Architecture in the Digital Age

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, ‘Architecture in the Digital Age’, will examine the methodological, technological, and epistemological shifts that are redefining architectural research, practice, and education. The integration of digital tools and systems has transformed how architecture is conceived, developed, and communicated, leading to new paradigms in design thinking, production, and collaboration. This Special Issue brings together scholarship that addresses interrelated themes around architecture in the digital age to provide a comprehensive understanding of these developments.

Digital design tools and computational thinking have reshaped the foundations of architectural ideation. Parametric and generative design approaches facilitate algorithmic and variable-driven form generation. These methods support a system-based logic that emphasizes procedural control and data-informed decision-making, requiring a reevaluation of traditional design workflows. Building Information Modeling (BIM) further contributes to this transformation by enabling integrated data-rich environments that support multidisciplinary collaboration across the entire project lifecycle. BIM’s role in improving coordination, efficiency, and information management raises critical questions about authorship, responsibility, and methodological structure in both design and construction processes.

The emergence of digital fabrication and robotics, including 3D printing, CNC milling, and robotic construction, has enabled direct translation from digital model to physical artifacts. These technologies challenge conventional notions of materiality, fabrication labor, and scale, necessitating new protocols and pedagogical frameworks for engaging with construction technologies. In parallel, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) have introduced immersive modes of representation that allow for users to experience and evaluate spatial environments prior to their realization. VR is increasingly used in education and spatial analysis, while AR supports real-time site overlays and construction assistance. These technologies expand the scope of design critique and client engagement, altering the spatial and experiential dimensions of architectural communication.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) offer new tools for optimization, form generation, and predictive analysis. Their integration into architectural processes enables data-driven simulations of environmental performance and user behavior, and raises theoretical considerations regarding AI’s role as a co-designer. At the urban scale, the development of smart cities and responsive environments requires architecture to operate within cyber–physical systems, where the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT), together with embedded sensors, collect and respond to real-time data. The understanding of these areas demands interdisciplinary approaches that engage architecture, data science, and systems engineering.

These technological advancements also produce conceptual shifts in architectural aesthetics and theory. Digital tools introduce new formal languages and challenge traditional understandings of space, material presence, and representation, particularly in relation to post-digital and simulation-driven design cultures. At the same time, they raise urgent ethical questions regarding sustainability, algorithmic bias, labor displacement, and access. The digital divide remains a critical issue, with unequal access to technological resources shaping who participates in digitally mediated design processes.

The impact of these technologies extends into education and professional practice. Pedagogical models are being restructured to include coding, simulation, and immersive media, while architectural practice is increasingly defined by remote collaboration, distributed teams, and cloud-based workflows. Furthermore, digital technologies play a growing role in the preservation and interpretation of cultural heritage. Techniques such as 3D scanning, digital twins, and immersive reconstruction support documentation, restoration, and public engagement with at-risk or inaccessible environments.

Together, these themes outline a comprehensive inquiry into how architecture is being reconfigured in the digital age. This Special Issue seeks to advance critical discourse by examining the evolving relationships among technologies, methodologies, and disciplinary transformation.

Dr. Tilanka Chandrasekera
Dr. Mallikarachchige Nishan Rasanga Wijetunge
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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• computational design
• parametric design
• generative design
• Building Information Modeling (BIM)
• digital fabrication
• robotic construction
• Virtual Reality (VR)
• Augmented Reality (AR)
• artificial intelligence in architecture
• smart cities
• responsive environments
• Artificial Internet of Things (AIoT)
• digital aesthetics
• algorithmic design
• digital pedagogy
• architectural education
• interdisciplinary design
• cultural heritage preservation
• 3D scanning
• ethical design
• sustainable design
• digital divide
• cyber–physical systems
• post-digital architecture
• design methodologies