By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
These skills are essential because producing clear and precise architectural drawings helps bring building projects to life safely and successfully in the real world.
Producing the design drawings of an architectural project needs a set of digital and site tools: computers and software to draw and model, printers and plotters to produce sheets, and measuring and recording tools to confirm site dimensions and existing conditions. Assembling and checking them before production avoids lost work and wrong dimensions. Example: an architecture student designing a youth empowerment centre in Kilgoris sets up her laptop with CAD software, confirms plotter access at the institution and rechecks the site boundary lengths before drawing the final plans.
A computer or laptop is the main drawing tool. It should have a capable processor, at least 8 to 16 GB of memory, a dedicated graphics card for 3D work and a large screen, with a mouse rather than a touchpad. It runs CAD and BIM software such as AutoCAD, ArchiCAD or Revit, modelling and rendering software such as SketchUp, Lumion or Twinmotion, and layout software for presentation sheets. Work is saved often and backed up daily.
A printer produces A4 and A3 prints for checking and reports, while a plotter (large-format printer) prints A2, A1 and A0 sheets for presentation and working drawings. Plot settings (paper size, scale, line weights and colour or monochrome) are checked with a print preview, and a test print is made at the correct scale and measured with a scale rule before final plotting.
A tape measure is used on site to confirm boundary lengths, distances to existing buildings and features, and dimensions of any existing structure to be altered. A 30 m fibreglass tape is used for site work and a 5 m steel tape for building details. Checked dimensions are noted on the survey drawing before design drawings are finalised.
Notebooks and sketch pads are used for site notes, design sketches, client comments and a design log of decisions and changes. Early concept sketches drawn by hand are often scanned and included in the design development part of the presentation.
A camera records the site, its context, neighbouring buildings and views. The photographs are used as backgrounds for photomontages, as references for site and location plans and for showing the site context in presentation drawings.
A laser distance measure gives quick, accurate readings of distances and heights, such as the height of neighbouring buildings, room sizes in buildings to be altered and distances across obstacles. It is used together with the tape for checking, and readings are recorded at once in the notebook.
Safety gear (helmet, reflective vest, safety boots, gloves and dust mask) is worn during site visits for confirming dimensions or levels, especially where excavation, demolition or construction is going on next to the site. A first aid kit and drinking water are carried on long site visits.
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Create a free accountType: Individual
| Tools & Equipment | Materials |
|---|---|
| Computer with CAD software (e.g. AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, Revit) | A3 printing/plotting paper |
| Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) | Sketch pad |
| Drawing pencils (HB, 2B, 2H) | |
| Eraser | |
| Sharpener | |
| Ink Pen |
| S/N | Item | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer with CAD software (e.g. AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, Revit) | 1 Pc per Candidate |
| 2 | Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) | 1 Pc per 5 Candidates |
| 3 | A3 printing/plotting paper | 1 Pc per Candidate |
| 4 | Drawing pencils (HB, 2B, 2H) | 1 set per Candidate |
| 5 | Eraser | 1 Pc per Candidate |
| 6 | Sharpener | 1 Pc per Candidate |
| 7 | Sketch pad | 1 Pc per Candidate |
| 8 | Ink Pen | 1 Pc per Candidate |
| Items to be Evaluated | Marks Available | Marks Obtained | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| TASK 1: Preparation and Software Setup | |||
| Identified and prepared all resources including computer with CAD software and UPS (Award 1 mark for each correctly identified resource) | 3 | ||
| Observed occupational safety and health precautions in the computer room (ventilation, lighting, sanitation) (Award 1 mark for each OSH precaution observed) | 3 | ||
| Demonstrated ability to use CAD software tools: Full Screen, Tool Bar, Tool Box, Status Bar, Navigator (Award 1 mark for each tool demonstrated) | 5 | ||
