Sketching With Mixed Reality: Experimenting With Hololens For Design Learning

This article explores the use of Mixed Reality (MR) in Head-Mounted Displays as a pedagogical tool for architectural design education. Devices like the Microsoft HoloLens 2, Magic Leap, and Apple Vision Pro are stimulating the development of applications across various fields, including architecture. The study aims to advance understanding of MR's impact on the creative process and learning outcomes in architectural education. It discusses the development of a MR application that integrates digital information with hand-drawn sketches, assisting first-year architecture students with scale, proportion, and measurement challenges. Through interactive 3D models and solar charts, the application enhances spatial understanding. Despite technical limitations like field of view and anchoring precision, the application demonstrates the potential to enrich architectural education by merging digital and traditional design processes. The findings also indicate that integrating new tools with traditional approaches can create new processes rather than replace existing ones.