Spatial skills enhancement and 3d digital modelling tools in architecture and construction engineering: a literature review

The study aims at investigating the best international practices in the development of spatial skills in architecture and civil engineering university curriculums. In particular, it focuses on the digital tools and 3D modelling software adopted to develop spatial skills. The ability to understand and read construction drawings, to understand 3D information from 2D drawings, to imagine 3D models with correct spatial relationship among the parts of the model, and finally to transform a mental 3D model into correct digital models and drawings is not granted for freshmen students in architecture and construction engineering curriculums and need to be developed and reinforced. Different kinds of 3D modelling software (digital sketching, Computer Aided Design, Building Information Modeling) and 3D visualization tools (still images, videos, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality) are currently used or experimented in the first stages of architects’ and civil engineers’ curriculums. The aim of the review is to provide some useful best practices and evaluation criteria, based on literature data.