Researchers present a hybrid approach to teaching architectural design at CNaPPES26

Researchers Joaquim Flores, Luís Paulo Pacheco, and Isabel Clara Neves participated in CNaPPES26, the National Congress on Pedagogical Practices in Higher Education, held on 10 July 2026, where they presented the paper “From Analogue Methods to Artificial Intelligence: Validating Architectural Design through Hybrid Representation Processes.”

The presentation discussed the results of a pedagogical experiment developed within architectural design education, centred on the sequential integration of analogue drawing, digital modelling, and artificial intelligence as part of a progressive and reflective learning process. In contrast to approaches that use artificial intelligence as a tool for the immediate generation of solutions, the study advocates its use at a later stage of the design process, treating it as an instrument for the critical validation of students’ design decisions.

Participation in CNaPPES26 reinforces the researchers’ commitment to pedagogical innovation in architectural education and to the development of methodologies that combine analogue and digital practices, contributing to the critical and responsible use of artificial intelligence in higher education.