The 24^th International Conference eCAADe (Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe), with the theme «Communicating Space(s)», organised at the University of Thessaly in September 2006

Conference organisers: Vassilis Bourdakis and Dimitris Charitos

Communicating Space(s)

Information and communication technologies have, for many years, been utilized for creating environmental representations in order to communicate spatial concepts or designs and for enhancing spaces that mediate interpersonal communication. This hypothesis implies two diverse but partially intersecting thematic axes along which spatial design and communication relate:

1. Information systems, time-based media and communication networks have been used for creating and transmitting environmental representations - interactive or not, static or dynamic, locally or remotely experienced. Representations range from small objects,to buildings and up to landscape models and support various phases of the design process: recording and analyzing existing environments, creating visualizations of the design process and/or the designed space and finally communicating completed designs.
2. Information and communication technologies have also been used for enhancing physical environments in order to support interpersonal mediated communication. The contemporary urban environment usually incorporates various kinds of representations of reality, communicated to citizens via various media and appropriate display systems. New types of mobile communication technologies, multi-user virtual environments, geographical positioning systems, interactive 3D interfaces on mobile devices, as well as the convergence of these systems, lead to new forms of interpersonal communication, which may significantly restructure the way we socialize, alter the experience of urban space and the relationship of the physical world with the technologically mediated environment.

These thematic axes indicate the main topics presented in thε conference.

The central theme of the conference suggests that papers may focus on two main axes:

1)     Communicating spatial representations:

• Creating static/dynamic, interactive/passive, linear/non-linear, iconic/abstract types of spatial representations
• Communicating such spatial representations by utilizing several types of communication interfaces
• Information (visualization) spaces

        These spaces may vary in scale but emphasis will be given at urban scale representations.

 2)    Communicating within mediated spaces (environments enhanced by information and communication technologies):

• Traditional forms of analog electronic media integrated within environments of any scale
• Collaborative virtual environments (CVEs)
• Hybrid spaces (augmented reality, mixed reality systems)