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Purpose This study aims to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research literature on the use of virtual reality (VR) technology in architectural education and practice. It seeks to provide insights into the evolution, applications and impact of VR technology in architecture, particularly in design, education and construction. Design/methodology/approach The study employs a systematic literature review, bibliometric analysis and content analysis to explore VR’s role in architecture. Data are sourced from the ISI Web of Science database and analyzed using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix software. Text mining techniques were applied to assess bibliometric connections between VR and architecture. Findings The analysis uncovers patterns, trends and collaborative networks in VR’s application to architectural practice and education. It highlights publication frequencies, year-wise distribution, leading countries, collaboration networks and prevalent author keywords. Content analysis identifies key research themes, emerging trends and gaps, suggesting future research opportunities and the potential for VR technology to further impact architecture. Research limitations/implications The findings provide practical insights for professionals and academics in architecture, contributing to innovative approaches in practice and education. While the study identifies gaps in existing literature, future research should aim to address these limitations and further explore VR’s role in architectural education and practice. Originality/value This paper is the first to present a bibliometric and content analysis of VR technology in architecture, enriching the scholarly discourse. It provides a foundation for future research on VR integration in architectural education and practice.

Architects work at the service of other people. We are engaged to make real the dreams of others, but those people and their dreams have become more and more privileged, and the architect’s role more focused on meeting the needs of privileged elites. Architecture therefore finds its purpose as either lifestyle or spectacle but only to those that can afford it or profit from it, rather than being the tool through which we manifest something positive for all people all the time. Most architectural practice in the UK is complicit in perpetuating this culture of architectural production, a culture that fails to incentivise creating sustainable, lasting, healthy, equitable and accessible places. Preparing students for practice in this culture only perpetuates this unsustainable and inaccessible industry. Instead, this paper proposes alternative modes of practice and associated pedagogies that prepare students to be a different kind of architectural practitioner. It will present the ongoing work and impact of Other People’s Dreams, a live-action research office and final year Master of Architecture studio at the University of Lancashire. OPD engages in a critical and durational way with community organisations in the northwest region of the UK that work with marginalised groups, situations and ideas, to rethink the potential of people and place. This work and its context are then used as a pedagogical framework for the students, who are themselves often from the same communities and from the same ‘real world’ that we wish them to address through architectural education and practice.

Appropriating its title from the recent collection of essays, Publishing as Artistic Practice (ed. Annette Gilbert, Sternberg Press, 2016) – in which publishing is explored as a recently appropriated form of artistic practice in itself – this article begins by asserting that, contrary to the art world, the act of publishing has always been an integral aspect of architectural practice, arguably dating back to Vitruvius, at which time the architectural publication was founded as a means of authenticating, distributing and subsequently developing architectural discourse and practice. This article focuses on architectural books – the book being architecture’s longest running, most abundant and most celebrated form of publishing – and book design in particular as a publishing practice. Although there is a considerable existing body of research canonizing the history and development of the architectural book, particularly between the mid-sixteenth and mid-twentieth centuries, the majority of this research has focused on book content rather than book design. The book is still intrinsic to the proliferation of architectural discourse, culture and the profession, but the lack of debate and development around the theories of its form and its futures is limiting the architectural book to become increasingly self-referential as a designed entity. The market-led restrictions imposed by the publishing industry are limiting the architectural book – this is the principal time crime outlined here – the design of the architectural book is in stasis due to the publishing industry: it is stuck in time. This article looks to determine how architectural book designing can be considered as relational to architectural practice, through an exploration of how book design has been theorized as a formal and material interplay and manifestation of spatial ideas – chiefly through the theories of ‘book usage’, ‘intermedia’, ‘topological’ and ‘ergodic’ literatures, ‘visual language’ semiotics and ‘metamediality’, originating from studies in literature, design, media and comics. Examples from my own architectural book design research praxis are discussed in relation to these theories, with a more thorough examination of three recent book works that are used as an armature to speculate on the potential futures of architectural book design, making and publishing practice. One hopes that this article will arouse debate and encourage more enthusiasm for book works as designed manifestations of spatial ideas. One might even go so far as declaring architectural book designs to be architectural projects.

