Keywords
Abstract
This comprehensive study critically interrogates the ontological paradigm shift towards post-digital architecture, defining it not merely as a stylistic evolution but as a fundamental transition where digital technologies recede from being visible effects to becoming an invisible, ambient medium that orchestrates material, sensory, and algorithmic processes. The relevance of this research lies in understanding architecture as a dynamic system governed by project-specific computational logics and complex data-driven rules, challenging conventional focus on static object-making and universal stylistic codes. The investigation employs a rigorous, multi-layered hybrid methodology across five experimental cases: (1) AI-driven generative design for real-time morphogenetic visualization; (2) automated material retexturing using generative algorithms to create adaptive skins; (3) AI-assisted heritage reconstruction to explore speculative historical adaptations; (4) hybrid digital-physical prototyping via 3D printing to validate structural integrity; and (5) immersive 1:1 scale evaluation in Virtual Reality using Unreal Engine and Oculus Quest 2. This integrated approach allows assessment of post-digital forms from computational, perceptual, and material perspectives. Key results demonstrate that architectural forms emerge as adaptive, multi-agent systems: AI introduces coherent yet unpredictable variations expanding the design search space; VR simulations reveal spatial and ergonomic discrepancies often invisible in traditional CAD; and physical prototyping establishes a critical feedback loop between digital plasticity and material constraints. The study concludes that the architect’s role has shifted from a solitary author of fixed forms to a curator of evolutionary processes and human-machine symbiosis, highlighting the potential of hybrid methodologies to reconcile computation, materiality, and perception in contemporary architectural practice.