9
Architectural
Presentations
Presentation drawings are those we typically think of when the term
Òdesign drawingÓ is used or mentioned. These drawings describe a design
proposal in a graphic manner intended to persuade an audience of its
value. The audience may be a client, a committee, or merely someone
browsing for an idea. Whether produced to assist the clientÕs
imagination or to obtain a commission, either privately or through a
competition, presentation drawings should communicate as clearly and
accurately as possible the three-dimensional qualities of a design.
Although the drawings that comprise a presentation may be excellent
two-dimensional graphics worthy of an exhibition, they are merely tools
for communicating a design idea, never ends in themselves.
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ARCHITECTURAL PRESENTATIONS
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Unless presentation drawings are comprehensible and
persuasiveÑtheir conventions understood and their
substance meaningfulÑa presentation will be weak and
ineffective. An effective presentation, however, also
possess important collective characteristics.
Point of View
Be clear about design intent. A presentation should
communicate the central idea or concept of a design
scheme. Graphic diagrams and text are effective means
of articulating and clarifying the essential aspects of a
design scheme, especially when they are visually related
to the more common types of design drawing.
Efficiency
Be economical. An effective presentation employs
economy of means, utilizing only what is necessary to
communicate an idea. If any of the graphic elements
of a presentation become distracting and ends in
themselves, the intent and purpose of the presentation
are obscured.
Clarity
Be articulate. At a minimum, presentation drawings
should explain a design clearly and in enough detail so
that viewers unfamiliar with it will be able to understand
the design proposal. Eliminate unintended distractions,
such as those caused by ambiguous figure-ground
relationships or inappropriate groupings of drawings. Too
often, we are blind to these glitches, because we know
what we want to communicate and therefore cannot read
our own work in an objective manner.
Accuracy
Avoid presenting distorted or incorrect information.
Presentation drawings should accurately simulate a
possible reality and the consequences of future actions
so that the decisions made based on the information
presented are sound and reasonable.
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Unity
Be organized. In an effective presentation, no one
segment is inconsistent with or detracts from the
whole. Unity, not to be confused with uniformity,
depends on:
¥ A logical and comprehensive arrangement of
integrated graphic and verbal information;
¥ A synthesis of format, scale, medium, and
technique appropriate to the design as well as to
the place and audience for which the presentation
is intended.
Continuity
Each segment of a presentation should relate to
what precedes it and what follows, reinforcing all
the other segments of the presentation.
The principles of unity and continuity are mutually
self-supporting; one cannot be achieved without the
other. The factors that produce one invariably
reinforce the other. At the same time, however, we
can bring into focus the central idea of a design
through the placement and pacing of the major and
supporting elements of the presentation.
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PRESENTATION ELEMENTS
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A single drawing cannot fully explain a design. Only
through a coordinated presentation of related drawings
can the three-dimensional form and character of a design
be communicated. To explain and clarify aspects that are
beyond the capability of the drawings, we resort to
diagrams, graphic symbols, titles, and text. In any design
presentation, therefore, we should carefully plan the
sequence and arrangement of all of the following
elements:
Graphic Images
¥ Drawings
¥ Diagrams
Graphic Symbols
¥ North arrows
¥ Graphic scales
Lettering
¥ Titles
¥ Legends
¥ Text
All of the above elements have properties that must be
considered in composing a visually balanced presentation:
¥ Shape, size, tonal value, and visual weight
¥ Placement, direction, and interval
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PRESENTATION SEQUENCE
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We generally read design presentations from
left to right and from top to bottom. Slide
and computerized presentations involve a
sequence in time. In either case, the subject
matter presented should progress in
sequence from small-scale to large-scale
graphic information, and from the general or
contextual view to the specific.
¥ Area Plan / Site Plan
¥ Perspective Views
¥ Paraline Views
¥ Details
¥ Building Sections ¥ Building Elevations
¥ Floor Plans
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DRAWING RELATIONSHIPS
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The sequence and alignment of the drawings should
reinforce their projected relationships.