There is currently significant interest in the concept of sustainability. Sustainable architecture often serves as a symbol of sustainability in contemporary cities. The negative environmental impacts of buildings are worsening, making it crucial to find ways to minimize these effects and maximize the use of sustainable building materials. Architects and builders use various construction methods to reduce the environmental impact of structures. In architectural practice, the three core principles of sustainability—social, economic, and environmental factors—are often overlooked by architects during the design phase. Furthermore, sustainability has not been prioritized in architectural education and practice. Given the growing construction activities to meet Shiraz's development needs, applying sustainable design principles is a necessity. The aim of this study is to examine how sustainable design principles are applied by architects in Shiraz in their projects. To this end, 106 building architects were surveyed using a questionnaire. The data was analyzed using SPSS software and Pearson correlation coefficient. The study's results revealed that a significant number of architects apply sustainable design principles in their projects. Additionally, economic and environmental factors were identified as the most important considerations for implementing sustainable design principles in architectural projects, according to respondents. Statistical analysis also indicated a meaningful relationship between awareness of architectural concepts and their implementation in architectural projects.

This study investigated the role of architectural education in Nigeria in preparing professionals for sustainable architectural practice, with a particular focus on advancing Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). It assessed the relationship between the teaching methods employed in delivery of the architecture curriculum of universities and sustainable architectural practice among professionals. Using positivism as the philosophical stance, a quantitative approach was taken. Regression analysis was employed to analyse teaching methods and its impact on architects' professional practice. Findings revealed that educators who place emphasis on meeting deadlines, employed teaching methods that are flexible enough to adapt to changing needs, and adopting the practice of professional ethics in their teaching delivery have the highest positive influence on future architectural practice of their students. On the flip side, educators who accepted submission from students that were carelessly put together, and capitalize on relationships with their students (such as favouritism) tend to negatively affect the future architectural practice of their students. This research also revealed the crucial impact of architectural education approaches on advancing sustainable architectural practices in Nigeria, aligning with the objectives of SDG 4. It underscores the importance of teaching methods and recommends constant updates of teaching methods at the faculty level so as to have products who have a highly sustainable practice. Keywords: Architectural education, Architectural practice, Sustainability, Teaching methods

How did the artificial division arise between research and practice in architecture, why is it a problem, and how can it be reversed? The RMIT University School of Architecture and Urban Design in Melbourne, Australia has been pioneering practice‐embedded research for three decades, with a PhD programme that has inspired similar approaches at other institutions across the world. Having identified five continuums between research and practice that are required to maximise the potential of architecture, Emeritus Professor Leon van Schaik, who initiated the programme, explores its impact through the work of some of its participants.

"Ageless Hope: A Report Card on Access and Equity in Architecture Education and Practice." Journal of Architectural Education, 58(3), pp. 53–54

Building Community: A New Future for Architectural Education and Practice by Ernest L. Boyer and Lee D. Mitgang of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1996, was intended to be a “comprehensive study of education and practice for the 21st century.” It was commissioned by the five national architectural organizations that joined together with a common goal of seeing the need for an independent study of professional education and practice: the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), the American Institute of Architects Students (AIAS), the National Council of Architectural Registration Board (NCARB), and the National Architectural Accrediting Board, Inc. (NAAB). The Boyer report identified problems, opportunities, and challenges not only for the primary audience of architecture educators and practitioners but also others in higher education. Boyer and Mitgang challenged architects and educators to “a new vision.” This vision would connect architecture schools and the profession more effectively to the changing social context. The academy was challenged with providing A Connected Curriculum. Practicing architects were challenged with providing A Unified Profession. The Boyer report, “urged schools to prepare future architects for lives of civic engagement, of Service to the Nation” [1]. The authors of Building Community were optimistic that the challenges could be met and we have taken on this challenge.

