READING RESPONSE- 2

THE VERTICAL CUT AND TYPES AND PERFORMANCE OF SECTIONS

Drawing is the primary mode of communication for an architect. The clear meaning of sections was
brought up during the reading of the extracts from the MANUAL OF SECTIONS. We as architecture
student initially never understood the true meaning of what a section is, or why do we need them. In
the introduction, a cut through the building is a section; we often miss the part” vertical cut”. In the
beginning of learning architectural drawings all we tend to focus on are the plans. We produce our
design by just drawing plans. The sectional drawing altogether has a whole lot different ring to it. The
entire design process for us until now was to just produce section, because it was the part of a
submission. I personally believed that everyone has their own unique presentation and explanation of
their design. Hence using the means of section adds on a plus point. The part of a building that cut with
an imaginary vertical line is a section. In the beginning this definition left a doubt, why do we do sections
when the volume of the building can also be seen by an elevation or that how well it blends with its
context. Then what is the actual importance of making sections. The writer takes us through various
projects all around the world, showing how different kinds of sections have an altogether different
meaning, and how choosing the right one can make all the difference.

Sections establish a deeper perspective of a building. It creates a understanding of the levels of a

building. Also, helps understand how the design is connected to its context but also how it relates to its
interior. When going deeper into the topic and thinking about it, there is a great deal more that we learn
from sections. People consider making of section at the end of a project is not something that is favored
by me. We often tend to forget about what our form is going to be like as architecture students initially.
I think this is because the overall thinking process doesn’t happen. Coming back to the topic, this brings
me to the point that somewhere we can use sections in a design process. That means using sections to
design. Designing physically has always been a preferred mode of designing for me.

Further on the writer describes different types of methods for the making of sections and how each
operation brings out a different view point of the design. These provide certain clarity and help
understand how sections are produced and what their effects are. He categorizes them into EXTRUSION,
STACK, SHAPE, SHEAR, HOLE, INCLINE, and NEST. Starting with Extrusion, it is the very basic of sections
and is a benchmark for the understanding of the other types of sections. This type of section also helps
in understanding the details of structure between the floor and ceiling. Stack sections as the name
suggests, is when we stack different floor, one on top of another without repeating the similar design
floors. The image of a building is derived from the independent floors. Shape, basically gives a
volumetric feel to a section. It helps creating a bond between sections and its structure. Now shear can
be cut both through vertical and horizontal axis. Each of these sections creates a completely different
result and effect. Hole sections are spatial commodities that can vary in scale as well as quantity. They
highlight the major areas of buildings. Inclines are a means to rotate plans into sections. Different from
other kinds of sections these have a very thin line difference from plans. Nest is a kind of section where
sections are produced by the positioning of the 3ds. Hybrid is the one where we understand the
importance of combining this operation of sections. This basically means one depend on other to
produce a helpful drawing.

Every building has a unique feather about it. The most interesting type of section that caught my
attention is a shear section. According to me shear sections give a deeper understanding of a design,
because it shows connectivity with the plan as well as the ceilings. It provides a depth to the drawings. A
complete understanding of the volume can be created using the vertical and horizontal axis cuts in this
operation. When look at examples given by the writer of this kind of section, Denys lasdun, residence
hall, university of East Anglia, it gives fair enough understanding of the building. Then section not only
has connection to the plan but is also pressing on the importance of the overall form by creating a
perspective. It is very important to also understand the drawbacks of these various sections. It helps
understand how and when to use them. A single kind of section cannot be the best method used. These
various types can and should be put into using by creating a combination of them. Choosing the correct
type of section to be used in the planning is also essential. Concluding, we as architect need the best
understanding of the drawing that we produce; sections play a vital role in it. Ultimately it is not just
important for us but the rest of the world to understand the outcome of the work that we produce.