Understanding Architectural Drawings Part 1

Posted By: Fundi Mfalme on 21st of December 2012

An architectural drawing or architect's drawing is a technical drawing of a building (or building project) that falls within the definition of architecture. Architectural drawings are used by architects and others for a number of purposes: to develop a design idea into a coherent proposal, to communicate ideas and concepts, to convince clients of the merits of a design, to enable a building contractor to construct it, as a record of the completed work, and to make a record of a building that already exists. Architectural drawings are drawn according to a set of conventions, which include particular views (floor plan, section etc.), sheet sizes, units of measurement and scales, annotation and cross referencing. The set of drawings may differ from country to country but typically in Kenya, a set of architectural drawings must contain a location plan, a site plan, floor layouts of proposed construction, elevations and sections. Axonometric and perspective drawings too are normally done by the architect but may not be required for approval of a construction project. They however give great insights to clients in terms of an artistic impression of how the complete project should look like. Location Plan The location plan defines the area of the proposed construction. This is a map that will show the the surrounding area of the proposed construction. The drawing will include the site for the proposed construction clearly marked and its Land Registration number, it should show access roads to the site, and the other plots around the site with their LR Number. The size of the drawing will be defined by the scale used and in most cases, Architects will request the Survey department of the area to provide accurate copy of the land markings for them to use. Site Plan This is a drawing that shows the layout of the proposed site. The drawing will be a zoomed in version of the location plan but this time the lenses focusing only on the site. The drawing will show boundary/perimeter fence. It will show the proposed construction layout and its proximity to the perimeter wall and/or the nearest roads. The drawing will also define spaces in the site i.e. car parking area, servants quarters accommodation etc. This is where the architect also defines services running in the compound like storm and sewer drainage, electricity posts. If there are local authority service lines, the architect will define how he proposes to connect to the services. Floor Plan This is the most important drawing especially to the structural engineers, contractors and especially the client. It is a view from above showing the arrangement of spaces in building in the same way as a map, but showing the arrangement at a particular level of a building. Technically it is a horizontal section cut through a building (conventionally at one meter above floor level), showing walls, windows and door openings and other features at that level. The plan view includes anything that could be seen below that level: the floor, stairs (but only up to the plan level), fittings and sometimes furniture. Objects above the plan level (e.g. beams overhead) can be indicated as dotted lines. For it to be considered as a working drawing it will clearly indicate the dimensions of the spaces, the specifications i.e. floor finishes of every room, and clear labeling. Even though the drawings are drawn to scale it is always a written rule that the drawings should not b scaled. This is to try minimize as far much as possible errors in interpreting the drawings. In situations where dimensions are not clear, figured dimensions will always override scaled dimensions. This means for instance, of the drawings shows a dimension of say 3m to be shorter than that of say 1m, the drawings should be read as it is. But again in such situations, such discrepancies MUST always be reported to the architect. Elevations An elevation is a view of a building seen from one side, a flat representation of one façade. This is the most common view used to describe the external appearance of a building. Each elevation is labeled in relation to the compass direction it faces, e.g. the north elevation of a building is the side that most closely faces north. It may also be labeled in relation to the use of a building, for instance front elevation to mean the view from the front access of the building. Buildings are rarely a simple rectangular shape in plan, so a typical elevation may show all the parts of the building that are seen from a particular direction. Geometrically, an elevation is a horizontal orthographic projection of a building on to a vertical plane, the vertical plane normally being parallel to one side of the building. The elevation will not only show the external appearance of the building but also provide other specifications and dimensions. For instance, it is not possible to define the specifications of a window on the floor plan but in elevation, one can define the height and make of the window. This will happen in relatively small drawings, in bigger drawings, such information maybe too crowded hence a table called ‘doors and windows schedule’ that will in detail define such specifications. For more insights on construction please visit our full site at www.fundimjanja.com