Graphics are the language that architects use to communicate intent to the people we serve. We draw to explain our designs, we draw to explain what material we want to use, we draw to articulate how we want something to be built … so to that end, it seems like a particularly good topic for an architectural podcast. Welcome to episode 90: Architectural Graphics.
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When you hear the term “architectural graphics” what comes to mind for you? Is the thought dated in any way? jump to 3:33
While it can be a specific representation or type of orthographic projection like plan or sections, but as we discuss it is basically the creation of computer drawings. Almost all architecture graphics in architectural practice today is going to be generated from a computer. I know this is not 100% true, but it is definitely a large majority. So how is this related to the notion of creating graphics that read the way they should. In our experiences, it seems that this connection is getting lost and there are probably several reasons for this occurrence.
Architecture graphic design is a fascinating intersection of two distinct yet complementary disciplines It brings together the structural logic and spatial awareness of architecture with the visual communication expertise of graphic design
But what exactly does this field entail? What core skills and knowledge does it draw upon? How does it enrich architectural practice? This comprehensive guide aims to unravel the nuances of architecture graphic design
Understanding the Key Elements
Architecture focuses on the built environment, designing functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing structures that shape our living spaces. Graphic design involves creating visual content to convey specific messages effectively.
Architecture graphic design fuses these two domains, leveraging graphic design principles to represent architectural ideas compellingly. It entails creating drawings, models, diagrams, renderings, and presentations that communicate design concepts clearly and engagingly.
Some of the key elements of architecture graphic design include:
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Visual communication: Conveying architecture visually through drawings, models, renderings, and presentations.
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Design principles: Applying fundamentals like hierarchy, balance, contrast, typography, color, and layout.
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Drafting: Creating preliminary drawings and refine iteratively.
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Software skills: Using 2D and 3D software like Photoshop, InDesign, AutoCAD, Revit, Rhino.
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Representation: Translating 3D built forms into 2D graphics and vice versa.
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Storytelling: Crafting a compelling narrative around the design.
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Branding: Developing a visual identity and design language.
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Engagement: Creating graphics that educate and excite the audience.
Why Architecture Graphic Design Matters
Architecture graphic design serves several crucial functions:
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Communication: It enables ideas to be shared clearly between architect, client, and builders.
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Visualization: It brings concepts to life so clients can visualize the end product.
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Presentation: It provides engaging visuals to accompany written and verbal presentations.
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Documentation: It produces diagrams and technical drawings needed for legal permission and construction.
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Marketing: It generates compelling graphics for advertising and driving sales.
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Education: It creates illustrative graphics to teach design concepts and theory.
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Archiving: It produces records of architecture for posterity.
Without strong visual communication skills, even the most brilliant architectural ideas risk being misunderstood or under-appreciated. Architecture graphic design transforms vision into reality.
Key Disciplines it Draws Upon
Architecture graphic design is enriched by various related domains:
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Graphic design: Typography, color, layouts, visual hierarchy.
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Communication design: Information organization, narrative, storytelling.
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Drafting: Technical drawing, construction documentation.
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Rendering: Perspective, tone, materials, lighting.
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3D modeling: Digital modeling of forms and spaces.
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4D modeling: Visualizing construction sequences.
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Product design: Rapid prototyping, iteration.
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Information design: Structuring and presenting complex data.
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Branding: Identity, logo, visual language.
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UX/UI: User-centric interactive designs.
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Photography: Capturing architecture visually.
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Videography: Moving images to provide spatial understanding.
This multidisciplinary nature is what makes architecture graphic design so vibrant and impactful.
Key Tools and Software
A diverse array of tools and software enables architecture graphic design:
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Sketching: Pen and paper sketching to rapidly visualize ideas.
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2D CAD: Vector software like AutoCAD for technical drawings.
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3D Modeling: Programs like Rhino, Revit, SketchUp create digital 3D models.
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Rendering: Tools like Vray, Lumion convert models into photorealistic renderings.
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Image Editing: Photoshop helps compose renderings and diagrams.
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Page Layout: InDesign used to arrange drawings, text for presentations.
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Animation: Video software to show spatial qualities through motion.
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3D Printing: Converting digital models into physical scale models.
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Laser Cutting: Producing 2D cut-out models from CAD drawings.
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VR/AR: Emerging tools like Oculus Rift offer interactive experiences.
