Architectural Representation Software: A Design Tool

Abstract

In the last decades, design processes have been approached with absolutely new representation techniques: digital media. This new tool was naturally incorporated to the architectural task not only in universities but also in Architectural offices. However, their evolution and utilization have been so sudden that their impact on the design object could not be properly assessed. Simply they stated to be used by translating analogical representation techniques into the digital media. In the Latin American context, in which the media interaction paradigm has not yet been completely established within universities and teachers, this work presents an exploration of the underlying ideas contained in the architectural representation software, as well as a series of exercises intended to teach how to use digital media as a design tool, instead of teaching how to use them as a mere representation tool.