One look to the surrounding environment, and its visual elements, is sufficient to make the architectural designer, particularly, interested in it. The visual elements of the environment are considered as creative motivators for the designer, developing his visual skills, and his related visual thinking processes, as well as its impact on the designer’s visualization, to be capable of creating rich and authentic designs.Through a set of mental processes mainly associated with the skills of visual thinking, as well as the personal emotions related to each designer, which have an important role in honing the different designer's skills.
The Islamic architecture and its sculptural architectural elements reflect the designer's artistic skills, his ability of observation, and visual perception, which contributed greatly to the expansion of his visual thinking skills. These can be discerned through reflections of the surrounding environment in his architectural elements designs. By contemplating the natural elements of the his surrounding environment, the artist has been able to create innovative aesthetic designs for his creative sculptural architecture that carries the Islamic vocabularies and spirit.
This paper aims to discuss the important role of visual thinking in developing the architectural sculpture designer’s creativity processes, through studying the architectural elements of Islamic Architecture. As well as investigating how contemplating surrounding environment inspired the artist with all its details, and how he treated it as visual and emotional stimulation, that fired his imagination, enriched his thoughts, and made him able to reframe it in new original designs that reflect all the holy spirit of Islam.