THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE

BOOK REVIEW

REVIEW BY: EFRATA DEGU

ID NO: - 1204633

SUBMITED TO: MR. ENDALKACHEW F.

SUBMISSION DATE: OCT 19

 UNDERSTANDING ARCHITECTURE THROUGH DRAWING

Contents
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 3
CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................................................ 3
THE BENEFITS OF DRAWING ............................................................................................................. 3
CHAPTER TWO ...................................................................................................................................... 4
WHY DRAW? ........................................................................................................................................... 4
CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................................................. 4
CHOOSING THE SUBJECT ................................................................................................................... 4
PART TWO: TECHNIQUES ...................................................................................................................5
CHAPTER FOUR .....................................................................................................................................5
PERSPECTIVE ..........................................................................................................................................5
CHAPTER FIVE ........................................................................................................................................5
LINE AND SHADE ...................................................................................................................................5
CHAPTER SIX ..........................................................................................................................................5
COMPOSITION .......................................................................................................................................5
CHAPTER SEVEN ................................................................................................................................... 6
IMPORTANCE OF PRACTICE ............................................................................................................. 6
CHAPTER EIGHT ................................................................................................................................... 6

FROM SKETCH TO PLAN MAKING AND DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION .........6

CHAPTER NINE ...................................................................................................................6
SEQUENTIAL SKETCHES ...................................................................................................6
CHAPTER TEN ..................................................................................................................... 7
DRAWING AND PHOTOGRAPHY WITH SUSAN FAHY ............................................... 7
PART THREE CASE STUDIES IN DRAWING ................................................................... 7
CHAPTER ELEVEN .............................................................................................................. 7
TOWNS, TOWNSCAPES AND SQUARES ......................................................................... 7
CHAPTER TWELVE ............................................................................................................. 7
STREETS, LANES AND FOOTPATHS. ............................................................................... 7
CHAPTER THIRTEEN .........................................................................................................8
LANDMARKS, SKYLINE AND CITY IMAGE ....................................................................8
 UNDERSTANDING ARCHITECTURE THROUGH DRAWING

CHAPTER FOURTEEN .......................................................................................................................... 8

GATEWAYS, ENTRANCES AND DOORWAYS .................................................................................. 8
CHAPTER FIFTEEN ............................................................................................................................... 8
THE FAÇADES OF BUILDINGS ........................................................................................................... 8
CHAPTER SIXTEEN ............................................................................................................................... 9
MACHINERY, FUNCTION AND MODERNISM ............................................................................... 9
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN ......................................................................................................................... 9
LANDSCAPE ............................................................................................................................................ 9
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN ........................................................................................................................... 9
SUSTAINABILITY ................................................................................................................................... 9
CHAPTER NINETEEN........................................................................................................................... 10
HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY ....................................................................................................... 10
CHAPTER TWENTY .............................................................................................................................. 10
INTERIORS ............................................................................................................................................ 10
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE .................................................................................................................... 10
USING DRAWING TO ANALYSES AN URBAN AREA .................................................................... 10
CASE STUDY ONE ................................................................................................................................. 10
THE MERCHANT CITY, GLASGOW .................................................................................................. 10
CASE STUDY TWO ................................................................................................................................. 11
THE BASTIDE TOWNS, FRANCE ........................................................................................................ 11
CASE STUDY THREE ............................................................................................................................. 11
JAPANESE URBANISM .......................................................................................................................... 11
PART FOUR ............................................................................................................................................. 11
THE WAY FORWARD ............................................................................................................................ 11
CHAPTER 22 ............................................................................................................................................ 11
EXPLORATION THROUGH THE SKETCHBOOK .......................................................................... 11
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE ............................................................................................................... 12
FROM SKETCH TO DESIGN ............................................................................................................... 12
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR ................................................................................................................. 12
DESIGNING THROUGH DRAWING ................................................................................................. 12

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE.................................................................................................. 13
DRAWING IN ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE ................................................................. 13
 UNDERSTANDING ARCHITECTURE THROUGH DRAWING

INTRODUCTION

This book explores the role of freehand drawing in understanding modern architecture
and promoting a marriage of art and architecture. It aims to counter the dominance of
science in architectural education and encourage the creation of a more humane
environment by developing visual and artistic sensibilities through drawing practice. The
book is organized into four parts:

• guiding principles,
• graphic tools and drawing techniques,
• common design issues, and
• contemporary architectural practice.

