Hypotheses Verification on the Role of the Medium

During the last few decades, the new technology has transformed the profession of architects and designers, and now significantly affects knowledge and abilities required by students and by professionals in order to realize their projects. This article presents methodologies used, experimental observations held, and results obtained in a research project aiming at verifying several hypotheses concerning the influence of computer use on the creative design process development in the architectural studio. Using the informative potential of observations on existing teaching methods and configurations, the research project aspires to reinforce the innovations and to propose recommendations for the teaching of architectural design using computer technology and communication networks. Micro experiments were performed with third year students in architecture. The scheme of the observations includes two design sessions at the beginning of the term: one with paper-and-pencil and the other one on a computer, and one design session at the end of the term - only on a computer. Thanks to this scheme, qualitative comparisons could be made between free-hand and computer-aided design on one hand, and between design on computer at the beginning and at the end of the term, on the othe