Architectural Drawing Conventions

Overview

This lecture covers architectural drawing conventions, highlighting their role as a standardized language for clear communication among architects, builders, and other stakeholders. Mastering these conventions is essential for accurately interpreting and creating architectural drawings.

What Are Architectural Drawing Conventions?

• Architectural drawing conventions are universal standards for representing real objects and structures in drawings.
• They form the "language" architects use to communicate, ensuring everyone—architects, builders, consultants, trades, and clients—can understand the drawings.
• Conventions include line types, line thicknesses, hatching, projection types, and standard symbols.
• Understanding what each line or symbol represents in real life is crucial for translating drawings into built form.
• These conventions ensure consistent communication and help prevent misunderstandings during design and construction.

Key Drawing Elements and Their Meanings

• Thick solid lines: Indicate cut structures or ground in section drawings, showing where the drawing "cuts" through walls or floors.
• Medium solid lines: Represent objects below or behind the cut, such as elements not directly intersected by the cut line.
• Light solid lines: Show elements further away from the cut or made of lighter materials, adding depth and context.
• Dashed lines: Indicate objects above the cut plane or hidden from view, such as overhead cupboards, upper parts of stairs, or floor levels above.
• Longer, thicker dashed lines: Used for hidden objects under benches or surfaces, like dishwashers and washing machines, which are not visible in the plan cut but must be accounted for.
• Solid vs. dashed lines: Solid lines are continuous and represent visible or cut elements, while dashed lines show elements above, hidden, or overhead.

Standard Symbols and Dimensions

• Beds: A queen-size bed is typically shown as a rectangle measuring 2 meters by 1.5 meters.
• Doors: Internal doors are usually 900mm wide and shown without thickness; swinging doors are indicated by an arc.
• Closets/Wardrobes: Identified by a line with small squiggles (coat hangers), typically 600mm deep.
• Toilets: Require 1 meter of clearance in front and about 300mm on each side from the center point for comfortable use.
• Windows:
  • Thickest line for the wall being cut.
  • Thinner lines for window sill, frame, mullion (vertical bar), and glass pane.
• Stairs:
  • Arrow indicates the direction of travel (upwards).
  • Dashed lines show stair portions above the cut line.
  • Storage or rooms under stairs are shown with thick lines for walls cut by the section.
• Kitchen/Laundry Appliances:
  • A square with a cross under a bench represents an appliance (dishwasher or washing machine) that is hidden from the plan cut.
• Overhead Elements: Dashed lines in plans indicate overhead cupboards or features above the cut plane.
• Section Cuts: Marked with letters (A-A, B-B) and lines to show where the building is sliced for a sectional view.

Site & Landscape Representation

• Trees:
  • Large circle for the canopy (extent of the tree).
  • Smaller, often off-center circle for the trunk, reflecting real tree structure.
• Grass:
  • Plan view uses a specific hatch pattern to represent grass, different from section hatching.
  • The "sand" hatch in AutoCAD can be adjusted to represent grass or other textures.
• Paving and Material Changes:
  • A line marks where materials change (e.g., from grass to paving), which is important for clarity and construction.
• Ground:
  • Shown as a very thick black line in section drawings, representing the earth beneath the building.
  • The ground line must be accurate, often based on a survey, as it is the starting point for construction.

Special Section Conventions

• Grey Fill in Wall/Slab Cuts:
  • Used to highlight the difference between interior and exterior spaces, making the drawing easier to read.
  • Indicates that the wall or slab is solid, not hollow.
• Thickened Slab Ends:
  • Show the structural edges of a concrete slab, representing how slabs are constructed in reality.
  • In schematic drawings, this helps clarify the construction type.
• Section Markers:
  • Simple lines with letters (e.g., A-A, B-B) indicate the location and direction of section cuts, avoiding unnecessary complexity.
• Ground Mass in Section:
  • Large black areas in section drawings represent the earth, showing where the building sits.

General Advice and Strategy

• Always identify the room or area in the drawing to help interpret symbols and elements.
• Use drawing conventions consistently to ensure clear communication with all parties involved.
• Always indicate material changes with a line, especially at doorways or transitions between spaces.
• Choose the correct line types and thicknesses for each element to accurately represent the design.
• Understanding and applying these conventions makes architectural drawings intuitive and universally understandable.

Key Terms & Definitions

• Architectural drawing conventions: Agreed standards for representing real elements in architectural drawings.
• Section cut: A drawing that shows a building sliced at a specific level, revealing internal structure.
• Dashed line: Represents objects above the cut plane or hidden from view.
• Solid line: Represents objects at the cut or in direct view.
• Mullion: The vertical bar between window panes, shown as a specific line in window symbols.

Action Items / Next Steps

• Review sample architectural drawings to observe correct use of conventions.
• Practice applying these conventions in your own plans and sections.
• For the next class, sketch a room using proper line types, symbols, and conventions to reinforce your understanding.
• Pay attention to material changes, overhead elements, and the use of section markers in your drawings.
• Continue building familiarity with the "language" of architectural drawings to improve communication and accuracy.