Thematic exploration through drawing aids learning about the built environment, helping
to see, think, and design. The book presents a general overview of drawing practice in the
twenty-first century and the principles that underpin it. Freehand drawing is often the
first tool used by architects, and professional bodies like the Architects Registration Board
and the Royal Institute of British Architects recognize the importance of drawing in
becoming an architect.

CHAPTER ONE
THE BENEFITS OF DRAWING
Drawing is a crucial element in the design process, as it allows designers to record and
analyze existing examples and test the appearance of imagined objects. Before
photography, architects kept sketchbooks to record building details and research.
Sketches have evolved over time, with some architects using them as a primary
communication tool, while others analyze townscapes and building typology. The main
point is to use freehand drawing as a design tool, giving form and expression to one's
thoughts. A sketchbook is a personal library for future designs, capturing essence rather
than exhaustive realism. Designers should leave room for imaginative interpretation.
Sketching and analytical drawing are essential for understanding form and construction,
and this book aims to revive this tradition in art colleges and architecture schools. There
are three main types of freehand drawing for architects and urban designers: elaborate
perspective drawing, sketch perspectives, and exploration of the existing world. The latter
involves a sensitivity towards the existing context, providing a repertoire of forms and
designs for new structures. With growing awareness of cultural and aesthetic values of
cities and the European Community requiring higher standards of urban design, the
public is better informed and more focused on design. The architectural sketchbook, a
personal record between artist and subject, develops a critical stance and helps designers
create better townscapes.

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CHAPTER TWO
WHY DRAW?
This book encourages architecture, craft, and design students to learn freehand drawing as
it is more fun, instructive, and likely to last a lifetime than a photograph. Sketching
involves more work and skillful observation than simply pressing the shutter of a camera,
forcing students to engage with the topic more directly than a mere photographer. It
encourages a discriminating eye, allowing potential designers and visitors to benefit from
the discriminating eye that sketching encourages. Artists should approach subjects
thoughtfully, taking into account shape, proportions, and relationships between elevation
and plan. Sketches that focus on particular issues can offer useful directions for further
investigation. Charles Rennie Mackintosh, a master of this style of sketch, studied Italian
churches, farmhouses, Romanesque chapels, and Celtic architecture and art, leading to
imaginative design.

Richard Reid and Zaha Hadid both used sketchbooks as a tool for their design endeavors.
Their expertise as a designer was enhanced by their ability to use sketchbooks, which
served as a source of inspiration for his new work. Sketchbook skills are quicker and more
responsive than model-making or computer graphics. Drawing is a method used by artists
and designers to improve their visual literacy and understanding the visual world. Today's
artists have access to a wide range of drawing equipment, including waterproof felt-tip
pens, clutch pencils, and various paper types. Modern felt-tip pens and steel-nibbed pens
are preferred for their character and ease of use. Practice looking is crucial for both design
and drawing, as sketchbooks allow for a more critical looking, enhancing subject
awareness and offering a wider range of potential for designers. Both design and drawing
require practice looking, and neglecting freehand sketching undermines the alliance
between art, sculpture, and architecture.

CHAPTER THREE
CHOOSING THE SUBJECT
To create a well-composed sketch, consider the best materials, location, time of day, and
position for the subject. Materials should match the subject's qualities and the drawing
medium. Ultimately, the sketch should be well-planned and executed to achieve a visually
appealing composition. Planning in advance is crucial when sketching public seats, low
walls, or steps. Warm, private areas and avoiding traffic fumes can produce better
sketches. The angle of light and sunlight also affects learning. Choosing the position to
draw from is also largely an aesthetic matter. The relationship between the parts of a
sketch is important and you should seek to achieve a measure of harmony or balance in
the drawing. Sketching should be both enjoyable and educational; and both may be
helped by a little contemplative peace.

