Kai Justin Reaver

• Reaver, Kai (2023). Policy considerations for Extended Reality (XR) implementation in Urban Planning and the Built Environment. eCAADe Proceedings. ISSN 2684-1843. doi: 10.52842/conf.ecaade.2023.2.713. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2023). Augmented reality as a participation tool for youth in urban planning processes: Case study in Oslo, Norway. Frontiers in Virtual Reality. 4, p. 1–16. doi: 10.3389/frvir.2023.1055930. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2022). Mixed Reality in Multiuser Participatory Design: Case Study of the Design of the 2022 Nordic Pavilion Exhibition at the Venice Biennale. Buildings. 12(11), p. 1–21. doi: 10.3390/buildings12111920. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The case study documents the design process of the physical and digital versions of the heritage-valued Nordic pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The case facilitated a multiuser collaboration in mixed reality (MR), studying the technologies’ influence upon user interactions and design decision making. Retitled as the ‘Sami Pavilion’ in tribute to the Sami artists from Norway, Sweden, and Finland, which the exhibition featured, the case study took place between 2019 and 2022, primarily during the COVID-19 pandemic. The context of the case study prompted a need to explore MR methods to overcome travel restrictions. While MR has shown some interesting utility in design research, the literature indicates the need for more concrete case work. It also was necessary to design a custom solution for multiuser collaboration. As the transferability of predictive design decisions in MR to the physical building relied upon replication between user experiences, the case embodied interesting challenges to prevalent Nordic architectural theory, particularly that of ‘genius loci’ or the ‘spirit of place’, which was a strong component of the heritage value of the building and, thus, an important design narrative. The case study documents how artworks and positions of artworks were tested in various configurations within the MR model by curators and designers to simulate the spatial experience of the design options. Several key design decisions were made based on the unique vantage points offered in MR. The MR model was then used to generate 2D technical documentation and installation instructions, which were installed on site. Studies to check the relationship between the MR model and the finished, physical result were conducted. Findings depicted a high degree of transferability between the MR model and the physical exhibition while noting discrepancies between the field of view (FOV) in the MR and physical spaces in which objects felt smaller in the real-life, built result. Possibilities and limitations for future MR implementation in the design and construction of complex projects in heritage situations are discussed in addition to implications for current architectural theory regarding place and experience from a non-dualistic perspective.

• Reaver, Kai (2021). The Venice Backup: Case studies on the use of Virtual Preservation Techniques on Architectural Heritage sites in Venice, Italy. Cumulus Conference Proceedings Series. 2(2), p. 565–586. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Notes from Quarantine in Oslo, Norway. Will the Oslo Response to Covid-19 show that another Smart City is Possible? Architectural Research in Finland (ARF). Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Evaluating the use of Augmented Reality in Architecture and Urban Planning Education. Journal of Engineering and Architecture. ISSN 2334-2986. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). DESIGN CULTURE(S) | Cumulus Roma 2020: Artificial: The Venice Backup: Case studies on the use of Virtual Preservation Techniques in Venice Italy. Cumulus Conference Proceedings Series. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). eCAADE proceedings - After Imagery: Evaluating Mixed Reality (XR) in Urban Planning. eCAADe Proceedings. ISSN 2684-1843. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2019). Three case studies in virtual preservation. Applying virtual reality to Cultural Heritage. AGATHÓN | International Journal of Architecture, Art and Design. ISSN 2464-9309. Full text in Research Archive

View all works in NVA

• Reaver, Kai (2024). Digital Zoning: From Hippodamus to Mixed Reality, in Carta, S (ed) The Physical and the Digital City (Book) Invisible Forces, Data, and Manifestations. Intellect Ltd.. ISBN 9781835950326. Full text in Research Archive

