Every successful building or remodeling project begins with architectural drawings. Now more than ever, creating different kinds of architectural drawings has never been simpler; no longer must time-consuming sketches be produced manually, nor are they spent using complex computer CAD software programs requiring hours of laborious programming. Even those without architectural backgrounds can produce professional architectural drawings in hours using modern software, with all you need - types, steps and styles - included here in this post.
Architectural Drawing
What is Architectural Drawing? An architectural drawing is any sketch, plan, diagram, or schematic that conveys information about a building to potential users and builders alike. Architects and designers create architectural drawings during the planning stages of any construction project for various reasons:
- Atheneum architects provide owners and project planners with an insight into what their buildings will look and function like once completed.
- They provide necessary instructions and information so the construction team can complete the building of their structure.
- And finally, an architect's drawings provide a thorough record of a building's inner workings - something necessary for future maintenance purposes.
As part of your project, you will require different architectural drawings. More information regarding them is in the next section.
Why Are Architectural Drawings Required?
Architectural drawings communicate the design and layout of structures being built or renovated, such as for remodeling purposes. Architectural drawings are invaluable as they're utilized by architects, builders, engineers and other construction professionals working on these projects to communicate details that may otherwise remain hidden. Architectural drawings play an integral part in project success for all stakeholders involved with it.
Architectural drawings are critical in procuring construction project permits and regulatory approvals. Without being legally approved first, construction cannot begin, so regulators use architectural plans as evidence against compliance standards to assess whether plans adhere to safety codes.
Types Of Architecture Drawings
Architecture plan drawings provide the essential roadmap to successful project execution. Here are some types of architectural drawings you should keep handy as part of a detailed project planning document.
Site Plan Drawings
A site plan provides an aerial view of your building and its immediate surrounding property, sometimes even including nearby structures like roads. Site plans provide valuable visual documentation of where structures are erected on property boundaries and offer dimensions for landscaping features, driveways, patios and other outdoor elements such as sundials.
With modern home design software, you can even generate 3D site plans showing both landscaping and the house interior design - perfect for creating 3D site plans for 3D site planning. Plus, 3D floor plan drawings help complete this journey of creation.
Floor Plan Drawings
Floor plan drawings show an establishment's internal layout. Floor plans come in numerous varieties depending on their intended use. Examples include floor plan drawings with specific design elements like electrical or plumbing systems.
Residential floor plans typically feature drawings with detailed measurements between walls, doors and windows and surface area calculations for each room. Such architectural documents provide essential estimates for creating estimates or designing according to an architect's specifications for construction projects. Before, floor plans consisted of basic black-and-white 2D diagrams; these drawings proved difficult for clients to comprehend.
Cross-Sectional Drawings
Cross-section or sectional drawings are two-dimensional drawings that depict visible and hidden elements within a building, similar to seeing one side cut away along an imaginary vertical plane and gazing upon its interior - that would be an effective cross-section or sectional drawing. Cross-section architecture drawings can provide helpful visual aids when it comes to illustrating how specific parts of a building come together, for instance:
- How walls should be built.
- How windows fit into wall sections.
- Transitions between floors should be seamless.
Elevation Drawings
For architectural use, elevation drawings depict a building from its edges using vertical planes. Familiar elevation drawings typically illustrate front, back and side facade views for easy reference. Architects can also produce elevation drawings similar to cross-sectional ones that display interior views from a vertical plane, providing 2D perspectives of cabinets, doors and windows.
Finishing Drawings
These architectural drawings depict detailed views of finishes. With them, architects can provide details about floor coverings, moldings, textures and colors used.
Landscape Drawings
It can often be found as part of residential construction projects. While similar to site plans, these landscape diagrams contain additional detail about hardscapes and greenery. An essential aspect of landscaping design is creating 2D drawings to demonstrate its layout and measurements, but 3D illustrations can also help viewers better comprehend how a garden might appear in real life. Using it, you can even generate 3D renderings that show what a landscape design looks like at dusk with all exterior lighting turned on.
Detail Drawings
Detail architecture drawings typically combine cross-section drawings with up-close views to illustrate how various elements assemble in crucial areas of a building. Such illustrations help show how different parts come together in their framework.
Engineering detail drawings may show how reinforced concrete beams should be assembled. In contrast, architectural details represent custom design elements or complex junctions such as roof eaves or window openings.
As Built Drawings
"As-builts," also simply as "asbuilts," are revised drawings highlighting any deviations between the original plans and how the building was constructed.
