GENESIS AND CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE «REAL-VIRTUAL» IN ARCHITECTURE

This article examines the genesis and conceptualisation of the “real-virtual” in architectural theory and practice. It addresses terminological ambiguity among adjacent labels such as virtual, digital, immersive, and simulated, and reconstructs historical trajectories that connect pre-digital image traditions to contemporary XR supported environments. Methodologically, the study uses a narrative, integrative review to synthesise media theory, phenomenology of perception, and applied research in architecture, engineering, and construction. The corpus includes seminal theoretical texts and recent studies on extended reality in design workflows, client communication, and education. The study advances three contributions. First, it clarifies the meaning and scope of the real-virtual as a continuum rather than a binary and differentiates it from neighbouring categories used in professional discourse. Second, it proposes an integrated analytical optics for studying hybrid architectural conditions. The optics aligns theoretical positions with practice and relates degrees of mediation, spatial presence, and authorship to concrete procedures of design, communication, and evaluation. Third, it outlines pathways for operationalisation through indicators that can support comparative case analysis and the articulation of research protocols. The discussion situates the framework within current debates on data informed design, user experience, and the ethics of technologically mediated environments. It highlights opportunities to compare historical and contemporary projects in a common coordinate field and to accumulate evidence across typologies and scales. Limitations concern the scope of sources and the need for empirical testing beyond conceptual synthesis. Future research will specify the indicators and protocols for applying the optics to a larger corpus of cases and will examine effects on stakeholder cognition and decision making in design and education. The article therefore provides a coherent vocabulary and a methodological basis for studying the real-virtual continuum in architecture and for informing reflective practice. It also maps open questions for policy, heritage curation, procurement, and responsible technology adoption.