View all works in NVA

• Reaver, Kai (2022). Mixed Reality in Multiuser Participatory Design; Case Study of the Design of the 2022 Nordic (Sami) Pavilion Exhibition at the Venice Biennale. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2022). Case studies on the use of mixed reality in architectural heritage. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2022). Etter bilder, en samtale om romlig opplevelse. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2022). Utilizing XR in the participatory planning of a car-free street; Case study of Oslo, Norway and the ‘Living Streets’ project. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2022). En av verdens rikeste kunstnere viser hva som er mulig med et enormt budsjett og nådeløst presisjonskrav. Subjekt.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2022). Ingen ønsker å oppholde seg i Mark Zuckerbergs versjon av fremtiden. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2022). Veneziabiennalen leder tilbake til det fysiske og surrealistiske. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2022). Beyond Smart Cities Malmø Conference - Presenting case on multiplayer XR. Full text in Research Archive
• Martinussen, Einar Sneve & Reaver, Kai (2021). Design for a Nordic Digital Shift. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2021). New Nordic Bauhaus international panel. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2021). Arkitekturopprøret. Subjekt. [Journal]. Subjekt. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2021). Europan 2021: Planning Technology. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2021). NIFU Koronapandemiens konsekvenser for UH. [Journal]. NIFU. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2021). Barrierer for nordisk samarbeid i byggebransjen. Oxford research. [Journal]. Oxford research. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2021). Bygg som allerede eksisterer, er best for klimaet. Aftenposten. 14.01.2021. [Journal]. Aftenposten. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2021). Arkitektopprøret. Arkitektnytt. [Journal]. Arkitektnytt. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2021). Smartbyen og digitalisering brukerdata og medvirkning i arkitektur og design. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Byggekunst Podcast 03.10.2020. [Radio]. Byggekunst podcast. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). VR and Philosophy, interview. [Internet]. VR and Philosophy. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Basilica Palladiana - Estate Media - Verdens vakreste bygg. Estate Magasin. ISSN 1503-559X. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Forherligelsen av Deichman Bjørvika sier først og fremst noe om det lave nivået på norsk arkitekturkritikk - Subjekt. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Det beste med fjordbyen er midlertidig - Subjekt. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Architectural Heritage and Digital Media, HEAD Geneve. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Experimental Virtual Reality Spaces. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Debatt: lærdommer fra Y-blokka. Debattleder. [Internet]. Arkitektenes hus. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Intervju, podcast NMBU-studenter om renderinger og digitalisering. [Radio]. NMBU podcast. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Ammerudklubben inspirerer byen- Intervju Aker Avis. https://groruddalen.no/ammerudklubben-inspirerer-byen/19.27139. [Journal]. Aker Avis. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Y-blokka og arkitektenes troverdighet. Arkitektnytt. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Obosbladet. Byutvikling. Portrettintervju. [Journal]. Obosbladet. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Strelka Mag. Notes from Lockdown within the Nordic Smart City: In the midst of Covid-19, Will the Nordic welfare state model for digitization show us that an alternative Smart City is possible? Strelka Magazine. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Redelighet må være mulig uten nye lover | Frank Rossavik. [Journal]. Aftenposten. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Digital Zoning - In the Age of Surveillance Capitalism - Can Urban Planning help regulate technology? Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Subjekt - Redelighet kan være for mye å forvente i et fritt marked. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Prototyping the Nordic Smart City. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Intervju om renderinger og smarte byer. [Journal]. Mastergrad NMBU Sunniva Herrestad. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). ANFA 2020: Comparative studies on the experience of architectural space through virtual reality. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Intervju om endringer i Pbl 29-2 og 31-1. [Journal]. Arkitektnytt. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Debate on estetikk. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). 5G angår oss alle, ikke bare teknologigigantene. Det er på tide å diskutere det nye mobilnettet. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Lovverket står fast på en utdatert rettsfølelse av hva hjemmekontoret innebærer. Subjekt. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Det er viktig at estetiske krav stadig skal kunne omtolkes og tilpasses vår tid. Sagene Avis. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). eCAADE 2020 Berlin - After Imagery: Evaluating Mixed Reality (XR) in Urban Planning. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). 5G og digitalisering, https://www.telia.no/magasinet/5g-teknologi-i-bygg-og-anlegg. [Journal]. Telia-magasinet. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai & Woltmann, Ando (2020). Vil Regulere Renderinger https://www.arkitektnytt.no/nyheter/vil-regulere-renderinger. [Journal]. Arkitektnytt. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Foredrag AMPs London 2020 City and Complexity, Digital Zoning. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). foredrag DESIGN CULTURE(S) | Cumulus Roma 2020: Artificial: The Venice Backup: Case studies on the use of Virtual Preservation Techniques in Venice Italy. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). AMPs Canterbury: Digital Zoning. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Hvordan vil det se ut å være klimanøytral i 2030? Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). På vei mot den “nye normalen” Bærekraftig utvikling, digitalisering, og Covid-19 - Hvilken innvirkning har dette på fagområdene våre? Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). XR/AR/VR Webinar: Planning Technology Towards a humanist digital/physical environment. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). The TRiO system in Oslo | Case study on the use of mobile data as a quarantine technology during the Covid-19 pandemic. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Bergen arkitektskole. Gjesteforedrag. After Imagery Evaluating the use of Mixed Reality (MR) in Architecture and Urban Planning. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). “Utvidet” urbanisme. Casestudie om bruk av AR som medvirkningsverktøy for ungdommer 14-16 år til 100.000 nye trær" -programmet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Fysiske omgivelser, 2020-2050 Aktuelle tema innen forskning, undervisning, og politikk. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Debatt, Strandsonen. Arkitektenes Hus. [Internet]. Arkitektenes hus. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Towards Virtual Preservation. Case Studies. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Teaching urbanism, architecture, and landscape architecture through augmented reality - case studies from Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). NRK P1 intervju "villedende illustrasjoner i arkitektbransjen". 13:40 i programmet Dagens. [Radio]. NRK. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Får nei til å foto-dokumentere Y-blokken. Aftenposten, Arve Henriksen. [Journal]. Aftenposten. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2020). Digitaliser Y-blokka Staten skylder demokratiet en 3D-kopi av Y-blokka. https://subjekt.no/2020/03/13/staten-skylder-demokratiet-en-3d-kopi-av-y-blokka/. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2019). Intervju NRK nyhetsmorgen. [Radio]. NRK. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2019). Plan- og bygningsetaten konferanse. Smartbyen som demokratisk form. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2019). Debattleder, Debatt om norske arkitektkonkurranser. City On The Move / Det store konkurranse-kappløpet Josefines gate 34, 0351 Oslo, Norge. [Internet]. Arkitektenes hus. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  As the LCLA / Beate Hølmebakk-designed Norwegian Pavillion for Frankfurt Bookfair opens (result of an open architectural competition) - Rem Koolhaas has recently called competitions "a form of torture". And as a fresh report states that architects only get 17% of their costs covered for competitions, some of the most interesting sustainability solutions seem only possible through competitions themselves. ...Moderating 3 sessions on these topics and more tonight. Please come or share.

