Is the structural system expressed externally, or is it hidden behind a curtain wall? 3. Analog vs. Digital: Choosing Your Architecture Notebook
Most successful architects combine both. For example:
Numbered labels on specific drawings (like a floor plan or section) that correspond to a descriptive legend. They identify specific materials or installation methods without cluttering the drawing with text. The Architectural Brief:
Instead of writing "The kitchen should be near the dining room," draw a bubble labeled "Kitchen" and an arrow to "Dining." Use line weights. Thick line = high traffic/thin wall. Dashed line = visual connection only.
Create a base page with your initial parti diagram. Use tracing paper (analog) or a new layer (digital) to develop the next iteration. Keep both visible. This layering technique in your preserves the design trajectory and helps you explain your decisions later.
This is the heart of your creative process. Include iterative thumbnails, parti diagrams, spatial organization ideas, circulation studies, and material explorations. Date every page so you can trace your design evolution.
Before architecture becomes a building, it is an idea. The earliest form of the architecture note is the private, chaotic scribble in a sketchbook. These notes are not meant for clients or contractors; they are a conversation with oneself.
If you are a student or professional, do not keep all your in one chaotic pile. Use a Master Subject Tagger system.
You can buy a $500 fountain pen or a $1,000 tablet, but without the habit of observation, you have nothing. Great architects are great not because they draw perfectly, but because they see perfectly and record what they see immediately.
Analysis of floor plans, spatial hierarchies, and the philosophy behind famous works (e.g., Le Corbusier’s Five Points).
Found on the first sheet of a drawing set, these notes cover the un-drawable. Example: "All work to comply with local building codes. Contractor to verify all field dimensions. Do not scale drawings." This is the architect protecting themselves from the chaos of the real world.
Essential for tracking the rationale behind major technical decisions, ensuring long-term transparency.
What materials are used (steel, concrete, wood)? How does the structure stand?
