The design of the Politecnico di Torino “Campus delle Architetture, del Design e della Pianificazione” has an enormous strategic value, both for the reorganisation of the University and for the city dynamics, contributing to the overall development of the Po cultural axis. The transformation involved by the new campus will significantly impact the life of the area, radically changing its intensity through the daily flows of thousands of people and making the park an actual natural connective tissue. The communication project includes the realisation of events aimed at presenting the Campus to disseminate and popularise the outcomes of the realisation process to different stakeholders, showing a scale model of the area. Among the innovative features of the communication proposal is the superimposition of digital layers on the physical model for audience engagement through a webAR that activates a step-by-step journey with descriptions of different aspects of the campus project.
Artificial Intelligence and Extended Reality for Communicating the Uses of Natural Fibers in Building Construction: State of the Art and New Proposals
This contribution presents a digital framework to promote and communicate the use of natural fibers in building construction, developed within the “Circular Design for Natural Fibers” (CD4NF) project. The research addresses the limited application of advanced digital tools in this emerging field by proposing an integrated workflow that synergizes Building Information Modeling (BIM), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and eXtended Reality (XR). The core of the proposal is a flexible and modular platform built upon a structured material filing system that catalogs detailed information on various natural fibers. This platform utilizes BIM as a central data repository. An AI system, based on a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) model, enables users to query this complex data using natural language. XR applications provide an interface for visualizing and interacting with the BIM models and their associated information in real-world contexts. This approach aims to optimize key processes from material research and design to construction, enhancing decision-making, interoperability, and communication. The system represents a step towards a more efficient, circular, and sustainable construction sector by facilitating the informed adoption of natural fiber-based materials.
Index – Representation Across Boundaries New Links with AI, AI-GEN, and XR Tools for Cultural Heritage and Innovative Design
Preface – Representation Across Boundaries New Links with AI, AI-GEN, and XR Tools for Cultural Heritage and Innovative Design
Representation Across Boundaries: New Paradigms in the Age of AI and XR
The introduction and rapid expansion of new algorithms based on Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) processes to support knowledge and design activities has revolutionized multiple domains in recent years. Among these, research in the fields of Cultural Heritage, Design, and Architecture is fostering the development of new methodologies for study and content creation — partly supporting existing tools and partly replacing them entirely — while offering a new paradigmatic perspective on the impact of AI within these domains.
More specifically, the introduction of Generative AI (GenAI) and the creation of new forms of content within these fields open new possibilities for the understanding, analysis, design, and communication of architecture and design. At the same time, these developments highlight the limitations and risks associated with their uncritical use and raise important ethical questions. Human guidance and supervision in generative processes still remain — fortunately — a foundational component of these workflows, ensuring control over results while encouraging their implementation across different areas.
Through a concise review of current research in the field, the article provides an updated overview of recent international studies, while anticipating possible future developments concerning XR and AI in Cultural Heritage, Design, and Architecture.
Index – Advances in Representation New AI- and XR-Driven Transdisciplinarity
Virtual Reconstruction, Museography, and VR/AR Communication in Design for Heritage
Il contributo presenta un progetto didattico multidisciplinare focalizzato sulla ricostruzione virtuale e la comunicazione museografica di un ambiente di Villa Adriana. Attraverso rilievo digitale (fotogrammetria con camere 360°), analisi geometrica e modellazione 3D basata su fonti storiche (in particolare Palladio), vengono sviluppate diverse ipotesi ricostruttive. Tali modelli sono successivamente utilizzati per la progettazione di esperienze immersive in realtà virtuale e aumentata, finalizzate sia alla fruizione remota sia al supporto alla visita in situ. Il lavoro integra approcci scientifici e interpretativi, evidenziando il ruolo delle tecnologie XR nella valorizzazione e comunicazione del patrimonio archeologico.
Immersive Experiences for the Re-contextualization of Statues of the Goddess Sekhmet
This paper presents a multidisciplinary workflow for the digital reconstruction and immersive re-contextualization of the Sekhmet statues preserved at the Museo Egizio in Turin. Combining archaeological research, 3D modeling, and virtual reality technologies, the study reconstructs the original architectural contexts of the statues—specifically the Temple of Amenhotep III and the Temple of Ptah—and explores multiple hypotheses regarding their spatial arrangement. The resulting VR experiences enable users to navigate reconstructed environments and interact with contextual information, supporting both scholarly investigation and public dissemination. The research highlights the potential of immersive technologies as heuristic and communicative tools in cultural heritage.
Preface: Introducing the Relationships Between Digital Representation and AR/AI Advanced Experiences Preface – Digital Innovations in Architecture, Engineering and Construction
Castello di Mirafiori: Reconstructive Modelling and WebAR
This paper presents a digital heritage project focused on the reconstruction and public communication of the lost Castello di Mirafiori in Turin through 3D modelling, WebAR, and physical prototyping. Developed through a collaboration between Politecnico di Torino and the Municipality of Turin within the European proGIreg urban regeneration programme, the research combines archival drawings, cadastral maps, engravings, historical texts, and territorial cartography to reconstruct the morphology of the Savoy residence and its formal gardens during their period of greatest splendour between the late sixteenth and mid-seventeenth centuries. The resulting digital model was optimized for lightweight online visualization and integrated into a browser-based augmented reality application using open-source AR.js technology, allowing visitors on site to access the reconstruction via QR code without installing software. Users can superimpose the castle model onto an information panel and explore different scales and views. The project also includes the design of a tactile physical model produced through laser cutting and 3D printing. The study demonstrates how low-cost AR solutions can reactivate vanished heritage, support community engagement, and contribute to cultural-led urban regeneration.