Welcome to Day 3!

It's Construction Documents Day! Today we will be discussing the construction documents phase and the importance of proper documentation.

Grab these items from your kit for today:

Sketching Kit
Graph Paper
Glue Stick
Figurine
Floor Plan Puzzle (linked below)
Elevations Handout

Phase 3: Construction Documents

Construction documents are the final drawings and specifications created by the architect and engineers and are used by the contractors to bid and build the building. The drawings usually consist of floor plans, elevations and sections with other more detailed, technical drawings provided as necessary depending on the design and needs of the building. The specifications detail the work, materials and installation requirements to complete a project. Each subcontractor uses them to see how to best install and at what level of quality we want a specific material to be.

Each type of drawing provides a different portion of information to show the contractor how to best bid and build the building. It is very important we as architects be as thoughtful and patient as we can when we put together these drawings and specifications as any errors or forgotten items will be reflected in the pricing and potentially cause delays during construction which can cause the client to lose lots of money!

Example Set of Construction Documents

The pictures below highlight key drawings of an example construction document set that are drawn and assembled by an architect. Each drawing serves a key purpose in illustrating information for the contractor to build the project exactly as we designed.

Cover Sheet and Sheet Index

The cover sheet is the first sheet on top of the set that is the first glance overview of what the drawing set contains. We like to provide the name of the project and a 3-Dimensional image or sketch of the project to show what it’ll look like when complete. Occasionally we include the sheet index on this page as well to help reduce the size of the drawing set

Site Plan

One of the first drawings included in the set is the site plan which is a drawing showing the full site that our project sits on. It can include how far from the property line our project sits, or locations of walkways or driveways, or even where to locate trees and plants.

Notational Floor Plan

Since our floor plans are possibly the most important drawing in a set and provide the most amount of information, sometimes we split the plan into 2 different types of drawings. The notational floor plan displays notes, section cut lines, and door and window tags which tell the contractor important notes about items on the plan, where section cuts are taken, and information about each door and window, like what size and type.

Dimensional Floor Plan

To help the floor plan be easier to read and not be overpowered by notes and dimensions all over the place, we sometimes separate the dimensional plan from the notational plan. The dimensional plan tells the contractor exactly where to place each wall, door and window on the project so the project is built exactly like we designed!

Building Sections

Building Sections show ‘cuts’ through the building showing wall construction, floor-to-floor heights, and a general overview of how parts of the building relate to each other.

Elevations

Exterior Elevations, like the floor plan, show the contractor the most amount of information on what we as architects, want the outside of the building to look like. They are flat drawings of the faces of the building. They show heights, display material information, and include notes about the exterior of the building.

Roof Plan

The roof plan is a similar drawing to the floor plan. Instead of a cut through the building looking down on it, it’s looking down on it from above without a cut. We use it to tell the contractor what materials to use on the roof, what direction and slope of parts of the roof, and how the roof meets other elements, like a chimney for example.

Project 1: Elevations Handout

We’ve learned that floor plans and elevations are two very important types of drawings to reflect most of our designs to the contractor. We have included a floor plan of a single-story house. The contractor needs to know what the elevations look like.

Please sketch in the provided incomplete elevations where doors and windows belong on each elevation based on the plan provided. However, because you’re the architect, you’re the designer! Feel free to add any extra fun design elements into your elevations!

Elevation Handout

History of Documentation

Architecture documentation has dramatically changed over time. Technological improvements have sped up the documentation process and allowed for more detailed information to be provided to the contractor which in turn speeds up the construction process and minimizes delays in the field. Prior to the invention of computers, architects used to document drawings with pens on paper, a much slower and tedious process that didn’t allow for mistakes! Now we have very high-tech computer programs that allow us to completely model every element in the building, allowing us to work out any conflicts prior to it ever being issued to the contractors for construction.

Take a look at the photos below to see some examples of how construction documentation has changed over time!

Hand-drawn

AutoCAD

BMI/Revit

Now that you’ve seen how documentation has changed over the years, let’s watch a Revit file come to life! From the start of the file to 3D realistic views!

Project 2: Floor Plan Puzzle

Floor plans are one of the basic drawings that architects use to design buildings. Contractors will then take these floor plans to construct the building.

We have included pieces of a floor plan from two different houses. Each house consists of five pieces.

Try to organize the pieces so that they flow together. We've provided the solutions as well. Try to put your puzzle together before you check out the completed version!

Floor Plan Puzzle 1

Floor Plan Puzzle 2

Intro to scale! Using 1/4” graph-paper to scale your drawings!

As architects, it’s very important we scale our drawings! We can’t draw our buildings at life size or the printer would run out of paper and ink! So we scale our drawings down. This way when we print something at ½”=1' (1/2" inch equals one foot), the contractor knows that for every 1/2 inch on paper they see of wall, that is one foot in real life.

Tiny Home Project: Day 3

Now that you’ve wrapped up designing your tiny home, let’s take what we’ve learned today and draw some construction documents! Using your graph paper from your kit, draw a floor plan and exterior elevations of your tiny home for the contractor.

Remember, the more accurate the drawing, the more accurate it will be built! Don’t forget to include dimensions to your windows and doors! Based on what we just learned on scale, and knowing this graph paper shows 1/4” squares, mark how many feet to each window and door on each wall! (Remember, every box is 3 inches, so every 2 boxes is 1 foot.)

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