Mediating Cognitive Transformation with VR 3D Sketching during Conceptual Architectural Design Process

Communications for information synchronization during the conceptual design phase require designers to employ more intuitive digital design tools. This paper presents findings of a feasibility study for using VR 3D sketching interface in order to replace current non-intuitive CAD tools. We used a sequential mixed method research methodology including a qualitative case study and a cognitive-based quantitative protocol analysis experiment. Foremost, the case study research was conducted in order to understand how novice designers make intuitive decisions. The case study documented the failure of conventional sketching methods in articulating complicated design ideas and shortcomings of current CAD tools in intuitive ideation. The case study’s findings then became the theoretical foundations for testing the feasibility of using VR 3D sketching interface during design. The latter phase of study evaluated the designers’ spatial cognition and collaboration at six different levels: “physical-actions”, “perceptualac ons”, “functional-actions”, “conceptual-actions”, “cognitive synchronizations”, and “gestures”. The results and confirmed hypotheses showed that the utilized tangible 3D sketching interface improved novice designers’ cognitive and collaborative design activities. In summary this paper presents the influences of current external representation tools on designers’ cognition and collaboration as well as providing the necessary theoretical foundations for implementing VR 3D sketching interface. It contributes towards transforming conceptual architectural design phase from analogue to digital by proposing a new VR design interface. The paper proposes this transformation to fill in the existing gap between analogue conceptual architectural design process and remaining digital engineering parts of building design process hence expediting digital design process

A feasibility study for developing 3D sketching concept in virtual reality (VR) environment

There is limited digital media available to encompass conceptual design which requires spontaneous and flexible design tools. The constraint is causing less digital integration during the architectural conceptual and engineering design stages. This paper presents the results of an ethnography research on understanding how design collaboration, design transactions and knowledge flow characteristics between studio masters and their students are supported by available technologies in a studio project in Malaysia. The study found three types of external representation modes used by designers: Full Manual, Mixed and Full Digital. The study revealed the inflexibility of traditional geometric modeling tools within intuitive ideations. On the other hand, it also observed the shortcomings of conventional manual sketching tools for articulating design ideas and translating tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge in complex design problems. Results from this study support further studies towards implementing 3D sketching in Virtual Reality (VR) environment to digitally integrate the conceptual architectural-engineering design process

The differentiated functions of sketch and digital modalities in architectural collaboration design

Architectural collaboration is seen by many as an essential strategy that produces an outcome that is beyond individual vision. The majority of literature defines collaboration as two or more people sharing their differences constructively to search for a common goal. However, defining collaboration in the context of conceptual architectural design as two or more designers working together to achieve a common design goal appears to be very basic, as the definition does not in any way indicate how multiple designers can transform their tacit knowledge into an explicit building product. Instead, the definition undermines the rationale that collaboration can improve efficiency and effectiveness in sharing design ideas. This also implies that there is no clear understanding as to whether complex design activities such as actions, transformation, and reasoning can be readily circumscribed into collaborative settings. It presents one of the most significant challenges in realizing the much anticipated collaborative approach to design problem-solving. Therefore, there is a need to investigate key characteristics of collaboration in architectural design and their implications for the building development process. Thus this research aims to investigate the phenomenon of conceptual architectural collaboration design using the protocol study technique. The protocol consists of eight different design teams subjected to the usage of sketch modality to design a bus stand and a digital modality to design a commercial kiosk. A coding scheme based on design action, transformation, reasoning and knowledge transformation is employed to generate empirical data from the design protocol of the two modalities. Statistical analysis using Chi-Square cross tabulation has established a significant association between the two modalities and design activities. The results indicate that the design activities of the two modalities are statistically different concerning the distributed frequencies and duration of parameters of cognitive actions, tacit knowledge transformation, reasoning strategies and transformation. Higher framing action, abduction reasoning strategy and lateral transformation are not affected by the sketch modality but are affected by the change to the digital modality. Similarly, higher moving action, deduction reasoning strategy, and vertical transformation are not affected by the digital modality but are affected by the sketch modality. The correlation analysis of the sketch modality also established a significant relationship between parameters of tacit knowledge transformation, cognitive actions, reasoning strategies and design transformation. This findings provide answers to the types of modality that can influence or affect the process of socialization in the knowledge transformation during design collaboration. In conclusion, an integrated thinking pattern for conceptual architectural collaboration design is proposed

Virtual body in immersive virtual reality and its influence on creativity

The relationship between the design process, its multiple stages, and how different design mediums affect this process continues to be a topic for research and exploration. The selection of different design tools is done according to the characteristics of the multiple stages within this process. Multiple studies have argued that digital media tools are still incapable of supporting idea development in conceptual stages, but digital mediums have evolved, and digital tools are present in the design process from the beginning to the end. Current digital mediums can provide immersive characteristics in virtual environments that increase the user's sense of presence and embodiment, affecting cognition. Thus, there was a critical need to evaluate and explore how new digital media with multiple levels of embodiment can affect creativity and learning outcomes in conceptual ideation stages of the design process.In addition to presence and embodiment, creativity and spatial abilities are crucial elements for designers. The primary objective of this study was to assess creativity and spatial abilities, examining three different levels of embodiment (first-person online virtual body [VB], first-person offline VB, and third-person online VB). Participants were randomly assigned to one of the three conditions and were required to solve a design task. Pre and post-test questionnaires were used to collect data in addition to a psychophysiological device to account for cognitive load. Spatial skills were assessed before and after the intervention, and the designed outcomes were evaluated to measure the level of creativity. The central hypothesis was that the higher the sense of embodiment (SoE), the greater the presence and lower the cognitive demand of the system, which can be used to improve spatial abilities and stimulate creativity.This study explored how creativity of the designed outcomes and spatial abilities were affected by different levels of embodiment. This study provides relevant information on how VR environments positively affect the development of spatial abilities. Also, the findings facilitate discernment in how different VR setups affect cognitive load on participants, which may ultimately affect cognition and creative thinking