Drawing without. From virtual reality to artificial intelligence

In the evolution of the relationship between architecture and representation, the traditional centrality of manual drawing has progressively been challenged by alternative methodologies within the design process. Starting from the emblematic cases of Walter Gropius and Oscar Niemeyer, this contribution shows how an architectural idea may emerge even without an immediate graphic transcription, through mental prefiguration, physical models, or collaborative design processes. The concept of “drawing in absentia” is explored through the experiments of Antoni Gaudí, Frei Otto, Sergio Musmeci, and Frank O. Gehry, whose hanging-chain models, elastic membranes, and study maquettes anticipated many principles of contemporary digital and parametric modeling. The paper investigates three current directions in architectural representation that no longer depend on conventional drawing: immersive Virtual Reality (VR), parametric computational design, and generative Artificial Intelligence. VR enables designers to sketch directly in three-dimensional space through immersive and haptic interaction. Parametric environments such as Grasshopper, Dynamo, and Houdini replace lines with operational diagrams and algorithmic relationships, making the project the outcome of flexible computational processes. Finally, machine learning systems, including deep neural networks are transforming image and model production through automated generation, three-dimensional shape recognition, image-to-model conversion, and text-prompt-driven rendering. These developments reveal a progressive transition from drawing as a direct representational act to new forms of design mediation in which the architectural project emerges through simulation, computation, and intelligent generative processes.