4D multimedia datascapes: the SSV program

Part of teaching architecture and building students about building construction involves taking them on to a building site where they can observe, first hand, some of the techniques used to assemble buildings. One problem with this sort of teaching is the availability of accessible building sites. The SSV (Simulated Site Visits) system has been designed to teach students about the process of constructing a building through multimedia, thus reducing the need to physically visit construction sites. SSV combines the potential of multimedia, the easy-to-comprehend interface of virtual reality and the organisational capacity of relational databases. Although limited by slow networks, SSV is capable of delivering its information through the Internet to a world-wide audience. SSV can also be seen as a method for the long-term storage of information that could be applied to other disciplines.