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PART TWO: TECHNIQUES

CHAPTER FOUR
PERSPECTIVE
Perspective is crucial for understanding the aesthetic value of towns and sketching them
effectively. Architects must conceptualize building volumetric arrangement and foresee
linkages without modeling or tracing lines. Accurate perspective was discovered in
Renaissance art and the Baroque period, making grand designs like Versailles and the
Nash terraces possible. Drawing parallel lines requires understanding perspective, while
two-point perspective focuses on objects and their space between them. Single-point
perspective is the simplest and most effective for creating townscapes and landscapes.
Two-point perspective requires careful construction of vanishing points, using a pen or
pencil as a guide. To avoid complex subjects, use a pencil to establish the angle of height
to width. Diagonals can also be used to establish the center of a wall or building in
perspective. The choice of eye level is essential in perspective drawing, with some artists
breaking rules to encourage the eye to dwell on the subject longer.

CHAPTER FIVE
LINE AND SHADE
Sketching the outline of objects can result in abstract drawings, as form, texture, and
arrangement is crucial. To represent these qualities, use line and shade to create a sense of
three-dimensional reality. Choose a light source and shade the sides of the object, casting
shadows on the ground and other surfaces. The more the object is modelled in plan or
section, the more complex the shade and shadows become. This convention becomes
reality on sunny days, but can be invented if strong light isn't present. In urban space or
landscape design, shade and shadows create a sense of substance to objects like dwarf
walls, hedges, trees, and sculpture. The tradition of shadows follows similar conventions
to perspective, with darker shade and stronger shadows in the foreground and gradually
lighter as they move into the distance, reinforcing the illusion of perspective.

CHAPTER SIX
COMPOSITION
Composition is crucial in drawing buildings and cities, as they require well-composed
sketches to convey their qualities. The subject should occupy the middle third of the
sheet, positioned on the golden section for proportional harmony. Buildings made of
known-size materials can be exploited by utilizing rhythmic patterns and arranging
elements in the drawing. Brickwork or tiling can provide texture and depth, while layers of
information and meaning should be present. Building designers and artists use various
elements to create satisfactory architecture, such as proportion, color, outline, texture,
harmony, shadow, and framing.

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Modern buildings require a different approach to rendering architectural drawing, and the
compositional arrangement should be related to the theme of the subject. Framing
elements, such as doors, windows, trusses, and

gateways, should be incorporated into the picture to tantalize the observer with a glimpse
of a distant world.

CHAPTER SEVEN
IMPORTANCE OF PRACTICE
Freehand drawing requires hand-eye coordination and frequent practice to achieve fluid,
confident lines. This book encourages drawing as part of the design process, emphasizing
training and self-discipline. Practice doesn't have to be solely location-based, as home and
design studios provide opportunities to develop eye-to-hand coordination and perspective
drawing rules. Sketching at home is crucial, as it allows for a private affair. Approaching
drawing from both personal and academic perspectives is essential, including perspective,
composition, shade, and shadow. A strong individual approach and graphic techniques
can produce lively and informative drawings.

CHAPTER EIGHT
FROM SKETCH TO PLAN MAKING AND DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION
Sketching is a valuable tool for learning about the built environment, but it can also be
supplemented by drawing quick plans or sections. It's essential to have someone else hold
the end of the tape measure and read out the dimensions. Sketch plans should be drawn
at the same time as measurements are taken, and ideally at the same scale. Approximate
plans are used to supplement the sketched information and bring aspects of the design
into clearer focus. Inquiry through graphic analysis is useful for cultivating appreciation of
an area or subject, particularly if it leads to searching through archival records or historic
plans. The intention is to supplement the sketch with other relevant information, often
stemming from practical considerations. The sketchbook is more useful than the camera
as it requires concentrated involvement and can lead to further investigations.

