Visualizing the Non-Visual Nature of Architecture

During the last several years our architecture school has gone through the process of fully digitizing the studios. We, as faculty are learning much about the advantages and difficulties of teaching architectural design in this new electronic environment. This knowledge has been included in our development of a beginning design communications course that wefeel offers an important improvement in regards to our changing teaching situation. This paper presents one project from this course that introduces our students to the use of digital media for dealing with non-visual and subjective content — something contrary to what is usually associated with the teaching of digital graphics. We believe that this project breaks new ground for teaching and investigating the nature of computer graphics and through it into the very essence of our experience and understanding of architecture