Architecture Engineers Award

Architectural design processes involve complex interactions among multiple stakeholders, including architects, planners, engineers, and institutional decision-makers. Within these processes, design documents function not only as technical representations but also as visual artefacts that shape communication and negotiation. This study examines how specific architectural design artefacts influence decision-making, particularly during moments of conflict where different perspectives must be reconciled. By analyzing how these artefacts operate within collaborative planning environments, the research highlights their role in structuring and guiding design decisions. Design Artefacts as Mediators in Architectural Practice In architectural workflows, drawings, diagrams, models, and digital visualizations serve as mediating objects that facilitate communication among diverse actors. These artefacts translate complex design ideas into tangible representations that can be interpreted and debat...

Architectural design is not only a creative activity but also a decision-making process shaped by interactions among diverse actors, tools, and representations. This study investigates how specific design documents, understood as visual artefacts, actively influence decision-making by mediating perspectives and resolving conflicts at critical moments. By focusing on the performative role of artefacts, the research addresses a gap in architectural design studies that has traditionally emphasized practices without sufficiently examining the agency of individual artefacts within those practices. Paradigm Shifts in Architectural Design Research The paper situates itself within broader paradigm shifts in architectural and engineering research, particularly those influenced by sociological and anthropological studies of professional practice. While previous research has examined how architects and planners work and how design practices unfold over time, it has rarely connected the specifi...

Introduction Integrating human needs , emotions, and cognitive responses into architectural design has long been a core objective of design research. However, conventional architectural processes often fall short in capturing the full spectrum of human experience. Recent advances in affordable, mobile electroencephalography (EEG) devices, particularly when combined with virtual reality (VR), open new possibilities for evidence-based, human-centered architectural design. This study positions itself within this emerging intersection of neuroscience, immersive technology, and architecture. EEG and VR as Emerging Tools in Architectural Research EEG and VR technologies enable researchers to simulate architectural environments while simultaneously capturing real-time neural responses. This paragraph discusses how the integration of EEG and VR allows designers to study users’ physiological, psychological, and cognitive reactions to spatial environments in controlled yet immersive condition...