CHAPTER NINE
SEQUENTIAL SKETCHES
Sketching is a graphic exploration of places and architecture, focusing on interpretation
rather than description. It helps architectural illustrators capture the essence of urban
spaces, such as historic towns with their variety and unexpected delights. A well-planned
sequence of sketches can capture the mystery and contrast between large public buildings
and small domestic ones. Sketch plans can relate sketches to key factors in the town's
structure and explain dynamic spatial relationships. Sequential sketches help become
aware of complex geometries and create contrast for significant public buildings.
Designers like Sir Christopher Wren, Baroque churches, and Frank Gehry have used

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complex geometries in their designs, enhancing the understanding of urban design and its
impact on aesthetic appeal.

CHAPTER TEN
DRAWING AND PHOTOGRAPHY WITH SUSAN FAHY
Photography is a powerful tool in architecture, enabling designers to create precise images
of building facades and city scenes, saving time on rendering and allowing further
exploration through digitization. Combining photography and drawing allows architects
to record details and explore fundamentals of rhythm, structure, proportion, skyline, and
texture. Photography can be used documentarily and creatively, helping to understand
design qualities such as light, structural arrangements, and material color or texture. The
modern movement of photographers documented the rich, diverse imagery of the
twentieth century urban scene, inspiring architects like Le Corbusier to use fresh
approaches to urban design. However, the photograph of a building can alters its
representation, potentially leading to false images and poor design. The hybrid drawing of
freehand sketches, key words, formal technical renderings, CAD, and photography is
increasingly common in the design studio, reflecting the growing complexity of
architectural practice and the decline of the plan as the major generator of built form.

PART THREE CASE STUDIES IN DRAWING

CHAPTER ELEVEN
TOWNS, TOWNSCAPES AND SQUARES
Townscape, the aesthetic quality of urban spaces, is a concept introduced by urban
theorist Gordon Cullen. Key elements of urban beauty include squares, enclosed places,
centers of activity, routes through the town, and landmarks. Sketchbooks are useful tools
for understanding towns and the complex visual language of cities. Sketching squares
requires a focus, often a building facade, and includes paving details, trees, and shrubs to
create interesting articulation. Squares come in various sizes and are often surrounded by
buildings like shops, cafés, or bars, providing rich visual and social detail at the perimeter.
The relationship between geometry, activities, and planting is excellent for a sketchbook
analysis. Lesser squares and domestic spaces are valuable social centers for smaller
districts, showing a hierarchy of urban spaces with distinctive qualities related to privacy
and security.

CHAPTER TWELVE
STREETS, LANES AND FOOTPATHS.
Cities are shaped by their various types of routes, including street, boulevard, road, lane,
alleyway, and footpath. These routes have distinctive characteristics, such as a decorated
pub, oriel window, or a lofty church spire. Key routes often have landmarks, such as well-
placed statues or public buildings, which help city dwellers find their way and relate one
set of routes to another. Sketching a route should focus on punctuation and highlight

