Thinking Through the Screen: A postphenomenological Investigation into Digital Drawing in Architecture Education

Architectural thinking is formed through the act of drawing, and the architectural drawing is not a neutral representation. Critics such as the Finish architect Juhani Pallasmaa denounce digital drawing for its inherent haptic remoteness and remind us of the importance of embodiment in the creative process of drawing. Yet, architecture students today very commonly draw using digital tools. This article examines digital drawing using a postphenomenological framework. Students’ drawing practices are analysed in terms of the various technologically mediated relations as put forward by Don Ihde. Furthermore, I introduce the distinction between ‘empirical’ and ‘ideational’ visualisation to discern between imagined and empirically experienced elements of architectural drawing. This opens the possibility to counter critics such as Pallasmaa and bring the creative potential of digital drawing to the fore.