Here’s what augmented reality can do for your city’s skyline

Augmented reality will be the next generation of architectural renderings. If you don’t believe us, check out the work of Downtown Brooklyn’s Brian August.

The developer, who earned some fame six years ago for his early augmented reality art project 110 Stories, is now at work building AR apps for developers eager to show off proposed and in-progress buildings. The apps feature augmented reality, 360 drone photography and video. One of the apps that’s already out is called The Mark, for a 44-story building currently being built in Seattle.

A 360-degree view from the as-yet-unfinished 40th floor of The Mark. Tilting the phone tilts your vantage point. (Screenshot)

“I build mobile apps that use a connected series of mobile experiences,” August explained in an interview. “That could be AR, it could be 360 drone footage, could be blueprints and renderings. I take all that and weave it together to create a narrative that tells the story of the project.”

Cool. But is there a point to all this?

“It’s about how do the stakeholders in the building process — the community boards, buyers, brokers — how do all of those engaged parties get a visceral sense of what that building is going to be like,” he said.

In this view you’re able to swivel around and zoom in and out on the building. (Screenshot)

One thing that’s interesting about August’s work is that he displays the work in an app rather than on a website. Using an app, he says, is much easier to change and update, and with the near ubiquitous smartphone ownership, not much less accessible.

August thinks the augmented reality features and apps will catch on as developers see the possibilities for themselves.