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local interest. Routes can undergo pleasant changes of direction or level, such as curves or
old pubs. Urban design is best taught in the field, using freehand drawing to record and
analyze the city. The enjoyment of towns depends on a balance between legibility and
mystery, with narrow spaces providing mystery and spatial complexity. The visual
language of cities resides not only in what we see and experience from the routes we take
but also in how we elect to represent it and thereby protect it.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
LANDMARKS, SKYLINE AND CITY IMAGE
Tall buildings, church spires, and vertical features like chimneys or pylons serve as
reference points for navigation in towns. They rise above lower structures, providing
background contrast and standing out from their neighbors. In modern cities, tall
buildings are often office blocks, making it difficult to navigate. To achieve uniqueness
and enhance the skyline, designers can manipulate the shape of the tower or profile the
top. The relationship between old and new city landmarks can be explored through
sketchbooks, which should include streets and tall buildings. Understanding the
interconnected nature of urban design can help us navigate through modern cities, as tall
buildings help us find our way as long as they stand out from their neighbors. Sketchbooks
can help cultivate architectural distinctiveness in tall buildings and create informative and
dramatic sketches.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
GATEWAYS, ENTRANCES AND DOORWAYS
Gateways and doorways are crucial in urban design, serving as visual tension and defining
routes. They are often celebrated through architectural displays, with grand gateways in
cities like Paris, Rome, and Kyoto defining arrival at the city center or entry points into
specific neighborhoods. Modern gateways have been revived due to crime prevention and
territorial definition. They define entrances into distinctive domains, expressing privacy or
security needs. Drawing gateways is rewarding as it provides visual tension and serves
both functional and decorative needs. Modern architecture and town planning have
played down the question of entrances, leading to openness and low-grade spaces
between buildings. Sketchbook analysis can highlight the processional route, punctuation,
and details of portals or doorways.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THE FAÇADES OF BUILDINGS
Drawing a building's façade offers insights into its function, construction, and civic
importance. Historical buildings are more complex than modern ones, and their
architectural façade may highlight aspects of current design theory or social patterns.
Elevational expression, such as cranes and lifting hoists, can manifest the building's
functions. Modern technology has made twentieth-century buildings more exciting,

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leading designers like Renzo Piano, Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, and Sir Michael Hopkins to
focus on structural and material daring. The façade can be expressed through columns,
beams, shadows, or other elements. Classical buildings use proportional systems, while
modern abstract façades and historical buildings can be visually depressing. Elevational
embellishment, such as decorative ironwork, columns, pilasters, and banners, can add
visual richness.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
MACHINERY, FUNCTION AND MODERNISM
Drawing industrial landscapes involves understanding the functional nature of trains,
machinery, and ships, which contrast with the historicism of recent buildings. These
objects have visual qualities derived from their utilitarian nature, such as exposed rivets
and moving parts. Industrial landscapes are linear, with parallel lines and a balance
between horizontal and vertical lines. Sketching industrial areas can provide artistic value
and teach design lessons. High tech modernists like Lord Rogers and Lord Foster produce
contemporary architecture with qualities derived from the spirit of the industrial
tradition. Deconstructivism, a fragmented modernism, has roots in industrial areas.
Drawings that express the effects of light on space, using shadow and shade, and strong
black lines can provide a tangible element of the modern age's atmosphere.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
LANDSCAPE
Landscape drawing is a skill that focuses on the structure and form of landscapes, leaving
details to a secondary sketch. It can be used to explore modern landscapes, such as
engineering structures and reservoirs, as well as urban edge landscapes like sewage farms
and industrial parks. Trees can be drawn individually or as blocks, and their shape, color,
and texture contribute to the visual effect. Landscape artists like Andy Goldsworthy, who
engages with nature through installations at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, use dry stone
walls, ambiguous holes, woven branches, twigs, and leaves to incorporate ecological
understandings, local materials, and cultural references. Drawing helps students
understand Goldsworthy's structural properties, engineering, and craft, as well as his
artistic aspirations and values.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
SUSTAINABILITY
Freehand drawing can be used to explore sustainable development and construction at
urban, building, and construction levels. Sketching can reveal best green practices,
whether old or modern, and can help understand differences in green practices across
regions due to climate or cultural differences. Sustainable architecture, including solar-
designed houses and traditional wind towers, is closely linked to sustainability. By
learning from past practices, students and architects can better prepare for a future with

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fewer global resources. Sketchbooks can also provide insights into sustainable practices,
such as the mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly compaction in Tokyo and the use of ventilating
cowls in UK construction. Combining visual analysis with building physics can provide a
deeper understanding of sustainability.

