Designing Environments

Communication Needs

Examples of design projects that fall under 'Environments'

Architectural Visualization
3D renderings
Architectural models
Virtual reality simulations
Blueprints
Floor Plans & Elevations
Mood Boards
Concept Presentations

Conventions

The characteristics, methods, or structures expected of designers when creating Messages.

Spatial Organization: Designers must understand spatial relationships, circulation patterns, and zoning within an environment. Considerations include flow, hierarchy, and accessibility.
Materiality: Knowledge of materials (both natural and synthetic) is crucial. Designers select appropriate materials based on aesthetics, durability, sustainability, and context.
Site Analysis: Before designing, thorough site analysis is essential. Factors like topography, climate, vegetation, and existing structures inform the design process.
Scale and Proportion: Designers work with large-scale elements (buildings, landforms) and small-scale details (furniture, plantings). Proportions impact visual harmony.
Sustainability: Environmental responsibility is paramount. Designers integrate sustainable practices, such as rainwater harvesting, green roofs, and energy-efficient design.
Cultural Context: Understanding cultural, historical, and social aspects of a site informs design decisions. Respect for local traditions and context is vital.
Contextual Integration: Designs should harmonize with the existing context, whether urban, rural, or natural.
Functionality: Environments must serve their intended purpose effectively. Functionality drives design decisions.
Aesthetics: Balancing form and function, designers create visually appealing spaces.
User Experience: Consider how people interact with the environment—comfort, safety, and delight matter.
Ecological Sensitivity: Sustainable practices minimize environmental impact.
Adaptability: Environments should accommodate changing needs over time.

Methods

The ways that designers create and deliver designs in this field

Sketching and Diagramming: Manual sketches and diagrams help explore ideas, analyze site conditions, and communicate concepts.

Model Making: Physical models (3D or sectional) allow designers to visualize spatial relationships and test design iterations.

Digital Tools: CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software, BIM (Building Information Modeling), and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) aid in precise planning and documentation.

Rendering: High-quality digital renderings provide realistic visualizations of proposed environments.

Site Plans: Provide an overview of the entire project area. They show existing features (such as buildings, vegetation, and topography) and proposed elements. Site boundaries, property lines, access points, circulation paths, major structures, and natural features. Typically presented as 2D drawings with symbols and labels.

Plans & Elevations:

Floor Plans: These show the layout of a building or space from a top-down view. They include walls, doors, windows, and furniture placement.

Elevations: These depict the vertical faces of a building or environment. They show the facade, materials, and architectural details.

Cross Section Drawings: Cross sections reveal the internal structure of a building or landscape. They cut through the design vertically.

Layers of the environment, including foundations, walls, floors, and roof structures. Typically shown as scaled 2D drawings with annotations.

Exploded Views: Exploded views break down complex assemblies into individual components. Useful for showing how parts fit together. Disassembled elements, often with connecting lines indicating their original position. Can be 2D or 3D, emphasizing clarity.

Perspective Drawings: Perspectives provide a realistic view of the environment. They convey depth and spatial relationships. Depiction of the environment as seen from a specific viewpoint. Can be hand-drawn or digitally rendered.

Planometric & Isometric Drawings: Show 3D forms in a simplified view. Useful for understanding spatial arrangements. Objects, buildings, or landscapes with equal foreshortening along all axes. Typically 2D, but with a 3D appearance.

Photography: Documenting existing conditions and capturing design progress is essential.

Planting Plans: Landscape designers create detailed planting plans, specifying plant species, placement, and maintenance requirements.

Context

Where and how designers work in this field

Designers working in this field will work in a range of contexts. These can include:

Architectural and design firms, both large and small, where professionals collaborate on diverse projects.
Construction Sites. On-site during construction phases, ensuring the design is implemented accurately and addressing any challenges that arise.

30X40 Design Workshop

Interested in Architecture?

This designer makes videos about architecture, design simple modern homes + shares the process behind the making of architecture.

