Materializing the idea: the multilevel process of design

The present research exhibits the great potential that Information & Communication Technology (ICT) holds for the field of architecture. A key focus of the present work is the creative and ideational process of an architectural project. The creation of output that utilizes virtual reality (VR) is a particularly important result for allowing the project to be used in an interactive, personalized way. In particular, the case study presented in this research regards the periphery of Rome, specifically the Tor Bella Monaca neighbourhood. Analogue and manual procedures are transformed into virtual products through specific digitalization processes. Within this process, which is heterogeneous and occurs on multiple levels, an essential, irreplaceable element is always the project idea. There may be many techniques used to conceive, modify, develop, and synthesize the initial concept. Indeed, the ability to integrate different methodologies may be a means of great enrichment for the project, but only in the presence of a strong idea and a clear concept can a qualitatively important result be obtained. Fluidity, continuity, and dynamics coexist and feed each other in the creative process addressed in this research.