¥ Orient all plans in a similar manner. Whenever
possible, orient plan drawings with north up or
upward on the sheet.
¥ The first- or ground-floor plan may extend out
to include adjacent outdoor spaces and features,
such as courtyards, landscaping, and garden
structures.
¥ Relate floor plans of multistory buildings either
vertically above one another, or horizontally side
by side.
¥ Vertical arrangements should begin with the
lowest floor level at the bottom and rise to the
highest level at the top.
¥ Horizontal arrangements should begin with the
lowest floor level on the left and proceed to the
upper levels on the right.
¥ Whenever possible, relate floor plans along their
longer dimensions.
¥ Arrange building elevations either vertically or
horizontally, correlating them whenever possible
to corresponding floor plans.
¥ Likewise, organize building sections either
vertically or horizontally and relate them
whenever possible to the floor plans or building
elevations.
¥ Lay out a related series of paraline drawings
vertically or horizontally. When each drawing
successively builds on the preceding one, work
from the bottom up or proceed from left to right.
¥ Relate paraline and perspective drawings as
directly as possible to the plan drawing that best
shows their context or point of view.
¥ Include people and furniture to show the scale
and use of spaces in all drawings.
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FORMING VISUAL SETS
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Design drawings are usually presented as a related set or group of
figures. Typical examples include a series of floor plans for a multistory
building or a sequence of building elevations. The spacing and alignment
of these individual drawings, as well as similarity of shape and
treatment, are the key factors in determining whether we read these
drawings as a set of related information or as individual figures.
¥ Use white space and alignment to reinforce the
organization of the graphic and verbal information
of a presentation. Do not fill up white space unless
absolutely necessary.
¥ If you want two drawings to be read as individual
figures, the space between them should be equal to
the space between each drawing and the nearest
edge of the field.
¥ Moving the two drawings closer together causes
them to be read as a related group.
¥ If you move the drawings closer still, they will
appear to be a single view rather than two related
but individual views.
¥ Properly related drawings that form a visual set
can themselves define the edge of a field for
another drawing or set of figures.
¥ Lines can serve to separate as well as to unify, to
emphasize, and to outline. Avoid using lines,
however, when spacing or alignment can achieve the
same purpose.
¥ Boxes can establish a field within a larger field or
within the boundaries of the sheet or board. Be
aware, however, that using too many frames can
establish ambiguous figure-ground relationships.
¥ A tonal value can be used to define a field within a
large field. A darker background for an elevation
drawing, for example, can merge with a section
drawing. The foreground for a perspective can
become the field for a plan view of the building.
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GRAPHIC SYMBOLS
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Graphic symbols help the viewer identify the various
aspects and features of a drawing or presentation.
¥ North arrows indicate the major compass points on
architectural plans so that the viewer is able to grasp
the orientation of a building and its site.
¥ Graphic scales are graduated lines or bars representing
proportionate size. These scales are especially useful
because they remain proportional when a drawing is
enlarged or reduced.
¥ Section arrows indicate the location of section cuts on
plan drawings.
Graphic symbols rely on conventions to convey
information. To be easily recognizable and readable, keep
them simple and cleanÑfree of extraneous detail and
stylistic flourishes. In enhancing the clarity and
readability of a presentation, these devices also become
important elements in the overall composition of a
drawing or presentation. The impact of graphic symbols
and lettering depends on their size, visual weight, and
placement.
Size
The size of a graphic symbol should be in proportion to the
scale of the drawing and readable from the anticipated
viewing distance.
Visual Weight
The size and tonal value of a graphic symbol determines its
visual weight. If a large symbol or typeface is required for
readability but a low value is mandatory for a balanced
composition, then use an outline symbol or letter style.
Placement
Place graphic symbols as close as possible to the drawing
to which they refer. Whenever possible, use spacing and
alignment instead of boxes or frames to form visual sets
of information.
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LETTERING
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A wealth of well-designed and legible typefaces is available in the form
of pressure-sensitive, dry-transfer sheets as well as in computerized
typography. You should therefore spend time on the appropriate
selection and use of fonts rather than attempt to design new ones.
