The reBENT comprehensive project explores an interactive relationship between augmented reality (AR) technology and design processes. The project chooses highly resilient and cheap polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe as the base research material and uses the active bending property as the medium for interaction with AR. The project proposes a fast and affordable system for creating complex concrete structures by weaving a series of bent PVC pipes and rebars which are then used as a formwork for spray-on glass reinforced concrete (GRC). The project establishes architectural sliders, ranging from prototypes to architectural elements and habitable structures.

In addition, an AR application for HoloLens – a pair of mixed reality smartglasses – is developed in order to guide the construction process and customisation. As a communication tool between customers and designers, the AR app can also become a medium for mature human-computer interaction experience, covering resource sharing and discussions in the early stage, project selection and optimisation in the middle stage, and assembly guidance as final stage.