This research presents a development of the concept of mental space model as a comprehensive approach to achieve a designer-friendly environment by mapping a three-dimensional Mental Space into a Dynamic 3-D Virtual Environment.
Within the wide range of the brain mechanisms understandings, findings and studies, the mental space models play a mastering role. It presents a suitable domain for understanding the structure of the architectural design process that is often characterized by a series of evolving ideas and involving a cyclical process between design and visualization as indicated in Brown. A and Lee. H. R. 1998. However, the nature of the internal representation still remains unclear. What is actually represented in a designer’s mental space and what drives and influences the mental design process?
This study, therefore, develops a conceptual model that links these theories and findings to program a computer to mimic or work in tandem with the mental processes involved to serve both architectural and planning design process, moreover, a brief conceptual guidance is done to make the representation and the associated cognitive process explicit. This conceptual model would be used to build the user interface and workspace of a designer-friendly virtual environment to make it consistent with the mental process. The three-dimensional Concept map can be used by the architect to stimulate the generation of ideas, and are believed to aid creativity and for brain-storming. Furthermore, they could be personalized and idiosyncratic to be used in communicating complex ideas.