Discovering the hybrid model of architectural drawing at the beginning of the XXI century

Abstract

Professional, as well as research framework of contemporary architectural design implies a field articulated by the development of information technologies. So far, it has represented an area of the most rapid exchange of opinions and ideas, being subjected to various interpretations and speculations in different phases of the architectural design process – from initial ideas to final architectural simulations and realisations. Radical changes in architectural thinking have directly reflected on the usage and ways of understanding architectural drawing in the architectural design process. Furthermore, this situation led to radical changes in the traditional process of designing the architectural space. In the context of understanding the relationship between the architect and the drawing as his/her only authorial work, this relationship is being usurped by the implementation of the computer software as an intermediary tool between the two. The introduction of software in the architectural design process influences the emerging forms of the architectural drawing, offering new possibilities such as direct, current and omnipresent manipulation, as well as a multitude of representational possibilities. This paper problematizes the position of architectural drawing by examining its manifestations at the beginning of the twenty-first century as a consequence of the paradigmatic changes brought about by the digital revolution. Architectural drawing at the beginning of the century is disappearing in its traditional sense and is being replaced by different forms and roles in the architectural design process. Since the conducted research is observed primarily through the discipline of architecture, and more closely, through the field of visual arts, it will examine the role of drawing in the area of architectural representation. Additionally, the research results emerging in the form of a hybrid model of architectural drawing, will be discussed in terms of its creative potential and further explorative applicability within the field of architectural education.