This Youtube channel covers architecture tutorials, portfolio and design advice for students and professionals, architecture short courses, sketching and drawing workshops.
Their videos reveal the thinking, the process and the ideas behind the making of architecture with a focus on residential design.

VISUALISING ARCHITECTURE

Planometric

Acrylic Model

Balsa Wood Model

TOOLS & MATERIALS FOR 3D Modelling in Environments - View many additional examples on Pinterest here

Physical Materials:

Cardboard (various thicknesses)
Foam board
Balsa wood
Basswood
Plywood
Acrylic sheets
Cork
Styrofoam
Clay (air-dry or polymer)
Paper (various types and weights)
Acetate sheets
Wire (various gauges)
String or thread
Fabric
Pebbles or small stones
Twigs or small branches
Aluminium foil

Tools:
Cutting mat
X-Acto knife or craft knife
Scissors
Ruler
T-square
Compass
Tweezers
Sandpaper

Colouring and Finishing Materials:
Acrylic paint
Spray paint
Markers (various types)
Coloured pencils
Pastels
Varnish or sealant

Adhesives and Fasteners:
PVA glue
Super glue
Hot glue
Double-sided tape
Pins and needles
Staples
Velcro
CAD Modeling Methods:
SketchUp
Revit
Rhino
Blender (open-source)
Fusion 360
TinkerCAD
Illustrator

3D Printing Materials:
PLA (Polylactic Acid)

Laser Cut Materials:
Plywood: 3mm or 6mm
Acrylic

ARCHITECTS WHO DRAW

CASE STUDIES - Architects

VICTORIAN COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTRE

FRANK GEHRY PAPER BAG - UTS Sydney

TECHNICAL DRAWING FOR ENVIRONMENTS

Site Plans

Site plans are overhead views of the entire property where a building project will be located. Site plans help architects understand the context of the building and ensure it fits well within its environment.

Architects use site plans to:

Show the building's position on the site
Indicate topographical features like slopes and existing trees
Mark property lines and setbacks
Illustrate landscaping elements
Display parking areas and driveways
Indicate utility connections

Floor Plans

Floor plans are horizontal cross-sections of a building, typically drawn as if looking down from above with the roof removed. Floor plans are essential for understanding the spatial relationships within a building and ensuring functional layout.

Architects use floor plans to:

Show the layout of rooms and spaces
Indicate the size and shape of each room
Display the placement of walls, windows, and doors
Mark the location of fixtures like sinks, toilets, and appliances
Illustrate circulation patterns within the building

Elevations

Elevations are vertical views of a building's exterior walls. Elevations help architects and clients visualize the building's exterior appearance and proportions.

Architects use elevations to:

Show the appearance of each side of the building
Indicate the height of the structure and its various elements
Display the placement and size of windows and doors
Illustrate exterior materials and finishes
Show roof slopes and overhangs

Other types of technical drawings used by architects include:

Sections: These are vertical slices through a building, showing its internal structure from foundation to roof. Sections help architects understand and communicate vertical relationships and construction details.

Planometric and Isometric Drawings: These are 3D representations that show multiple sides of a building in a single view, often used to illustrate complex spatial relationships.

CREATING SCALED DRAWINGS FOR ENVIRONMENTS

Scaling in architectural drawings is crucial for accurately representing buildings and spaces. Understanding and correctly using scales is fundamental in architectural drawing. It allows complex, large-scale projects to be represented on paper or screen in a way that's both accurate and comprehensible. Here's an explanation of the conventions around scaling drawings for architecture:

Standard Scales: Architects typically use a set of standard scales for different types of drawings:

Site plans: 1:100, 1:200, 1:500, or 1:1000
Floor plans: 1:50, 1:100, or 1:200
Elevations: 1:50 or 1:100
Sections: 1:50 or 1:100
Details: 1:5, 1:10, or 1:20

The choice of scale depends on the size of the project and the level of detail required.

