Thinking and Design Through Analogical Image Knowledge, Visual Simulation and Modeling Learning: The Uncanny Space of the Hall

Abstract

The didactic and research activity carried out by the authors, within the Design Laboratories of Politecnico di Milano, allowed them to experiment methods of interdisciplinary collaboration - between architectural composition and digital modeling - oriented to an understanding of syntactic, spatial and constructive values of hall architectures, and aimed at the project as the outcome of the collective research work. Architectural images can be analyzed in an interdisciplinary way to understand their meanings, and conversely, the process of image construction can be another means of translating and representing the meaning of architecture. During the design process, the imagination uses analogical references that nourish the tension for the meaning of form. In this context, the latest-generation technologies and methods such as eXtended reality (XR) and digital modelling have allowed users to expand the level of interactivity and architectural-spatial awareness. The informative value has been expressed through the targeted use of images and virtual environments to increase interaction between user and space, leading to forming virtual-visual storytelling of the project. This paper explores the value of the results of a working method, the cognitive possibilities opened by the interdisciplinary project and its relationship with images, first as a source and then as an expression of knowledge, in order to understand the strengths and innovativeness of this approach.