Cover design: C. Wallace
Cover image: Courtesy of Francis D.K. Ching

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Ching, Frank, 1943-
Architectural graphics / Francis D.K. Ching. – 6th ed.
ISBN 978-1-119-03566-4 (paperback); ISBN 978-1-119-07338-3 (ebk);
ISBN 978-1-119-07350-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-09099-1 (ebk)

Preface

Forty years ago, the first edition of this text introduced students to the range of graphic tools, techniques, and conventions designers use to communicate architectural ideas. The prime objective behind its original formation and subsequent revisions was to provide a clear, concise, and illustrative guide to the creation and use of architectural graphics. While retaining the clarity and visual approach of the earlier editions, this sixth edition of Architectural Graphics is unique in its use of digital media to convey and clarify the essential principles of graphic communication.

Advances in computer technology have significantly altered the process of architectural drawing and design. Current graphics applications range from 2D drawing programs to 3D modelers and Building Information Modeling (BIM) software that aid in the design and representation of buildings, from small houses to large and complex structures. It is therefore important to acknowledge the unique opportunities and challenges digital tools offer in the production of architectural graphics. Whether a drawing is executed by hand or developed with the aid of a computer, however, the standards and judgments governing the effective communication of design ideas in architecture remain the same.

The overall chapter organization remains the same as in the fifth edition. Chapters 1 and 2 introduce the essential tools and techniques of drawing and drafting. While digital tools can augment traditional techniques, the tactile, kinesthetic process of crafting lines on a sheet of paper with a pen or pencil remains the most sensible medium for learning the graphic language of drawing.

Chapter 3 introduces the three principal systems of pictorial representation—multiview, paraline, and perspective drawings—and analyzes in a comparative manner the unique viewpoints afforded by each system. Chapters 4 through 6 then focus on the principles and standards governing the conventions and uses of each of the three drawing systems, concepts that apply whether an architectural graphic is created manually or digitally.

The language of architectural graphics relies on the power of a composition of lines to convey the illusion of a three-dimensional construction or spatial environment on a two-dimensional surface, be it a sheet of paper or a computer screen. While digital technology may have altered the way we input information and create perspective, paraline, and orthographic projections, a fundamental understanding of what each of the three drawing systems conveys is required of all designers. Each drawing system provides a limited view of what we are designing and representing. And an appreciation for what these viewpoints reveal—and conceal—remains indispensable in the design process.

Although the line is the quintessential element of all drawing, Chapter 7 demonstrates techniques for creating tonal values and develops strategies for enhancing the pictorial depth of architectural drawings and conveying the illumination of spatial environments. Special thanks go to Nan-Ching Tai, who offered his invaluable expertise and assistance in preparing the examples of digital lighting.

Because we design and evaluate architecture in relation to its environment, Chapter 8 extends the role of rendering to establishing context in the drawing of design proposals and indicating the scale and intended use of spaces.

Chapter 9 examines the fundamental principles of graphic communication and illustrates the strategic choices available in the planning and layout of architectural presentations. Incorporated into this discussion is the original chapter on lettering and graphic symbols, which are informative and essential elements to be considered in preparing any presentation.

Drawing with a free hand holding a pen or pencil remains the most direct and intuitive means we have for recording our observations and experiences, thinking through ideas, and diagramming design concepts. Chapter 10 therefore includes additional instruction on freehand sketching and diagramming. This terminal position reflects the importance of freehand drawing as a graphic skill and a critical tool for design thinking.

Other than the early phases of the design process, during which we initiate ideas, there is no other area of design drawing that is better suited for freehand drawing than drawing on location—from direct observation. For this reason, the section on drawing from observation has been expanded to demonstrate how the act of seeing, responding to, and sketching spatial environments invigorates seeing, enables understanding, and creates memories.

Despite substantial changes in technology over the past forty years, the fundamental premise of this text endures—drawing has the power to overcome the flatness of a two-dimensional surface and represent three-dimensional ideas in architecture in a clear, legible, and convincing manner. To unlock this power requires the ability both to execute and to read the graphic language of drawing. Drawing is not simply a matter of technique; it is also a cognitive act that involves visual perception, judgment, and reasoning of spatial dimensions and relationships.