CHAPTER NINETEEN
HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY
Sketching ancient sites helps understand how early humans fashioned the environment,
providing lessons for modern construction and site planning. The use of technology,
design, and construction is crucial for understanding ancient lives. Sketching on site
allows for analysis of Roman construction techniques, such as parallel geometries, right-
angled crossings, and sculpture fragments. Roman buildings display an unswerving
adoption of universal principles of design, similar to modernism. Sketching can reveal
more than architectural truths; it tells us about the Roman world view. Ancient sites are
often busy, so it's best to visit during less tourist-friendly times or find quiet corners to
unravel complex relationships and reveal past secrets.

CHAPTER TWENTY
INTERIORS
Drawing interior volumes involves capturing the play of solid against void, line against
plane, and light against shade. It's a valuable method for potential designers, revealing
more about a room's architecture than measured drawings or photographs. Sketching
interior spaces offers advantages like shelter from elements, clearer perspective, and well-
articulated spaces. The quality of an apartment is determined by proportions, openness,
and decorative elements. Drawings can help students learn architectural design rules and
the links between the inside and outside of a building. Portraying the human dimension is
crucial for evoking the interior's quality. Accurate proportion and perspective are
essential, but instinctive sketching can lead to more valuable sketches.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
USING DRAWING TO ANALYSES AN URBAN AREA
CASE STUDY ONE
THE MERCHANT CITY, GLASGOW
The Merchant City area of Glasgow can be analyzed using freehand sketching and
mechanical drawing to understand the urban form and key features of architecture. This
method can cover points such as urban structure, public buildings, background
architecture, decorative elements, entrances, gateways, squares, streets, urban spaces,
landscape design, and proportional systems. The layout of the area is regular, making
analysis easier than organic growth. Public buildings have a larger scale and presence than
background architecture, and their ability to adapt to new uses is well-represented. The
background architecture of the Merchant City shapes the physical context of public

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buildings, while the design and detailing of windows and doors help establish the style of
architecture. Sketchbook analysis of streets and proportional systems helps understand
the inherited geometry of places, which can be useful for architects, designers, and those
planning to redevelop or object to overdevelopment.

CASE STUDY TWO

THE BASTIDE TOWNS, FRANCE
The Bastide towns in France are a collection of small country towns built in the thirteenth
century by various sovereigns, including King Edward I. Each town has a central market
square, a timber-framed market hall, a centrally placed church, a town wall with gateways,
and a grid layout of streets. The towns' architecture reflects the wealth of merchants and
farmers, with Gothic and Renaissance decoration reflecting the wealth of merchants and
farmers. The towns' urban design is unusual in medieval settlements, with well-ordered
streets, a central market square, and clearly defined town edges. Sketching these towns
offers a sense of purpose and simplicity, which is essential for understanding the spatial
and civic order of these towns

CASE STUDY THREE

JAPANESE URBANISM
This case study uses freehand drawing to analyze Japanese cities, revealing four lessons.
The first is the impact of deregulation on skylines, with high buildings competing for
attention. The second observation is the nature of spaces between skyscrapers, with
advertising signs and wire-scopes affecting the urban landscape. The third observation is
the close proximity between architecture and landscape, with parks and mountains
providing a natural frame of reference.

PART FOUR
THE WAY FORWARD
CHAPTER 22
EXPLORATION THROUGH THE SKETCHBOOK
Sketchbooks are a valuable tool for personal appreciation of buildings and places.
Focusing on specific topics like streets, squares, and courtyards can enhance
understanding of places. Sketching key qualities of places, such as skylines, spaces
between buildings, and district edges, can help analyze street design, identify new
buildings, and suggest changes to enhance their qualities. Studying skylines and
silhouettes can help understand the character of different towns, as tall buildings shape
the urban silhouette. Freehand drawing is a useful tool for analyzing neighborhoods,
enhancing the character and culture of places. Urban designers should focus on
strengthening the character and culture of places and adding new richness. Sketching is
an excellent way to study local architectural or archaeological heritage, regardless of