Excavation Drawings
Excavation drawings provide architects with details regarding trenches, pits, shafts and tunnels excavated for soil removal projects and essential steps involved with their excavation process. These diagrams can show key aspects of this part of construction and highlight any critical details about excavation processes during soil removal projects.
Location Drawings
A location drawing is a general category of drawings that encompasses floor plans, elevations, and cross-sections to illustrate where construction elements will be situated relative to one another. Also called "general arrangement drawings," these architectural plans reveal where various construction components will be found on site.
Design Drawings
Aesthetic drawings depict the aesthetics and overall flow of a space. In the past, architects used sketches with 3D views of finished projects for this purpose; now, architects use software capable of doing that automatically.
It allows users to easily create 3D design drawings that showcase home interiors with finishes, furnishings and accurate lighting effects - an invaluable way to impress clients and increase conversions. Once you understand some of the most commonly used architectural drawings, how will they fit into overall project planning processes? Continue reading.
The Architectural Drawing Process's Principal Steps
No matter if it is for residential homes or skyscrapers, architects use a similar basic drawing process. Here are the main steps which adhere to architectural drawing standards:
Site Plans
Your first step should always begin with creating an accurate site plan for the property in question. By carefully mapping its boundaries, topography, and existing features, you will gain the information needed to plan the size and shape of a building on that parcel of land.
Floor Planning
Laying out your floor plan is one of the most crucial stages since its layout largely determines everything else - lighting, plumbing and HVAC requirements. As you develop the floor plan and finalize the dimensions for the building, you must produce both 2D and 3D drawings of it.
2D Plans
Two-dimensional plans form the cornerstone of any architectural drawing project, so they must include measurement markups, door and window symbols and furniture diagrams for maximum effectiveness. However, when pitching a project proposal to clients for approval, more than just 2D plans may be required for consideration.
3D Plans
3D architectural drawings make your project proposals stand out. They are one of the best ways to communicate ideas to clients effectively. We provide an easier alternative, enabling the simultaneous creation of 2D and 3D plans with its simple drag-and-drop tools. Once your clients approve the completed project, you can proceed with more intricate drawings necessary for construction.
Sections
Now, it's time to create some section drawings. With residential construction projects using standard building methods, a few section drawings may be needed as tradespeople already understand how various building elements fit together.
Elevations
Once all details of a building's facade have been defined, its elevation drawings should include details regarding material surfaces, window and door finishes, dimensions, etc. These elevation drawings show all critical aspects of its facade, including material types used, window and door finishes, measurements, etc.
Read More: Understanding Architectural Drawings: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Types and Uses
Styles Of Architecture Drawings
Are you new to drawing architecture plans and need guidance on the various drawing styles used in architecture drawings? Below are three of the most frequently seen architectural drawing styles:
Architectural Sketches
While computers play an increasingly large part in an architect's daily workflow, hand-drawn sketches still play a vital role. Hand-drawn architectural sketches can be helpful during the early planning stages of any project, providing an easy and quick way to capture ideas for presentation to clients or design teams quickly.
With easy-to-use home design programs and an innovative approach of offering you complete home designs in less time than drawing one hand-drawn sketch, hand sketches are becoming less important. They allow users to design an entire house before beginning on one.
Computer-Generated Drawings
Computer-generated drawings (CGDs) are three-dimensional plans and renderings created using software tailored for this task. Instead of hand drawing each view including textures, shadings and lighting manually, enter your architectural design parameters into the computer system and let it do all the hard work.
These photorealistic images give clients a preview of the finished project. They can help impress clients as you convey design ideas to them. This approach ensures your designs remain clear to clients while simultaneously communicating design concepts effectively.
It allows users to produce professional images with almost no prior design knowledge required - an impressive accomplishment. Some programs require manual adjustments and 3D modeling expertise, while others make this easier by offering solutions without these requirements.
Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
CAD drawings are typically utilized for large and complex structures with custom features that need illustrating in two or three dimensions. 2D and 3D CAD drawings provide the ideal platform to showcase cross-sections or intricate details from virtually every element within any design element. Unfortunately, CAD programs require an intensive learning curve, while their detailed drawings take time and patience to produce.
Conclusion
Are you ready to embark on your architectural drawing services with LiveHelpIndia? Make an intelligent choice: its powerful design tools, user-friendly interface, and stunning 3D rendering capabilities are precisely what your business requires to thrive and expand its clientele base. No other program provides efficient time- and hassle saving results while helping you secure more clients.