Although much has been written about the teaching of architecture, little progress has been made to improve pedagogical approaches. However, there is a consensus in the literature on the fact that educational practices in architecture are old approaches rooted in the traditions of fine arts schools, and the fact that the shift from the teaching paradigm to the learning paradigm places the student central in the learning process. This research is a systematic review of recent literature; it aims to examine the literature of the past 20 years on the learning styles of architecture and interior design students, and the effects of learning styles on their performance scores. The findings reveal the importance of knowing the learning styles to help teachers to adapt a good teaching approach appropriate to improve the academic performance of students, link between learning styles of architecture and interior design students and the pedagogical approaches adopted, and the role of the teacher in changing student learning styles.

This systematic literature review (SLR) delves deep into the body of knowledge in Architectural Education where Vedic principles have been used in the context of popular learning theories. The purpose here is to elicit information about the theories of learning and identify the most prominent theories so that the nature of research undertaken so far can be classified based on the contribution of the theories, research focus, and research type. Further, after screening the literature, data extraction and synthesis is carried out leading to the identification of research gaps. Additionally, the factors that emerge through the selected literature have been grouped with their associated variables to provide a future direction for researchers to develop a framework for seamlessly integrating Vedic Architecture (VA) principles and practices into the architectural curriculum. The research methodology utilized in this study adopts an SLR approach characterized by deductive reasoning based on evidence. This deliberate choice aims to ensure a transparent and logical process, minimizing bias through extensive literature searches. The objective is to reach well-founded decisions, procedures, and conclusions that address the specific research questions posed. This review identified that there were four prominent theories used in the context of Architectural education using VA. Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) leads with 31% of the total 97 papers followed by Constructivist Learning Theory (CLT) (26%), Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CAT) (24%), and Transformative Learning Theory (TLT) with 19 papers (19%). In research focus based classification, model development-based papers (55.7%) dominated the literature. In the classification of research type there were a higher number of papers on empirical research (36.1%). Six key research gaps have been identified that future researchers can attempt to address or fill. Finally, six major factors have been derived from the papers reviewed in this SLR, which could form the foundation for the development of a VA-based educational model. The SLR will assist practitioners and researchers in determining the key factors which need to be considered while developing a holistic model of VA based curriculum in architectural education. The limitation could be the focus laid on only four theories which dominated the contemporary research literature ignoring the other theories. The research is an original contribution to the knowledge base considering the literature from the past 25 years, the period during which the research in VA in architectural education has been active globally. The value addition is in terms of the identification of the underpinning theories to be considered in the development of a holistic model.

This Article discusses strategies for the exposure and integration of extended reality (XR) technologies among postgraduate and undergraduate level architecture students in Hong Kong. Explored are collaborative, constructivist, and design thinking frameworks embedded into the course curriculum, teaching workshops, and design activities for the promotion of hybrid (physical and digital) learning. Programmes such as those at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) do not consider XR as part of the core curriculum, resulting in students successfully completing a degree without exposure to the technology, platforms, and methods, leaving them unprepared for an increasingly digital future in professional practice. This study examines strategies for hybrid teaching and learning initiatives, student exposure to ongoing research and development of emerging technologies, and preparation for a future industry that mixes digital, physical, and virtual practice in architecture. It showcases different approaches for technology-facilitated teaching and learning using mixed reality design and build workshops in public university spaces, the integration of XR methods and hardware within studio and elective course curriculum, and crossover studio workshops available for faculty and students. Results of an online questionnaire for students (n = 34) reflected a high need for learning AR in architectural education. Participants agreed that augmented reality (AR) technology can enhance design thinking process and self-learning, and lead to a more effective architectural practice. Major learning obstacles include the lack of technical support and relevant knowledge, accessibility to specific tools and pre-occupied academic schedules by other schoolwork. By keeping instructors and students engaged with novel XR technology, programmes and graduates will remain competitive in academic and professional pursuits. They develop novel hybrid workflows and methods for design-driven research in a future practice where digital, physical, online, and offline learning become increasingly fluid.

