Drawing Proper/Drawing Improper

Drawing Proper/Drawing Improper is a meditation on contemporary architectural drawing practice framed through 56 artifacts created by 28 architectural firms from around the globe.

Each drawing replies to a simple prompt: How can architectural drawing be dutiful? How can it be mischievous? This open-ended question invited diverse responses, spanning the spectrum from practical to whimsical. By presenting this dichotomy—dutiful or mischievous—the book’s drawings expose the diverse and often conflicting values embedded in the practice of representing architecture. Some adhere strictly to functional rigor, while others embody open-ended explorations with no fixed outcome. In this way, Drawing Proper/Drawing Improper expands the scope of architectural drawing, revealing the diverse motivations and approaches within the field. The collection is a testament to the diversity of thought and method that characterizes architectural practice today.

Accompanied by descriptions of the works and a series of reflective essays and interludes by Anca Matyiku and Marc Swackhamer, editor Kevin Hirth brings varied drawing practices into conversation, offering a dynamic cross-section of contemporary architecture. Contributors include: Current Interests, Perry Kulper, Frank Fantauzzi & Charie O’Green, CJ Lim, Lanza Atelier, NEME Studio, Norman Kelley, Office CA, William O’Brien Jr., The Open Workshop, Outpost Office, T8 Projects, Nada Subotincic, SORT // Studio, Variable Projects, Mark West, Design Earth, Alam Profeta, Studio Ames, Studio Sean Canty, Now Here, Bair Balliet, JaJa Co, CJ Lim, Medium Office, HouMinn, EXTENTS, and Hume Coover Studio.

Kevin Hirth can be found in the mountains and city streets of Colorado. His design practice, KEVIN HIRTH Co., founded in 2013, has been published widely for its valued architectural design and novel drawings. Kevin is an Assistant Professor and the Director of Undergraduate Architecture at the University of Colorado Denver.