The paper presents the results and analyses of an online user survey (please refer to http://cumincad.scix.net/data/works/att/8d88.content.09055.pdf) which considers the use of currently available media, their roles and performance in the delivery of information of architectural works. It proposes suggestions for the manner and reasons these factors fashion users’ preferences. It also highlights several aspects of architectural data (e.g. forms, lighting, materials, etc) as well as those of the respective media used to represent them while indicating how significant end-users perceive these aspects in the process of understanding architecture. The interpretations of the results outlined in this paper may suggest some answers to the questions relating to current media use, but they may also pose more questions about the types of and the manner in which information should be delivered to architecture enthusiasts/readers. This reassessment is intended to help anticipate future directions in the application of these media in presenting architectural information. Special attention is particularly paid to the opportunities afforded by the digital platform.

It could easily be established that architectural information has undergone various manners of representations in publications; most, if not all of which are author-driven in contents and structures. To whatever extent that these publications may have been relied upon as other sources of information and knowledge, it is unusual that there appears to be an absence of assessment of the effectiveness they assume to deliver. It is often found that in such publications, readers are met with irrational expectations of prior understanding of the subject matters that the publications themselves often become beacons which spotlight the positions or commands of knowledge of the authors rather than ones that genuinely guide readers to achieve maximum possible comprehension. Could the reclusive nature of the activity, brought upon by these publications unlike that of the lecture settings, allow them to be easily unquestion-ed/able? Or have they become so effective that their positions are beyond reproach?

In the age where a shadow of change is being brought upon by the presence of a more interactive electronic delivery, it is an interesting period to retreat and reassess the position of the current available media in relation to message recipients. Have the available sources of information really been effective? Will/Should Technology see mere replicas of traditional mode of delivery in digital forms? Could we see possible shifts of delivery methods? What should we be prepared for? These questions were springboards that launched the need for the survey. However, the collected data may be used in a few other various manners than to locate the present scenario or serve as basis to drive the future direction/s in architectural information representations.

The architectural work featured as an example is of high potential heritage value - an area of special interest in the context of a country with a relatively short architectural history as Australia. The information depicted in the model has a role to supplement a site visit or to communicate independently to the much larger audience who are unable to visit the site.

Although the paper does not insist on definite or final prescriptive techniques for the delivery of architectural information of heritage or potential heritage values, it suggests a possibility of standardisation in this area with features and considerations that need to be firstly addressed.

This paper does not deal with the technical aspects of visualisation creation processes but proposes to emphasise architectural visualisations – animations, in particular - as a heightened form of art that could be approached with grammatical lens more than merely a technical exercise that aims to serve an outcome or an industry as they are often perceived now. Digital architectural visualisations and their delivery techniques can be expanded much more as an artistic (architectural) expression like architectural writings are to authors, games to game designers. Although differences could be identified, there are numerous lessons that can be drawn from other forms of art to propel architectural visualisations to a new level beyond those seen in real-estate websites, architectural practices and most students’ works in reputed educational institutions.

Architectural information is peculiar to each building. In order to explicate the essences of architectural works (i.e. the vocabularies, designer’s intents, etc), in all fairness, their presentations cannot be generically produced and uniformly adapted. What one technique and approach could successfully achieve in explaining one building cannot exactly be re-applied to another building with the same expected results. Forms, scales, circulation paths, lighting assignments, designer’s intents, other information (and types) to be delivered differ from one building to another. As such, executions are also wide open to be explored to not only address the practical issues but also to express the intentions of the author/s or director/s to strengthen the architectural narratives.

This paper highlights and illustrates by examples, specifically in architectural flythroughs/animations, considerations that need to be addressed in order that the results would serve as an artistic/architectural expression with a degree of educative substance.