Architectural Drawing Course: Tools and Techniques for 2D and 3D Representation

High school and college students who have a budding interest in architectural design will value this book for its solid foundational orientation and instruction. Author Mo Zell introduces readers to architecture's visual language, showing them how to think spatially and getting them started in architectural drawing with a series of instructive tutorials. Presenting three-dimensional design problems, she coaches students through the fundamentals of proportion and scale, space and volume, path and place, and materials and textures. A series of 40 work units covers virtually every aspect of architectural drawing, including:

Learning to see and sketch with accuracy

Developing fundamental drawing and modeling skills

Mastering subjective representation and rules of perspective

Employing spatial strategies: rendering and diagramming ideas

She concludes with practical advice for young people who are considering careers in architectural design, offering ideas on building a portfolio, getting advanced training, and continuing on a path to a professional career. More than 800 instructive illustrations.

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Emphasizing architecture's creative aspects, this book gives you a foundation course in architectural design. It introduces you to the visual language of architecture, encourages you to think spatially, and inspires you to question the built environment.

Step-by-step tutorials explain the entire design process. In addition, there are hands-on exercises that inspire you to practice your new skills, from conceptualizing a space and visualizing it three-dimensionally to creating sections, elevations, and fully-realized perspective drawings.

You'll find information about building techniques and materials that impact on design. You'll also learn from case studies that show different designers' interpretations of a wide range of assignments. Finally, you'll get professional advice that will help you take your next steps toward a career in architectural design.

Mo Zell has taught drawing at several colleges and universities across the United States. She studied architecture at the University of Virginia and Yale before spending several years working in the profession. She is currently the coordinator of the foundation studio, manual representation at Northeastern University in Boston. Mo is also a founding partner in the design firm Bauen Studio, where she co-designed the winning entry in the competition to create a Veterans Memorial on Northeastern University's campus.