesis, a process for production of virtual models from different data sources in construction project was defined. The process is presented in three parts: data preparation, data refinement and import to the game engine, Unity3D. Performance requirements defined in research outlines can be achieved through different optimization techniques explained in the thesis. To illustrate the versatility of virtual models, two case examples explain how virtual models can be evolved into immersive visualizations of the design data on different platforms. Implementation to co-creative design process can be done via an organized workshop or by using the virtual model as a platform to provoke conversation between different parties in a construction project.