Drawing (with) The Space: Drawing In Virtual Reality As Design Process

This work discusses the use of head-mounted displays in architectural design education from the theoretical perspective of the expanded field of architecture. After conducting three spatial conception workshops using virtual reality environments, the obtained results were investigated through document analysis. The context is presented, exploring the key concepts and the internal logic of each spatiality conceived and represented by the participants. The results of this investigation are discussed in light of the theoretical and conceptual repertoire concerning contemporary debates on spatial perception and representation. The appropriation of design tactics and strategies mediated by the three-dimensional experience simulated in a virtual reality environment was verified. The forms produced resulted from the hybrid process between freehand drawing on sulfite paper and the digital medium, in a continuous process of translations between modes of representation, contributing to spatial exploration, which is fundamental for architectural design education.