Maps and mapping

Mapping is a generic term that is used architecturally to describe the relative location of a place or site. But the term can also be applied to the way in which places might be described. A place may be ‘mapped’ using diagrams, models or drawings.

The location of a site is the starting point for most architecture, so a location map is usually the first descriptive image of most architectural projects. Information such as where the site is, what the site orientation is, or whether or not there any interesting geographical features nearby can be found in a location map, but moreover, location maps can also suggest important considerations for a design (as the scheme could respond to existing buildings and facilities in the area).

Location maps are usually described at the scale of 1:1250 or 1:1000. A scale of 1:500 may also be used to show details of the site’s immediate context and surrounding location, particularly in urban areas.

Drawings that are ‘not to scale’ (NTS) are, as the name suggests, created when scale is unnecessary to explain an idea or concept. If a drawing or model is conceptual, then its scale is irrelevant; what is of primary importance is the form, the idea and the materials. Scale provides a comparative reference, so producing drawings or models that are NTS allows a different sort of consideration; there is a freedom to investigate the architectural design using other parameters. The most often used NTS representational techniques are conceptual designs, experimental models, sketches, photomontages and collages.