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artistic abilities. Drawing on location is essential for studying town houses, rural farms, or
industrial monuments. Examining the work of famous architects can provide valuable
insights into their designs. Sketching helps unravel the complex parameters under which
designers operate, making clear their architectural intentions. Good design is not about
blindly repeating the language of inherited monuments but about inventing new forms by
changing the angle of refraction.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
FROM SKETCH TO DESIGN
Sketchbooks are crucial for visual understanding and design, enhancing perceptual
awareness and helping designers develop elegant forms for specific functions. Drawing
existing buildings, squares, and streets provides a rich repertoire of details and forms,
teaching the significance of places and their functions. Sketching helps designers
understand the visual structure of an area and the details that make up cityscape or
landscape. The method of representation directly influences how we view the world. To
move from sketchbook exploration to design, it is important to follow established rules
and follow grammar, syntax, and composition of drawing. Sketchbooks are valuable for
developing ideas, relating new designs to existing structures, communicating design
strategy, and analyzing aspects of the design. The sketchbook culture helps designers
become skilled communicators and develop their ideas. Charles Rennie Mackintosh and
Richard Reid have used freehand sketches in their creative process.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
DESIGNING THROUGH DRAWING
The traditional view of design emphasizes the creation of form, with drawing as the task of
giving that form shape or expression. Modernist practice, on the other hand, focuses on
form's function and meaning, and the designer must define the problem to determine its
functional characteristics using the drawing process. The role of freehand drawing and its
interface with other media, such as models and CAD, in achieving excellence in
architecture is a key question. The private nature of design drawing raises concerns about
its ability to be a vehicle for shared problem solving and form evolution. Architects, like
Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, and Will Alsop, have begun to debate the mode of drawing and
its design consequences. There are five types of architectural drawing: initial diagram,
sketch design, technical and preparatory details, site and other context studies, and
definitive drawing. Critics argue that traditional architectural drawing limits creativity,
emphasizes modernist diagrams over sketch designs, and requires different types of
drawing at different stages of the creative process. Contemporary art practices challenge
the functionalist view of drawing.

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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
DRAWING IN ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE
A study of UK architects focuses on the role of freehand drawing in design generation,
focusing on the types of drawings produced, their type at different points in the evolution
of a design idea, paper and graphic techniques used, and the interrelationships with
thought processes and other tools such as models and CAD. The study acknowledges the
symbiotic relationship between thinking, drawing, and designing, but not all architects
believe drawing is a prerequisite for design. The study suggests that drawing is essential to
both thinking and designing, but not the other way around.

Architects often view design as a synthesis of complex factors, with drawing being a
crucial part of understanding the problem. Freehand drawing is often used in the
development of design ideas throughout the design and construction process, as changes
occur during the evolutionary process. Most architects maintain a sketchbook or
notebook, drawing a repertoire of forms and precedents to use in new designs. The type of
freehand drawing used often depends on the nature of the architectural problem. For all
ten architects interviewed, traditional freehand drawing is the main development tool,
with models and CAD employed at later stages. The sequence of diagram, sketch design in
plan and 3D, followed by more formal drawing and rough model, followed by CAD is
employed by seven out of the ten architects interviewed. The increasing use of complex
forms in architecture has led to the use of Computer Aided Design (CAD) as a modelling
tool in projects early on. Freehand drawing plays a crucial role in design development and
communication, as it allows more authors to participate than CAD-based design
development. However, the loss of ownership of a design drawing through duplication via
CAD can have an adverse impact on subsequent architectural quality. The study found
that freehand drawing is the pre-eminent tool employed in solving design problems, with
drawings produced as a kind of conversation acted out in line and often integrated with
words, symbols, and photographs to produce a collage of design potential.

CONCLUSION

In summary, sketching is an important skill for architects as it helps them to:

• Visualize their ideas

• Communicate effectively with others
• Explore different design options
• Make quick iterations to refine their ideas
• Think creatively
• Identify potential issues early on in the design process

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