| Set appropriate CAD software parameters: wall thickness, slab thickness (Award 2 marks each for correct wall and slab thickness settings) | 4 | ||
| Sub-Total | 15 | ||
| TASK 2: Drawing Production | |||
| Drew the floor plan to scale 1:100 with correct length (14,500mm) and width (12,000mm) (Award 2 marks each for correct length and width) | 4 | ||
| Accurately placed windows and doors as per the working drawing (Award 2 marks each for windows and doors placement) | 4 | ||
| Dimensioned all rooms correctly including living room, bedrooms, kitchen, and bathrooms (Award 1 mark for each room dimensioned correctly, max 4 marks) | 4 | ||
| Produced neat and legible annotations and labels (Award up to 3 marks for clarity and neatness) | 3 | ||
| Sub-Total | 15 | ||
| TASK 3: Finalisation and Output | |||
| Exported the floor plan drawing to PDF on A3 layout paper (Award 2 marks or zero) | 2 | ||
| Saved the drawing file correctly in the project folder named with candidate’s name (Award 4 marks or zero) | 4 | ||
| Printed the floor plan on A3 paper with correct scale (Award 3 marks or zero) | 3 | ||
| Sub-Total | 9 | ||
| PRODUCT CHECKLIST | |||
| Finished floor plan drawing with correct dimensions: length 14,500mm and width 12,000mm (Award 2 marks each for length and width accuracy) | 4 | ||
| Room layouts correctly shown with accurate placement of doors and windows (Award 4 marks or zero) | 4 | ||
| Drawing is neat, correctly scaled (1:100), and annotated properly (Award 6 marks or zero) | 6 | ||
| Sub-Total | 14 | ||
| GRAND TOTAL | 53 | ||
Type: Individual
| Tools & Equipment | Materials |
|---|---|
| Computer with CAD software (ArchiCAD or AutoCAD) | A3 printing/plotting paper |
| Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) | Drawing pencils (HB, 2B, 2H) |
| Eraser | |
| Sharpener | |
| Sketch pad | |
| Ink pen |
| S/N | Item | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer with CAD software (ArchiCAD or AutoCAD) | 1 Pc per Candidate |
| 2 | Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) | 1 Pc per Candidate |
| 3 | A3 printing/plotting paper | 2 Sheets per Candidate |
| 4 | Drawing pencils (HB, 2B, 2H) | 1 Set per Candidate |
| 5 | Eraser | 1 Pc per Candidate |
| 6 | Sharpener | 1 Pc per Candidate |
| 7 | Sketch pad | 1 Pc per Candidate |
| 8 | Ink pen | 1 Pc per Candidate |
| Items to be Evaluated | Marks Available | Marks Obtained | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| TASK 1: Set up and software operation | |||
| Observed use of appropriate PPE during computer operation (Award 1 mark or zero) | 1 | ||
| Selected appropriate CAD software for elevation drawings (Award 3 marks or zero) | 3 | ||
| Demonstrated ability to use CAD software tools: Full Screen, Tool Bar, Tool Box, Status Bar, Navigator (Award 1 mark each) | 5 | ||
| Set CAD software parameters: scale 1:100, wall thickness, window and door placements (Award 1 mark each) | 4 | ||
| Imported or referenced the provided floor plan correctly (Award 2 marks or zero) | 2 | ||
| Sub-Total | 15 | ||
| TASK 2: Drawing preparation and detailing | |||
| Produced front elevation accurately with correct dimensions and scale (Award 5 marks or zero) | 5 | ||
| Produced side elevation accurately with correct dimensions and scale (Award 5 marks or zero) | 5 | ||
| Correct placement of windows and doors on elevations (Award 4 marks or zero) | 4 | ||
| Added appropriate architectural details and annotations (Award 3 marks or zero) | 3 | ||
| Applied colour or texture to enhance elevation presentation (Award 2 marks or zero) | 2 | ||
| Sub-Total | 19 | ||
| TASK 3: Finalisation and output | |||
| Set title block correctly on layout (Award 2 marks or zero) | 2 | ||
| Placed drawings correctly in A3 layout paper (Award 2 marks or zero) | 2 | ||
| Saved drawings using correct file naming conventions (Award 3 marks or zero) | 3 | ||
| Printed or plotted drawings on A3 paper (Award 3 marks or zero) | 3 | ||
| Sub-Total | 10 | ||
| PRODUCT CHECKLIST | |||
| Front elevation drawing: dimensions 12,000mm width x 9,000mm height, scaled 1:100, correct window and door placement (Award 8 marks or zero) | 8 | ||
| Side elevation drawing: dimensions 9,000mm height, correct scale and architectural details (Award 7 marks or zero) | 7 | ||
| Overall drawing neatness, line weights, annotations and presentation quality (Award 6 marks or zero) | 6 | ||
| Sub-Total | 21 | ||
| GRAND TOTAL | 65 | ||
At the start of this chapter we promised you would be able to:
Tick each one you can genuinely do.
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