• Reaver, Kai (2019). Det grønne skiftet i arkitekturen. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2019). Anticipation 2019 Submission 143. Digital Zoning - In the age of surveillance capitalism can urban planning help regulate technology? Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2019). Addressing the Smart City. Link arkitektur. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2019). Foredrag for riksrevisjonen. Digitalisering av fysiske omgivelser. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2019). Arkitektnytt. Y-blokka på Fylkesmannens kontor. [Journal]. Arkitektnytt. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2019). Endringer i godkjenningsordningen. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2019). Prototyping the Nordic Digital City: Merging Mixed-Reality with Spatial Regulatory Practices. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2019). ADDRESSING THE SMART CITY: Digitalization, preservation and democratic form. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2019). Hybrid Space: Merging Mixed-Reality Research with Spatial Practice. Full text in Research Archive
• Woltmann, Ando & Reaver, Kai (2019). Etter Byggsøk I hvilken grad bør offentlige tjenester i byggebransjen privatiseres? Og hvordan blir livet for arkitektene etter at Byggsøk legges ned? [Journal]. Arkitektnytt. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2018). Smartbyen som demokratisk form. BUFDIR. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai & Øien, Cecilie (2018). Museene er for små hver for seg Digitaliseringen av kulturarven er for viktig til å overlates til tilfeldigheter og store teknologiselskaper. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2018). Arkitektur N. Teknologiske Tilbakeskritt. [Journal]. Arkitektur N. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2017). Hva kan og bør Oslos arkitekturpolitikk være? [Journal]. Oslo Kommune Magasin. Full text in Research Archive
• Reaver, Kai (2026). From virtual to real : Exploring the use of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in participatory urban planning and architectural design. Arkitektur- og designhøgskolen i Oslo. ISSN 9788254703823. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  From Virtual to Real is a multidisciplinary, research-by-design investigation into how Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) can contribute to more democratic and transparent forms of participation in architectural design and urban planning. The research originated in professional practice through a question from the City of Oslo: could emerging AR/VR technologies be used to support participatory architectural design and urban planning in ways that make decision-making more inclusive, citizen-led, and accountable? The project developed through collaboration with municipal planners, citizen participants, and stakeholders who sought to understand not only the representational potential of immersive media but also their procedural and institutional implications. The thesis combines perspectives from architecture, urban planning, interaction design, and governance within a practice-based, experimental, and real-world framework. Empirical work spans multiple cases in Norway and internationally—competition review, zoning deliberations, heritage and preservation, youth engagement, construction and installation, and street-level redevelopment—using consumer-grade AR and VR devices. A custom AR tool (Udaru) and multi-user VR workflows test on-site placement, copresence, and high-fidelity review, foregrounding both the unique affordances and technical immaturity of current systems. Data and insights were captured through instrumented AR/VR sessions, scripted tasks, screen and video recordings, observation notes, interviews, and analysis of digital artefacts participants created such as 3d models and maps. Across the cases, immersive participation—defined here as participatory engagement that occurs within a simulated spatial environment at full scale and from a first-person perspective, allowing participants to act, perceive, and decide as if situated in the proposed space—was tested in complementary settings: youth workshops using AR to propose street trees and furniture in Oslo collaborative VR exhibition design for the Venice Biennale Nordic Pavilion, local citizens utilizing AR to redesign car-free streets, and related studies on heritage, preservation, construction, architectural design, and architectural competitions. AR proved most effective for early- and mid-phase design deliberation, enabling participants to see and modify proposals directly in context through screens. VR supported later-stage evaluation, option comparison, and remote co-presence at higher fidelity. Both modes broadened engagement and reduced scale abstraction, allowing non-experts