The most important aspect of an elevation is that it forms the ‘skin’ of the building. As such a building’s elevations need to relate to their context or surrounding environment. This requires the architect to develop a solid understanding of any surrounding buildings and aspects of the existing architecture (such as the materials they use, or their scale, massing and height), and the rhythm of a proposed location. All this will provide clues for an appropriate architectural response and suggest how a proposed design might respond to its context. Drawings of any proposed buildings should incorporate the elevation views of the surrounding architecture so that the scale of the proposed building can be understood.
Context doesn’t need to be thought of as a limiting factor. In fact it helps to locate the architecture. However, the choice or precedent of scale, mass or materials used will affect aspects of the elevation. For example, if the windows are pushed back within the building’s elevation, there will be a greater sense of shadow around the window openings. Such features can all be explored in elevation drawings and in doing so help the architect consider different possibilities and variations before deciding which approach or solution is most appropriate.
A well-designed elevation will respond to and complement its location and context in terms of use of materials, massing and scale. As a piece of design it needs to be balanced and well proportioned, but equally, it will also need to respond to the requirements of the building layout, with appropriate openings for views and access. The elevation needs to mediate between these two challenging aspects of architectural design.
Project: Emsworth Activity Centre Location: Emsworth, UK Designer: Rocky Marchant Date: 2007
This schematic design has engaged with the challenges that a sculptural form presents. The design idea responded to the site context and this is typified by the form’s organic shape, which is inspired by the sea. This form determined the choice of material used and the structural system within the building. The design evolved from a series of physical models that first established form and then the building’s functions were introduced as the form was modified and developed.
These elevations show the site and its surroundings, sea to one side, suburban housing to the other.
Architectural drawings use a distinct ‘language’ of convention systems that are used universally to enable the information they contain to be easily understood with little or no need for additional explanatory text.