Ricerc@Sapienza

This paper offers an insight of a new generation of eXtended reality technology, applicable in architectural design process and education. eXtended Reality technologies (XR) expand from real reality to a completely virtual reality environment where the users/actors are immersed in the non-real environment. This technology as a means equips the architects, designers and other building project-related participants with a new set of ‘instruments’ capable to help them in improving both design process and project. The first generation of eXtended reality – XR 1.0 – technology, mostly goes to show the external faces of objects and their dynamic representations. The deficits and drawbacks of XR 1.0 in architecture underlined as: a) High-Cost of equipment; b) Inefficiency in collaborative architectural practices; c) Low-quality resolution and the lack of seamless representation; d) Maintainability of software/hardware; and e) Mental illness caused by XR display devices. Subsequently, a new generation – based on the development of XR technology – is the XR 2.0 one. This paper describes new opportunities which came to meet the needs (current and side-effect created) by the application of XR 2.0. This new generation includes: a) High accuracy in information representation; b) Moving inside the phenomena rather than just onto the surface; c) Real-time installations/simulations; and d) High performance computing in visualization and knowledge transfer, which rarely covered on the previous generation. Inevitably, Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry– as other fields of science and industry – was impacted by the emergence of new technologies which opens up new horizons regarding also architectural sustainability. Though, this paper aims at explaining the pros and cons of XR technologies and offers a new vision of eXtended reality technology in order to improve the project and architectural design process.