Architectural drawing is becoming a lost art in some sectors with the increasing reliance on computer-aided architectural design.
However, there’s a strong commercial case for reviving manual drawing, both in practice and in universities, Woodhead principal David Holm said.
“Drawing is the architect’s language,” Holm told Architecture & Design. “If I’m drawing in front of a client, they’re totally fixated on the idea. It has great commercial traction,” he said
Manual drawing can help architects bridge a gap between them and their clients, making communication easier, he said.
“Buildings come from the spark of an idea. Portraying that idea in the clearest manner is how you get people to buy into that idea, to actually be a part of that imagination process.”
Architects who jump straight to computers could also be missing a “spatial richness” in their designs.
“You need both computers and drawing,” Holm said.
Last week saw the world book launch of Holm’s book, Drawing Italy.
Featuring over 250 pages of drawings, the book explores the regions of Italy, visiting both the famous as well as lesser known architectural landmarks. The hand drawn sketches range from a pair of Romanesque towers within the Piazza di Porta Ravegnana in Bologna, the Byzantine Basilica di San Vitale in Ravenna, to the 6th century Via San Biagio dei Librai in Naples. ??Travelling plays an important role for the architect because it brings a “higher state of observance”, Holm said.?
A series of books, which could include a domestic edition, is being considered.
