Augmented Maquette for Urban Design

Augmented Reality (AR) is used in different disciplines with several purposes. In the field of architecture and urban planning it can be very effective if applied to anticipate design projects and their effects. This can be done on-site, through the augmentation of the transformation area, or off-site, using physical models of the same context. This contribution focuses on Augmented Reality1 with physical scale models, later named Augmented Maquette. AR enable to join the specific characteristics of the real and the digital environment, and in so doing the user can take advantage of the peculiar and unique nature of both. This is the reason why we believe that the application of such a tool can be very effective in supporting an informed dialog between the different actors involved in the process of urban transformation, including stakeholders, decision makers and citizens. Likewise, it can be very effective for higher education in architecture and urban studies. The paper presents pros and cons of physical and digital models and advantages and disadvantages of a mixed solution. It briefly describes a qualitative comparative study among three selected apps for AR, based on the evaluation of their efficacy in outdoor environments and with scaled models. It then outlines the typology of “layers” that can be added to physical models for generating experiential dynamic maquettes.