Abstract
As people increasingly gravitate towards modern housing structures and adopt Western lifestyles, the significance of Swati traditional homes is being eroded. Thefore, this study aimed to address the problem by investigating and exploring on how can tangible and intangible Eswatini cultural heritages, within the context of a Swati traditional homestead can be captured, preserved and represented in virtual reality. Guided by theoretical lenses of representation, immersion and flow, the research adopts a research-through-design methodology, combined with interviews with cultural experts, academics, and Eswatini elders with requisite knowledge of Swati traditional homesteads. Using thematic analysis to make sense of the research’s data, key findings revealed that the Swati culture aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, long before they were introduced by the United Nations. What is deemed as “development” today, things like food security, gender equality, sustainability, and community-based learning have always been part of how Swati people lived and structured their homesteads. Secondly, it was discovered that a Swati traditional homestead functioned as a multi-layered educational system, a space where knowledge was actively passed down to generations through enculturation. The key findings of the research study informed the development of a VR solution that integrates spatial design, intangible heritage, and embodied environmental learning, offering not only visual representation but also deep narratives and cultural meaning. Participants’ evaluations and feedback on the VR solution are included to ensure cultural accuracy and representation.