Spatial reasoning and its expression in the methodology of transition from 2D to 3D design in Architecture students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18861/ania.2025.15.2.4168Keywords:
Spatial reasoning, spatial visualization, mental rotation, 2D-to-3D transition methodology, hands-on experience, 2D-to-3D analytical rubric, PSVT:V, PSVT:R, Purdue Spatial Visualization Test-PSVT, architectural educationAbstract
Spatial reasoning is essential in the architectural profession, and even more so at the beginning of their training, where it is necessary to coherently transform two-dimensional ideas into three-dimensional ones. The objective of the study is to analyze spatial reasoning through a hands-on experience applying the 2D-to-3D design transition methodology to architecture students, using a quantitative, descriptive-correlational approach. The sample consisted of 21 students from the Design Workshop I-2025 at a National University in Huánuco, Peru. To assess their spatial reasoning abilities, the Visualization of Developments (PSVT:V) and Visualization of Rotations (PSVT:R) subtests of the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test (PSVT) were administered, and the 2D–3D analytical rubric was used to evaluate practical experience. The results reported medium-to-high levels of spatial reasoning, with a slight preponderance of mental rotation, and although the relationships between PSVT:V, PSVT:R, total PSVT score, and design performance in practical experience were not statistically significant, consistent positive correlations were identified, whereby students with more developed spatial reasoning achieved better results when transitioning their designs from 2D to 3D, making the PSVT an important pedagogical predictor in the teaching of architectural design at the introductory levels. It is recommended to implement early diagnostic tools and active methodologies to strengthen spatial reasoning, as well as to replicate the study with larger samples.
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