Aligning the right tools to the task enables efficiency and innovation.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Mastering architecture graphic design requires various skills:
Design Thinking
- Conceptualization
- Creativity
- Problem-solving
- User-centricity
Communication
- Storytelling
- Presentation
- Writing
- Verbal skills
Technical
- Drafting
- 3D Modeling
- Software proficiency
- Attention to detail
Visualization
- Spatial reasoning
- Design communication
- Information design
- Graphic design principles
Process
- Research
- Analysis
- Iteration
- Time management
This combination of creative, analytical, technical, and soft skills empowers visual thinkers to give form to space and structure.
Benefits for Architecture Practice
Leveraging graphic design can profoundly benefit architects:
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Clarity: Simplifies complex spatial ideas into comprehensible graphics.
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Appeal: Creates polished, visually striking presentations to impress clients.
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Storytelling: Crafts a compelling narrative around the design concept.
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Engagement: Generates excitement and intrigue for the project.
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Collaboration: Produces drawings and models for cohesive teamwork.
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Feedback: Enables productive critiques and discussions.
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Efficiency: Quickly tests ideas before major investments of time.
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Iteration: Allows rapid refinement of the design through drafts.
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Communication: Articulates the design both visually and verbally.
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Marketing: Produces striking promotional graphics, branding, and content.
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Documentation: Generates required drawings for approvals, construction.
Integrating graphic design gives architects a vital edge in the fast-paced world of architectural practice.
Teaching Architecture Graphic Design
Educational institutions play a key role in training the next generation of designers in this discipline through:
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Dedicated courses in design communication, visualization, and graphics.
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Projects focused on drafting, modeling, rendering, and presentation.
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Introducing students to essential 2D and 3D software tools.
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Workshops to hone sketching, diagramming, and layout skills.
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Collaborations on interdisciplinary projects with graphic design students.
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Guest lectures by leading architecture graphic designers.
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Critique sessions focused on design communication and presentation.
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Studios with rigorous requirements for process documentation and presentations.
-CASE studies on exemplary projects and firms.
Blending architecture and graphic design in the curriculum will enrich education and cultivate comprehensive design thinkers.
Impact on Architectural Practice
The increasing integration of graphic design is transforming architectural practice:
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High-quality rendered presentations are becoming expected in pitches.
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Virtual reality enables immersive visualizations of designs.
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Digital workflows like BIM are streamlining construction documentation.
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Motion graphics show spatial design across time.
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Architectural animations and films engage broader audiences.
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Augmented reality overlays data onto physical spaces.
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3D printing enables rapid prototyping of design concepts.
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Website graphics and visual content are crucial for engagement.
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Social media expands the reach and speed of communicating ideas.
As technology progresses, the visual representation of architecture is being revolutionized.
Notable Practitioners
Some pioneering architecture graphic designers:
Le Corbusier: Prominent use of grid systems and visual communication.
Andrea Palladio: Harmonious integration of text and graphics.
Mies van der Rohe: Focus on analytical drawings and photomontages.
Buckminster Fuller: Innovative diagrams and structural visualizations.
Zaha Hadid: Expressive paintings translated into dynamic buildings.
Norman Foster: Experimentation with representational techniques.
Santiago Calatrava: Sketching and model-making virtuosity.
Marcos Novak: Digital spatial model visualizations.
BIG: Multimedia storytelling through video, models, diagrams.
Morphosis: Multidisciplinary collaborations with graphic designers.
These individuals and firms reveal the vital role of architecture graphic design in pioneering new forms, ideas, and methods.
Architecture graphic design stitches together disparate disciplines, leveraging the interplay to create meaningful communication. It acts as the bridge between the abstract world of spatial ideas and the concrete realm of constructed forms.
Mastering this versatile field requires a commitment to continuous learning across the creative spectrum. With technological progress expanding possibilities, architecture graphic design promises to be an integral force shaping architectural discourse.
By demystifying this niche area, hopefully this
No computer graphics jump to 16:20
During both of our education, we did not have much access to computer-generated drawing tools. It was mostly in its infancy during this item and there are very few instances of computers being used in practice or academia in the early 1990s. Even in the mid-1990s, it was difficult to find anyone who was working in the computer creation of architectural graphics. In the late 1990’s it became possible for some larger firms to afford. But even at that time, it was usually being used to “draft” the typical details that would be replicated on every project. So the intent was to create some efficiency by creating standard graphics and not unique for every project. In the beginning, it was a very tedious process and all based on the idea of Cartesian references as there was not a mouse to use or colors to differentiate lines. It was not punch-card data entry, but it was pretty darn close! Both Andrew and I learned AutoCAD without any colors for lines. There was only a single color and also a limited number of layers.
Timeline of learning that software jump to 11:18
Of course over the duration of your career, you will learn different and new software. This will probably never change for any architect. Well, probably not for the foreseeable future. So Bob started his timeline of software as he entered the workforce since there were no computers during his education. Below are some highlights and a timeline of his representation software knowledge.
