Specialised drawings

Specialised drawings allow the manufacture of particular, perhaps bespoke, items by a supplier. Structural, mechanical and environmental engineers will also issue specialised drawings that respond to specific design problems or issues.

Project: Duckett House Location: New Forest, UK Architect: John Pardey Architects Date: 2005

Every design project will require a set of detailed drawings that explain the building’s assembly and construction. This set of drawings forms part of a package of information designed to assist in the construction of the building. The package will include detailed information about size and dimension of fixtures, fittings and any specialised components needed. All aspects of each designed component need to be communicated from, for example, the material specification for a staircase to the size of its accompanying handrail. This detailed section drawing of Duckett House explains the building’s materiality providing information as detailed aspects of construction.

A set of drawings that describes a building or space will contain a range of plans, sections and, elevations. Drawing a section is to imagine a vertical cut through a building. This is an abstract idea and, when first creating a section drawing, it can help to take an object and literally cut or slice it in half (vertically). This process will reveal the relationship between the exterior of an object and its internal qualities. Once this abstract idea takes a real form, the idea of the section through a room, building or landscape can be better understood.

Shoe section

Once drawn, the section allows an understanding of the inside of the shoe and how this relates to the outside form. Sometimes the external shape may suggest something that differs from the internal space. It also reveals the materiality of the shoe, the thickness of the material, its layers of construction and structure.