Virtual architectural works can be useful in a variety of ways, serving different purposes. However, to truly experience a virtual architectural work, it has to be as close as possible to real life. Creating a believable and realistic scene in VR can be a complex process with many factors to consider. Thus, in collaboration with the architect Jacob Hilmer, we made a framework for creating a believable and realistic atmosphere in virtual reality. A set of requirements was formulated, and through participatory design with the collaborator, containing multiple design cycles, a virtual environment was created, with a user interface system that can control aspects of the environment such as time of day, location and weather effects. Furthermore, a user test was carried out in order to configure a user-friendly UI system for controlling the virtual environment.