College of Engineering & Architecture

ARC 101 Basic Design Studio: Architectural Drawing

Class #10: Architectural Drawings

Plans
 ROUTINE:

• ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS

• BUILDING CONSTRUCTION & COMPONENTS

• PLANS
Architectural Drawings

Architectural drawings are a set of  technical drawing of a building.

Architectural drawings are used by architects and others for a number of
purposes:
• to develop a design idea into a coherent proposal
• to convince clients of the merits of a design
• to assist a building contractor to construct it based on design intent,
as a record of a building that already exists.
Architectural Drawings
Standard views used in architectural drawings
Architectural drawings are made according to a set of conventions,
which include particular views (floor plan, section, elevation, etc.).
However, the same rules of orthographic projection applies.
Architectural Drawings
Plans
Roof Plan

Floor Plan

Elevations
 Architectural Drawings

Elevation

Section Elevation

Plans
Architectural Drawings
Architectural Drawings
 ROUTINE:

• ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS

• BUILDING CONSTRUCTION & COMPONENTS

• PLANS
How are buildings constructed

Skeleton Structure

STONE STRIP FOUNDATION FOOTING FOUNDATION

 How are buildings constructed

Building components:
Walls & Columns
 How are buildings constructed

The thickness of the wall depends on the dimensions of

Building components: the brick. Exterior walls usually have more thickness (20-
Walls & Columns 30 cm) than interior partitions (15-7 cm).
How are buildings constructed

Building components:
Walls & Columns
Common method for
exterior wall heat
insulation in KSA, the
use of 2 blocks ( 15 cm
+ 10 cm) and between
them a 5 cm layer of
mineral rock wool or
Extruded polyethylene

So wall exterior thickness

is 30 cm
How are buildings constructed

Building components:
Walls & Columns

Blocks dimensions vary according to their type, such as

hollow cement blocks or insulated cement blocks
 ROUTINE:

• ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS

• BUILDING CONSTRUCTION & COMPONENTS

• PLANS
 Floor Plan
In multiple stories building, if levels have different layouts
then each floor needs a separate floor plan
 Floor Plan

• The views from above are called plans.

• While the plan gives a view looking down on top of an object, it is often useful to slice a
plane through the object to reveal important information.
• In architectural drawings, for example, the plan is set up off the floor high enough to cut
through and reveal windows and other important features.
 Floor Plan
Imagine a knife slicing through a building and removing the upper half (the
roof) , the remaining half is below and viewed from above. It becomes
a floor plan.
The imaginary cutting plane at the eye level height (120-150cm)
 Floor Plan
The Floor plan / a horizontal section

The floor plan is a horizontal cut through a building at about 1.5 m above the
floor, illustrating the relationships between rooms, spaces and other physical
features such as doors, and windows.
 Floor Plan

• It is important to differentiate between the cut line ( thick and hatched)

and the projected line as elevation ( thin and plain)
• PS: the cut line goes only through building basic components (not doors
windows)
 Floor Plan

Unacceptable

X
 Floor Plan

Step 1/ use
different line
weights

Step 2/ fill
the walls
with a grey/
black tone/
or material
hatch
How to draw a Floor Plan
How to draw a Floor Plan

1- Draw axis (Chain) for each wall

How to draw a Floor Plan

2- Draw the structure system ( the column on the axis)

How to draw a Floor Plan

3- Draw the wall offset from the axis

10- 15 cm for interior walls

20 -30 cm for exterior walls
How to draw a Floor Plan
4- Put the openings: windows and doors.

5 cm

Typical Door Symbol

How to draw a Floor Plan
4- Put the openings: windows and doors.

120 cm

5 cm

Typical Window Symbol

How to draw a Floor Plan

5- Draw the suitable Hatch

Remember the drawing technique

( from up to down) (from left to right)
How to draw a Floor Plan

6- To convey depth in the floor plan we use a hierarchy of line

weights . Its important to distinguish between what is being cut
and what can be seen in the plan below the cut line.
Thickest

1. Cut through = Columns & Walls

2. Elements = Doors, Windowsills, Stairs
3. Furniture & Fixtures
4. Axis Centerlines & Dimensions

Thinnest
THANK YOU