Teaching architectural structures with the aid of virtual tours

Abstract

Architectural structures are one of the main components of architecture. This is the reason why they are taught at every architectural study programme. The Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture of the University of Nis is no exception to this. With its strong background in civil engineering, this faculty gives even more attention to the architectural structures than most, and this has proven in practice to be a great advantage for its students. With the rise and development of new technologies, architectural structures are also being innovated and upgraded. However, new methods for teaching architectural structures are still being explored and there has not yet been an established direction for innovations in teaching architectural structures. This paper aims to analyze possible techniques and tools that could be used in enhancing teaching methodologies of architectural structures with respect to modern technologies. The paper will first present the need for innovation in teaching of architectural structures in the context of digitalization. Then, virtual tours as one of the means of digitalization will be analyzed and discussed. Next, architectural structures as a topic will concisely be introduced and systematized. In addition to this, teaching of architectural structures at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture in Nis will be briefly displayed. Finally, the possibilities for using virtual tours in teaching architectural structures will be investigated. Special attention will be paid to analyzing benefits, as well as limitations and possible problems of such an approach. Based on this, conclusions about the use of virtual tours in teaching architectural structures will be drawn and presented.