“In architecture, drawings play a very important role as a design communication tool. We use them to get ideas from our heads into the world, to test concepts with our peers, and then to communicate that vision to a client. We use different drawings again to clearly document a project for construction, to quickly sketch changes on site, or to make visual notes as we talk to a consultant on the phone,” writes Sophie Hamer in Portico.

Three key questions to consider when preparing a drawing:

1. Why am I making the drawing?

2.For which audience is the drawing?

3. How will my drawing relate to them?

It’s important for an Architect or Licensed Technologist OAA to determine what type of audience a drawing is geared toward. For instance, drawings for client or public planning presentations will be very different from drawings for construction or permit approval. The former are typically intended to convey the aesthetic, volume, and context of a building; the latter conveys the technical reality of how a building is put together and demonstrate code compliance. The standards, conventions, and consistency of a drawing(s) is very important in the case of construction drawings so the viewer has a clear understanding of how the building parts work together.

For additional reflection on this topic, consult the peer commentary Drawings as Communication located in Practice Advisory Knowledge Base.

Commentaries in the OAA’s Practice Advisory Knowledge Base consist of material written by your peers who have provided personal opinions and comments based on their own practice experience. The intent is to provide insight into and clarification of the application of the source material being commented on or how it might be extended into others circumstances. The reader is responsible for the appropriate use of the opinions expressed and the information provided herein.