Redressing the Ocularcentric Culture of architectural design: A Phenomenological and Participatory Approach in VR

In the development of architectural representation, the image has become a metonym of architectural experience. This productive tension is maintained by the expectation of fragmented representation to identify and reproduce the experiential and phenomenological dimensions perceived in the physical experience with architecture. Returning to the investigation of representation and perception exemplifies that each new technology introduces a new scale of extension in both design capability and opportunity for feedback. The degree of immersivity introduced by virtual reality technologies elicits several scales of experience. This thesis uses virtual prototyping in the design stage to elicit a product that is not a reflection of intention, but a result of something discovered, evaluated and experienced in immersion prior to realization. An increase in receptivity to the qualities of the design and its context relative to the perceiver has the potential to change the relationship of digital space to digital place.