What to Expect When You’re Expecting Perfect Architectural Services

Posted by Kuldeep Bwail on September 26th, 2019

When it comes to services, everyone demands perfection. Architectural services consist of the visual communication of building design, both artistically, spatially and numerically. How can this be perfect? Well, architectural drawings, models and visualisation must accurately communicate how a building will function and how it will look, when completed. All different architectural CAD drawings or architectural drafting documents must be consistent in terms of detail and must have the proper scale. These services are used for communication, presentation, information, instruction and for keeping records, all required at different stages of an architectural project.

Architectural CAD drawings are essential for design, developing the design and construction. They follow a process of evolution and adaptation throughout the different stages of design.

The major stages of architectural design are:

Schematic Design Stage: This stage involves the development of drawings/sketches with details, such as reviewing zoning, and building codes, scope and scale. At this stage, the drawings are in a conceptual stage, where the design can be discussed and finalised.

Design Development & Permissions Stage: Architects add greater detail and definition to the drawings, such as building material, furniture, equipment, etc.

Construction Documents Stage: Architects create drawings and specifications that refine the design of approved design development documents and can be used at the site. Every detail, dimension and annotation play a significant role at this stage.

Architectural drawings for these stages are of several types. They are as follows:

Floor Plans  

These plans show a building’s internal arrangements, external walls and environment. Each floor of a building has an individual plan, typically a horizontal slice across the building viewed from the top.

Site Plan 

Site plans show the view of the whole building or buildings from the air. They include clear boundaries, access points, neighboring structures and roads.

Elevation

An elevation drawing is a view from the side of a building. This can be either exterior or interior. Exterior elevations typically show buildings from different exterior sides, while interior elevations show each wall from inside a room.

Cross Section 

When a building or structure is cut by an imaginary line that runs vertically, horizontally or diagonally, it reveals the inner elements.

Detail Drawings 

Detail drawings show small, individual sections of a project in considerable detail, showing how different elements of a building combine, eg. windows, structural connections and floor and wall junctions. 

A different classification of architectural drawings concerns the purpose for which these drawings are used. Accurate technical architectural drawings as listed above are used for a variety of purposes. They can be used as follows:

Presentation Drawings 

To show how spaces may be used, their scale, their ambience and how light may affect or be used in them, drawings are developed through a CAD library. Presentational methods, such as

shadows, textures, people, sky, pets and greenery, may be added so that these drawings can be presented for communication, validation and purposes of acquiring permissions.

Survey Drawings

Survey drawings demonstrate an accurate record of the relevant site and any buildings that may already exist there. These drawings help identify site levels and show other features that can be modified or removed. They are usually the first drawings consulted by an architect or designer.

Working Drawings   

Working drawings consist of location, assembly and component drawings. Location drawings show floor elevations, sections and floor plans in detail, including the placement of all construction elements.  Assembly drawings represent how the various elements come together. Working drawings show how layers fit with structural components and how prefabricated elements connect with edges. Drawings that reflect how doors and windows can be fabricated and installed are known as component drawings. They may also include roof trusses, kitchens and joinery. These drawings can be used as a construction manual, of sorts.

With architectural drawings in a variety of types and used for a variety of reasons, ensuring their accuracy is critical. Unique and attractive designs must be communicated in ways that make it easy for clients/customers to conceptualise them. One of the key factors in enabling this kind of conceptualisation for all the different kinds of architectural drawings is using the right scale. Scales are set for different drawings and scale figures may be included in the plans.

Why Scale Is Important?

‘Scalae’ is Latin for a ladder or a flight of stairs. Scale can also mean marks made at regular intervals along a line, similar to a ladder’s rungs. Human ‘scale’ is crucial for architecture. The depth of Stair depth, counter height, door height and window size are all dependent on human size. Understanding architectural spaces through the human scale is necessary for the success of accurately communicating architectural representations.

The typical client may not understand a space while looking at a technical architectural drawing. Scale models can help. Introducing scaled people to drawings can help clients understand the sizes and proportions of different architectural elements and concepts. This is why appropriate scale in a drawing is vitally important.

If, for some reason, parts of a drawing has been lost, are incomplete, marks have become blurred, notations are indistinct or the drawings do not have titles, knowing the scale can help salvage this information. Knowing the scale of the drawing can help refine, trim, enlarge, focus or accurately estimate those parts of the drawings that are not clear.

Basic Architectural Drawing Scales

1:500 (1” = 40’0”) – Site plan

1:250 (1” = 20’0”) - Site plan (note that 1:250 is not a common metric scale)

1:200 (1/16” = 1’0”) – Site plan

1:100 (1/8” = 1’0”) – Floor plans, elevations and sections

1:50 (1/4” = 1’0”) - Floor plans, elevations and sections

1:20 (3/4” = 1’0”) - Room plans, interior elevations

1:10 (1 1/2” = 1’0”) – Joinery, component details, construction details

1:5 (3” = 1’0”) – Construction details

Architectural drawings can be flat, and though they include detailed elevations, structural elements, supports, connectors, openings, surfaces and transparencies, ensuring that drawings are developed according to scale helps accurately represent ideas and concepts.

Drawings developed to scale and including detailed information need software tools to help create output of precision and clarity. Depending on exact requirements, several software tools are currently available. The more popular ones are listed below.

AutoCAD

The standard architectural computer-aided design software currently available, AutoCAD reputedly has the largest share of architectural design applications in the market. It gives the most precise drawings.

Revit Architecture

This software tool helps create 3D models, analyse design concepts and has been developed specifically for BIM. Coordinated design data can be maintained in Revit Architecture.

MicroStation 

For some, MicroStation works better than AutoCAD and has a reputation for being a stable design platform. It has features that connect with real-world architecture and is easier to use for some designers, but it has compatibility challenges with AutoCAD.

ArchiCAD 

It helps to provide total project output, as it is both a 2D and 3D application. It has a cloud platform, facilitating storage and collaboration on design.

Chief Architect 

It is used mainly for residential design, with a limited amount of useful graphics. A 3D model of the building can be created using BIM (Building Information Modelling) tools and then automatically creates the relevant building systems.

SketchUp 

It is a popular software tool for both simple and complicated 3D models. It offers a wide range of architectural drawing applications, such as residential, interior design and landscape architecture.

Once the right tools are acquired, it is important to find the right human resources. Services, after all, are provided by people. So, ideally, the best architectural services will be provided by architects, draftsmen and visualisers who have the right technical qualifications, years of experience and possess attention to detail. These qualified professionals may be difficult to find or afford in Western countries.  There is an abundance of drafting services in India. Certified architectural specialists will be able to provide 100 percent matching of the details in plans, external and internal elevations, sections and renders, all of which are perfectly coordinated. Architectural CAD outsourcing services, with an offshore CAD team, can provide drawings with the most minute details, such as corner guards on columns, as per customer requirements. These services are detailed, accurate, cost-efficient, on time and within budget, making them perfect architectural drafting services.