¥ The most important characteristic of lettering
is legibility.
¥ The character of the typeface we use should be
appropriate to the design being presented and
not detract from the drawings themselves.
¥ Serifs enhance the recognition and readability
of letter forms. Avoid mixing serif and nonserif
typefaces in a single title or body of text.
¥ Lowercase lettering is appropriate if executed
consistently throughout a presentation.
¥ The differences among lowercase characters
are more distinct, making lowercase lettering
generally easier to read than text composed of
all capitals.
¥ Determine the range of lettering sizes by
judging the distance from which the audience
will view the presentation. Keep in mind that we
may read different portions of a
presentationÑproject overviews, diagrams,
details, text, and so onÑat different
distances.
¥ Space letters by optically equalizing the areas
between the letter forms rather than by
mechanically measuring the distance between
the extremities of each letter.
¥ Word processing and page layout programs
have made the spacing of letters and lines of
type much easier.
HELVETICA IS A VERY LEGIBLE TYPEFACE.
HELVETICA NARROW
is useful when space is tight.
TIMES IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF A
TYPEFACE WITH SERIFS.
PALATINO has broader proportions
than Times.
Serifs enhance the recognition and readability of letter forms.
Lowercase lettering is particularly appropriate for
bodies of text.
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¥ Guidelines are required to control the height and line
spacing of handlettering. The maximum size for a
handlettering is 3/16 of an inch. Beyond this size, the
strokes require a width beyond what a pen or pencil is
capable of producing.
¥ Use a small triangle to maintain the verticality of vertical
lettering strokes. The visual movement of slanted lettering
can be distracting in a rectilinear drawing scheme.
¥ Maintain similar proportions among the characters of a
title or line of text.
¥ Everyone inevitably develops an individual style of
handlettering. The most important characteristics of a
lettering style are readability and consistency in both
style and spacing.
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Lettering in a design presentation should be carefully
integrated into the composition of drawings on each
sheet or board.
Drawing Titles
Arrange titles and graphic symbols into visual sets
that identify and explain the contents of a drawing.
By convention, we always place titles directly below a
drawing. In this position, titles can help stabilize
drawing fields, especially irregularly shaped ones.
Use symmetrical layouts with symmetrical drawings
and designs. In all other cases, it is usually easier to
justifyÑalign verticallyÑa drawing title with
either the drawing itself or its field.
Text
Organize text into visual sets of information and
relate these sets directly to the portion of the
drawing to which they refer. The line spacing of text
should be more than one-half of the letter height
used, but no more than the letter height itself. The
space between blocks of text should be equal to or
greater than the height of two lines of text.
Project Title
The project title and associated information should
relate to the overall sheet or board, not to any single
drawing within the field of the panel.
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PRESENTATION FORMATS
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A set of related drawings may be laid out in a vertical,
horizontal, or grid format. In planning the layout for a
presentation, first identify the essential relationships you
want to achieve. Then we use a storyboard or small-scale
mockup of the presentation to explore alternative drawing
arrangements, alignments, and spacing prior to beginning
the final presentation drawings.
¥ Remember to explore potential relationships between the
sheets or panels.
¥ Maintain horizontal continuity across sheets with a
ground line or by the alignment of drawing titles.
¥ Do not include unnecessary dimensions or employ borders
and title blocks; we reserve these conventions for
construction or working drawings.
¥ When a presentation consists of more than one sheet or
board, identify each panel by a number. This information
should be in the same relative position on each panel.
¥ If the panels of a presentation are to be displayed in a
specific manner, you can use more graphic means to
identify the relative position of each panel in the display.
Digital Formatting
Drawing and publishing programs give us the ability to
try out different ways to arrange the elements of a
presentation. However, because what we see on a monitor
does not necessarily match the output from a printer or
plotter, a trial layout should always be printed or plotted
to ensure that the results are satisfactory.
Digital technology has also introduced the elements
of time and motion into architectural presentations....
Januszek66