Abstract

The architectural discipline is undergoing a paradigmatic transformation driven by three converging technologies: Extended Reality (XR), Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), and semantic Building Information Modeling (BIM/HBIM). Long confined to post-hoc visualization of decisions already made, immersive tools are now moving toward an unprecedented status: that of conceptual agents capable of structuring spatial thinking, guiding formal choices, and reconfiguring creative processes at the very heart of design. This article offers a theoretical and empirical analysis of this transition, articulating a systematic review of recent scientific literature (2018-2025), the results of a Likert survey conducted with twenty-one actors in advanced architectural education (master's students, doctoral candidates, practicing architects), and a comparative analysis of two integrated use cases. The results converge toward three major transformations: the emergence of an embodied spatial cognition in which the body becomes an instrument for analyzing and validating forms; the constitution of a non-linear generative design process structured by continuous algorithmic exploration loops; and the opening of new modalities of multisensory and multi-scalar heritage mediation.

The survey records an overall adherence rate of 76% to the convergent ecosystem, with remarkable consensus around integrated environmental simulation (95%), AI+BIM+VR convergence for design optimization (90%), and anticipation of construction conflicts (86%). These results are accompanied by structural tensions: resistance to early introduction (57% disagreement), an economic obstacle identified by 81% of respondents, and fundamental ethical issues regarding algorithmic transparency, spatial justice, and the preservation of the architect's creative agency. The article argues that human-centered immersive systems, in their convergence with AI and semantic BIM, constitute not a substitute for the architect's creative intelligence, but its most powerful amplifier—provided there is progressive, reflective, and ethically governed pedagogical integration.

Keywords: Immersive representation; AI-BIM-XR Convergence; Generative architectural design; AI-assisted architectural creativity; Human-centered immersive systems; Embodied spatial cognition; Semantic BIM; HBIM; Digital espaciology; Algorithmic spatial justice; Creative agency; Immersive heritage mediation

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Citation

Ferdaws Belcadhi. “Immersive Representation Tools as Conceptual Agents: Paradigmatic Transformation of Architectural Design through AI-BIM-XR Convergence". Clareus Scientific Science and Engineering 3.4 (2026): 11-24.

Copyright

© 2026 Ferdaws Belcadhi. Licensee Clareus Scientific Publications. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.