From representation to communication. About architectural drawing in the participatory process

The paper deals with the role of drawing for the architecture of participation; the investigation focuses on the main representation languages and techniques to find the ones that can be effective in formulating a project so that the final user can participate from the beginning to the end of the participatory process. Furthermore, architectural drawing is questioned to unveil which set of conventions means participatory design and not ordinary strategies for illustrating a project. The core of the research also examines how architectural drawing embraces the progress of ever-new digital technologies in some experiences and international experimentations into participatory design, to promote a strategy, more than a locked solution, for any future challenges.