to contribute meaningfully. Yet these benefits were conditional: alignment drift, platform limits, data-custody issues, and missing institutional pathways often prevented outputs from reaching decision-makers. Through comparative analysis of these cases, a recurring pattern became evident: failures in immersive participation rarely originated within a single layer—technical, organisational, or civic—but rather at the fragile links between them. Synthesised across Chapters 4 and 5, this observation led to what the thesis terms the inter-layer fragmentation hypothesis. It posits that breakdowns in immersive participation arise where technical systems, planning workflows, and governance structures fail to interoperate. When these links were deliberately designed—through explicit mandates, traceable data, and institutional follow-up—digital deliberations translated into action; when they were absent, participation remained performative. This empirical insight evolved into both a diagnostic lens and a conceptual contribution, reframing immersive media as spatial-governance infrastructures whose value lies in connecting layers of decision-making rather than replacing them. The thesis situates this finding within the broader discourse on smart and digital cities, where so-called 'tech googles' have been criticised for overstating technological integration while underestimating institutional complexity and democratically-bound citizen perpectives. By grounding these debates in real planning processes, the research demonstrates how democratic participation depends on deliberately engineered connections between computational and civic infrastructures. In parallel, the work reveals that AR and VR ecosystems themselves reproduce these structural divisions both through their unique affordances and through siloed ecosystems. Across all cases, the absence of an open, vendor-neutral “AR Cloud” and the dominance of proprietary toolchains required each project to construct its own custom technical stack. This technical fragmentation among AR/VR systems thus mirrors the organisational silos and governance gaps observed in planning institutions. Chapter 4 documents how these limitations prevented persistent alignment and data exchange between sessions, while Chapter 5 links them to broader ecosystem asymmetries in smart and digital city discourse. The inter-layer fragmentation hypothesis thus emerges not only as a governance problem but as an infrastructural condition of the current AR/VR landscape itself. To operationalise these insights, the exegesis develops transferable frameworks that synthesise the empirical, theoretical, and methodological recommendations. The Seven-Stage Process Heuristic reconstructs, retrospectively, the recurring sequence through which successful cases progressed—from mandate definition and readiness assessment, through alignment and scenario design, to evidence capture, artefact translation, and replication. The Reaver 2025 Onion Model, adapted from and revising the Geekiyanage et al. bestpractice framework, reorders priorities by placing purpose, ethics, and institutional fit at the core and positioning technology as an enabling, outer layer. The Digital-to-Physical Outcomes Protocol addresses the gaps by defining how participatory deliberations are logged, translated, and transferred into tangible planning artefacts—drawings, GIS layers, and policy briefs—with traceable accuracy and responsibility. Conceptually, From Virtual to Real redefines AR/VR technologies not merely as representational systems but rather as sociotechnical components of civic infrastructure, capable of aligning technical innovation with democratic practice when supported by transparent, inter-layer connections. Methodologically, it demonstrates how practicebased research-by-design can generate generalisable frameworks through iterative experimentation, mixed-method evidence capture, and systematic cross-case analysis. Practically, it seeks to equip municipalities, researchers, and design professionals with reproducible processes for embedding AR/VR participation into planning workflows— hopefully transforming immersive technology from isolated demonstration into accountable, durable practice. In doing so, the thesis responds to long-standing calls in AR/VR research for conceptual clarity, methodological rigour, and evidence-based pathways linking digital experimentation to policy and built outcomes. It shows that immersive participation, when structured through clear mandates, traceable data, and inter-layer collaboration, can move from virtual to real—thus from representation and decision-making to governance, and from temporary experiment to enduring civic infrastructure for the democratic application of digitization to the practices and procedures of the built environment.

View all works in NVA