Looking back in a time - the way drawing has changed

Looking back in a time of rapid change

Part 3 Architectural Drawings

In my July/August 1995 copy of Architecture New Zealand magazine there are a number of architectural drawings. Some are floor plans and others are details like the one above. These drawings show all the variance that comes from something made by hand. Drawings in this era whether in pencil or pen tended to have lots of rendering that made the identification of the various materials easy. The other technique used to make the drawings readable was the use of different line weights. I am also a fan of lines being crossed at the corner. While this can be done in CAD it is never as convincing.

The majority of the drawings we prepare are now drawn using Revit a 3D software. However, I still own a really nice Mutoh drawing machine which back in the day I could use for A0 sized drawings we often had to produce for commercial project. My drawing machine is left hand which really helps. I spent a little time on a right handed machine and it was a painful experience working with your arms crossed over.

I still use my drawing board for quickly drawing up Preliminary Designs of residential projects I work on be they alterations or new builds. Much of the joinery drawings we do in the office are drawn by me, by hand, on the drawing board. I can design and draw up a kitchen quicker than it can be drawn on the computer. The reason for this is that something magical that happens with pen or pencil in hand on a sheet of paper Having a mouse in hand while looking at a screen provided a completely different experience. For me creativity comes from the connection between a drawing instrument in my hand with my brain, that does not happen with a mouse in hand.

I see the same thing with young architects used to using the computer. They get stuck on a singular idea generated on the computer which seems to cement the design rigidly in place with its straight and precise lines. They get into the trap of not seeing their mistakes or alternative design approaches.

When you draw by hand you can leave your thinking on the page and keep on thinking. This allows you to move freely back and forth as you make value judgements on what you are drawing. When you are more sure about the direction you want to go you simply darken those lines so they read more boldly against all your lighter thinking lines,

I'd love to see more details in architecture magazines as they can be a really great source of learning. I'd also love to see more use of hand drawing throughout the design and documentation process because there is real value that can come from it despite the fantastic software we have available to us.

Look out for part 4 where I will take a light hearted look at how architectural fittings were advertised back in 1995.