Recommended AR Tools for Biophilic Design and STEM Learning

1. CoSpaces Edu

Platform: Browser-based, with apps for iOS and Android
Best for: Creating interactive AR/VR 3D scenes, coding integration, design storytelling
Why it's useful:
CoSpaces Edu allows students to build immersive environments and bring them into the real world via AR. It supports logic-based coding and physics simulations, making it a rich tool for STEM integration. Students can model biophilic features like green corridors, shade-providing structures, or open-air classrooms, and then walk through their designs in mixed reality.
Educational impact:
Bower et al. (2017) highlighted CoSpaces Edu as one of the leading tools for enhancing creative and spatial competencies in middle and secondary school learners. It supports engagement with sustainability topics through exploration and presentation.
Website: https://cospaces.io

2. Assemblr EDU

Platform: Web-based, iOS, Android
Best for: Quick prototyping, visual design presentations, collaborative learning
Why it's useful:
Assemblr EDU allows students to create 3D content using a library of pre-built models or their own uploads. It’s intuitive and user-friendly, even for learners new to AR. Students can create and position biophilic elements in school courtyards, local parks, or urban streetscapes.
Educational impact:
Studies like Tang et al. (2022) show how AR-based design activities help learners translate environmental theory into visually and spatially rich expressions, fostering environmental awareness through immersive digital engagement.
Website: https://www.assemblrworld.com

3. Reality Composer (Apple)

Platform: iOS and macOS
Best for: High-precision spatial design, layering AR objects in real environments
Why it's useful:
Reality Composer is part of Apple’s developer suite and allows learners to anchor AR objects into real environments, manipulate them using sensors, and simulate their interaction with space and light. It’s best suited for advanced secondary learners interested in architectural detail.
Educational impact:
This tool supports understanding of form, proportion, and interaction between elements—critical skills in both architectural design and environmental simulation (Wu et al., 2020).
Website: https://developer.apple.com/reality-composer/

4. SketchAR

Platform: iOS, Android
Best for: Concept sketching in AR, freeform visual experimentation
Why it's useful:
SketchAR blends drawing and AR, making it ideal for students who want to hand-sketch their ideas directly into physical space. This tool supports organic exploration of biomorphic forms such as curved walls, tree-inspired structures, or landscape features.
Website: https://sketchar.io