DataCAD in 1995 – This company is actually still around and is a software used in areas outside the United States. We both had no idea it was still around. But it is still a product in usage and can be found here. I found some information that says it was once endorsed by the AIA as the software of choice.
AutoCAD in 1996 – This one is of course still a standard in the industry. I would claim that I hit my peak in AutoCAD supremacy in about 2003. I had all the skills necessary to go against any other AutoCAD user on the planet in 2003.
Photoshop in 1997 or 1998 – The big benefit for this at my firm was based on the fact that knowing this software kept me from having to complete details and that type of tedious work. Knowing Photoshop allowed me to be present in meetings and out in front of clients. This was a huge benefit of software knowledge and that was where I wanted to be.
Truspace in 1997 or 1998 (same time as photoshop) – This one is a lesser-known software. It was used to create some 3D models with the ability to paint surfaces on a 3D form. It was software that was mainly used in the movie industry. At the time of use, it was a cutting-edge product for the architecture field to use.
SketchUp in the late 2000s – maybe October (which is right after it came out) I have an old SketchUp file that I found that was made in 2000 right after the software came out. So I started early on that software. I feel solid about my abilities in this one also.
InDesign in 2016 – I had to learn this one recently because I had to create my own submission for my application for AIA Fellow. This forced me to learn this publishing software since I did not have someone assemble this for me. I think at this point I have gained some mastery over this one as well.
Andrew learned and did most of his schoolwork by hand as a chosen option. While there was computer software being used during his graduate school era, Andrew chose to still work by hand for the sense of craft. So most of his knowledge came once he entered practice as well. A few of the graphic softwares were started in school though. AutoCAD and Microstation in 1996 – So Andrew learned some AutoCAD and Microstation during his college education. He took a semester-long course in AutoCAD during his undergraduate studies. Microstation is still a product under a Bentley Company license.
FormZ in 1997-1998 – Also during his grad school days in the mid to late 1990’s, the software called Form Z was a very popular 3D modeling software used by many. I would say that it was cutting-edge software at that time and to my surprise is still in existence today. I only dabbled in the use of this software as I kept strictly to hand creation of work eve for my graduate school work.
Adobe Photoshop in 1998 – I learned this for my graduate school portfolio and actually had a few photo-shopped s in my final graduate school project review.
Adobe Page Maker in 1998-99 – I also picked up the use of this during the creation of my graduate school and first job portfolio. This software was the precursor to InDesign. The last version of this software was in 2001. It was replaced by InDesign.
AutoCAD in 1999 – Once I moved in to practice this was the only software I used for production. The only one. I was able to set up office standards for the firms I was working at which ended up being the firm I would later purchase. So most of my career I have been the one creating office standards.
SketchUp in 2003 – Not much to say here. It was SketchUp and it was used for conceptual design much like it is still today. The rendering capabilities are definitely better now.
InDesign in 2004 – Getting back into using this for SOQ and marketing materials for the firm. It was the best option for making documents with graphics and text. It still is in my opinion. Revit in 2008-2009 – I started in this early right after I purchased my firm. It was an important part of my company goals to be on the technological edge for my company. In about 2012 I would put my firm’s Revit skills against any other company.
Juliette Cezzar: “Is Architecture Graphic Design? Is Graphic Design Architecture?”
FAQ
What is an architecture graphic?
What is the difference between architecture and graphic design?
Why is graphic design important in architecture?
What does an architectural designer do?
What is visual design in architecture?
What is Architectural Graphic Design?
Architectural graphic design is neither independent nor superficial. The architectural visual designing layer has meaning, form, and function same as architecture. Therefore, graphic design is an essential component of architectural design. Graphic designing comprises everything from physical to digital and every aspect in between.
What is the difference between architectural design and Architectural Graphic Design?
Architectural design is a concept that focuses on components and elements of structure such as space, form, place, and function, whereas architectural graphic design speaks of the building, function, purpose, and narration. An effective architectural design supports the construction and strengthens its presence.
What is the role of Graphic Design in architecture?
Architecture and Graphic Design: The Role of Graphic Design in Architecture Graphic design plays a pivotal role in architecture, acting as a bridge between the built environment and its users. Through various visual elements, graphic design enhances the functionality, aesthetics, and communicative power of architectural spaces.
What is the connection between architecture and graphic design?
Architecture and Graphic Design: What’s the Connection? Architectural graphic design is concerned with the building, its function, purpose, and narration, whereas architectural design is concerned with the components and features of structure such as space, form, place, and function.
