LAUSR

This study examines the relationship between the virtual bodies of anthropomorphic avatars and exploratory creativity in empirical architectural design education. In Study 1, architecture major students (N = 83) conducted two design tasks via each of an actual human body in a real environment with a full-scale mockup model and avatars in a 3D virtual environment with a digital model. Following the tasks, students evaluated self-exploration levels, aiming to discover unexpected, novel, and functional solutions. In Study 2, students (N = 106) designed two architectural 3D digital models, without and with the presence of avatars, with self-evaluations as in Study 1. The statistical analyses revealed that (1) the virtual and actual bodies were not statistically different in supporting the students’ exploratory creativity. However, (2) in digital modeling, using the virtual body of an avatar better facilitated the search for functional aspects of design and consequently promoted exploratory creativity, relevant to perception-action coupling and para-perception.