The space behind geometry: didactics of Projective Geometry for Architecture

The massive presence of machines in everyday life make them a cultural symbol; the computer holds a special position within this frame: real and virtual perceptions are allowed to mingle each other, extending our material and immaterial horizons. But is there still room for the discipline of Geometry and its creative and expressive potential in the computational era? Is the awareness of the nature and versatility of geometry still essential for the education of architects and engineers? Do its issues still concern architectural knowledge? We believe that a geometric education tout court still implies not only a didactic of space but also the awareness of it, its prefiguration and feasibility. These issues can be verified through the recent developments of computer as a drawing tool; however it is necessary to consider that its outputs -in spite of their realism- should differentiate themselves from reality, in order to conceive and understand it. As a learning path to obtain less fascination for the digital tool and more efficiency in the building of architectural knowledge, we propose four training practices which allow students to understand and communicate the space by the tools of projective geometry.