Introduction It is with great delight and pride that we announce that the good ship known as the ARENA Journal of Architectural Research, or AJAR for short, is now launched. A sizeable Editorial Team has created this new journal with help from an even larger and broader Editorial Board that spans around the world and includes many distinguished architects and academics. AJAR is an online Open Access peer-reviewed journal for all kinds of design research and scholarly research within the architectural field, and has been set up by the Architectural Research European Network Association (ARENA). This research network was established in late-2013 by leading researchers from 24 architectural schools across Europe, and since then the number of institutions involved has expanded to 30 schools and is rising steadily. ARENA now offers a shared platform that aims to promote, support, develop and disseminate high-quality research in all fields of architecture in the widest sense, including also its links to interior design, landscape architecture and urban design/urbanism. From the outset, the members of ARENA wanted above all to create a brand new online journal that would support the culture of European architectural research, especially by encouraging the exploration of emerging and transdisciplinary/interdisciplinary research fields. Today, with the launch of AJAR, we now have a major opportunity to exchange important ideas, communicate innovative forms of research, and generally strengthen the links between universities and architectural practices in Europe, as well as internationally. As is typical of the latest online journals, AJAR will not publish issues as such; instead we will upload all new material as soon as it has been approved and copy-edited, thereby creating a rolling programme of publication. Articles will be available in HTML for online reading and as PDFs for downloading. A number of key distinguishing features about AJAR ought to be stressed:

Big data sciences demand the significant role of the architect. Particularly, facilitate the birth of an antifragile construction industry and more robust data sciences community of professionals. Skilled community necessary to build sustainable liveable cities with emerging creator’s economy. Liveability, well-being, and sense of belonging in the city are connected. Conversely, dismissive attitude by decision-makers towards architectural practice and education, even among architects, in recognizing architecture as data-driven and source of data deserve rethink. Here the chapter demonstrates architects as data scientists and the symbiotic relationship that exist between architecture and 3D computer graphics while highlighting emerging data sciences opportunities and threats. The chapter adopted principally reviews of scholarly literatures, draws from authors’ 20-years personal experiences, and industry leaders’ views. The language is accessible yet academically concise. The chapter concluded with recommendations, including highlights of big data technologies potential transformation of 3D computer graphics. The implications are policy, design, and education.

The chapter discusses professionalization and development of a professional ideology in architecture by means of focusing on a historic narrative in which the process was not reflecting the sociological definition of the process (which is also discussed at length); the twentieth century developments of architectural profession in Turkey. Through this example, the chapter aims to discuss how certain ideological identifications regarding the architectural profession is still being reproduced in architectural historiography and architectural education, as well as the current architectural practice. The chapter additionally proposes to discuss possible new perspectives on how the architectural praxis is understood by utilizing the critique of professional ideologies and their reproduction within the field.

Sound can provide valuable contributions to the education and practice of architecture. First, architecture students should develop a theory of how sound and other environmental systems can become part of a larger theory of the making of architecture. Second, architects are trained to have highly developed sensibilities in the aesthetic design of space. Expanding the aesthetic component of buildings and environments to include the aural environment has the potential to enrich the fabric of communities and buildings. Third, architecture students must become acquainted with the materials, analytic techniques, and design approaches that acoustical consultants use. Furthermore, for acoustical information to become an integral part of architectural design and education, it must be organized in a way that allows expression or poesis to occur because these aesthetic principles are the building blocks of architectural design. Therefore, the science and engineering principles of noise control and architectural acoustics must be transformed into material that can become spatial, visual, and manipulable in creative ways by a design team. This requires that the basics of acoustics be reformulated in an architectural manner. This paper will address several of the transformations that have been attempted in the architectural curriculum at the University of Florida.