Scale Notation

Scales are typically written as ratios, such as 1:100. This means that 1 unit on the drawing represents 100 units in real life. For example, 10 mm on a 1:100 drawing represents 1000 mm (1 meter) in reality. Using millimetres and meters is the convention when making technical drawings, try to avoid the use of centimetres.

Consistent Use of Scale: All elements in a drawing should be drawn to the same scale to maintain proper proportions and relationships.

Digital Scaling: With the advent of CAD (Computer-Aided Design) and BIM (Building Information Modeling), drawings can be easily scaled up or down. However, it's important to indicate the intended printing scale.

Scaling for Presentations: For client presentations or competitions, architects might use larger scales to create more impactful drawings. For example, a 1:50 scale model or drawing can be more impressive than a 1:100 one.

Scaling and Level of Detail: The scale chosen affects the level of detail that can be shown. A 1:100 drawing will show less detail than a 1:50 drawing of the same area.

Scaling Conventions for Different Elements:

Walls are typically drawn to scale in both thickness and length.
Doors and windows are usually shown to scale.
Furniture and fixtures might be simplified representations at smaller scales.
Text and dimensions are not scaled but kept at a readable size.

Scaling and Dimensioning: While drawings are to scale, architects also include dimensions for critical measurements. This ensures accuracy even if the drawing is reproduced at a different scale.

CHECKLIST FOR AN ACCURATE TECHNICAL DRAWING

Pre-Drawing Preparation:
□ Define drawing purpose and type
□ Gather all necessary information and measurements
□ Choose the appropriate scale
□ Select drawing medium (hand or CAD)
□ Prepare drawing surface/set up digital workspace

Basic Setup:
□ Create a title block with project info, scale, and date
□ Set up a grid or guidelines
□ Establish north arrow (for plans)
□ Include scale bar

Main Elements:
□ Draw/plot the largest elements first
□ Ensure all elements are to scale
□ Use consistent line weights
□ Include all necessary walls, doors, windows (for plans)
□ Show correct wall thicknesses

Details and Features:
□ Add fixtures and fittings
□ Include relevant site features (for site plans)
□ Show material indications (for elevations)
□ Draw in furnishings (if required)

Dimensions and Annotations:
□ Add primary dimensions
□ Include secondary dimensions
□ Note room names/numbers
□ Add relevant annotations and notes
□ Ensure text is readable and consistently sized

Technical Elements:
□ Include grid lines or axis (if applicable)
□ Show structural elements (if required)
□ Indicate levels and heights
□ Add section cut lines (if applicable)

Symbols and Conventions:
□ Use standard architectural symbols
□ Include door and window schedules
□ Create legend for symbols and abbreviations

Layers/Organization:
□ Organize elements into logical layers (for CAD)
□ Use consistent naming conventions for layers

Additional Information:
□ Include relevant cross-references to other drawings
□ Add detail call-outs where necessary
□ Show context/adjacent structures (if relevant)

Accuracy and Consistency:
□ Double-check all measurements and scales
□ Ensure consistency across multiple drawings
□ Verify all elements are present and correctly placed

Presentation:
□ Adjust line weights for clarity
□ Ensure the drawing is well-balanced on the sheet
□ Add shading or hatching for clarity (if needed)

Final Checks:
□ Proofread all text and annotations
□ Verify scale accuracy with the scale bar
□ Check alignment and symmetry where applicable
□ Ensure drawing meets project requirements and standards

For Digital Drawings:
□ Set up correct plot style/print settings
□ Test print to verify scale and appearance

Documentation:
□ Update drawing register/index
□ Save files with logical naming convention
□ Create backup copies

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

How to Architect

This Youtube Channel has lots of short videos that are fantastic intros to a range of Architecture ideas and concepts.

MATERIALS RESOURCES - MODEL MAKING

Foamcore: The basics of how to cut and assemble FoamCore the right way, how not to cut the stuff and how to take craftsmanship to the next level.

FoamCore: Using digital renders and blueprints as reference, Adam recreates the four floors of the Fab House in a 1/24 scale architectural model form using trusty foam board, a craft knife, tape, and hot glue.