Graphic Thinking for Architects and Designers

258 Pages·2000·102.4 MB·English

by  Paul Laseau

Graphic Thinking

for Architects

& Designers

TH RD E ITION

Graph· c Thinking

for Architects

& Designers

PAUL ASEAU

JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.

New York Chichester Weinheim Brisbane Singapore Toronto
e
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Copyright il' 2001 by John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
Interior Design: David Levy
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Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Laseau, Paul, 1937­
Graphic thinking for architects & designers I Paul
Laseau.-3rd. ed.
p. em.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 0-471-35292-6 (paper)

1. Architectural drawing. 2. Communication in archi­
tectural design. 3. Architecture-Sketch-books.
4. Graphic arts. I. Title.
NA2705 .L38 2000
720 '.28 '4-dc21 99-086809
Printed in the United States of America.
10 98 7
•

Contents
Foreword vi 8 Discovery 141

Preface to the Third Edition vii 9 Verification 163

Preface to the First Edition viii

Acknowled gments ix
COMMUNICATION
1 Introduction 1

10 Process 179

11 Individual Design 189

BASICSKILLS
12 Team Design 203

2 Drawing 17 13 Public Design 217

3 Conventions 39 14 Conclusion 231

4 Abst raction 55 Notes 237

5 Expression 67 Bibliography 239

Illustration Credits 242

APPLIED SKILLS Index 244

6 Analysis 81

7 Exploration 115

v
•

Foreword

Paul Las eau proposes two related ideas: the direct the actions of others and who communicate
first is that of "graphic thinking"; the second their decisions to those who work through drawings
is graphic thinking as a device for communi­ made by draftsm en . Designing, as a separate task ,
cation between the designer and the designed has co me into being. The professional designer, the
for. The following brief remarks are addressed to the professional draftsman, and the assembly line occur
relationship between the two ideas. simultan eously as related phenomena.
Historically, building design was not so indiffer­ This all occ urred some time ago, but the momen­
eht to human well-being that "communication with tum of the change from craftsmanship to draftsman­
the people" became an issue until the act of drawing ship, brought about by the peculiar form of
was divided into two specialized activities. The first industrialization we have chosen to adopt, persists. It
was design drawing, in which the designer expressed now extends to the division of labor in the designer's
his or her ideas. The second was drafting used to office. The building of great buildings is no longer the
instruct the builder. creation of master craftsmen led by a master builder
but of architectural offices organized along the lines
Design drawing began as and remains a m eans of
of industrial production. The task of the architect has
generating ideas, for ta pping initial concepts to be
been divided and subdivided into an as sembly line of
sorted out and developed, or simply as an enjoyable
designer, construction manager, interior desi gner,
activity. Drafting is an eight-hour task performed
decorator, structural, electrical, and mechanical engi­
daily, filling sheets of paper with precise lines dic­
neers,and draftsmen.Design decisions once made by
tated by others.
the designer on the drawing board are now made by
Long ago, when the work of individual craftsmen the programmer on computer printouts.
became larger and more complex, when a cathedral
There are those of us who believe that industrial­
rather than a chair was to be designed, dimensions
ization could have been achieved without destroying
had to be established so that the work of a single
the craftsman's skill, love, and respect for material
cra ftsman could be coordinated with the work of
and the joy of building. We find it even less desirable
many. Drawing was introduced as a creative device
that the joy of creativity and graphic thi nking that
for planning work. •
accompanies that activity should leave the designer's
Craftsmen have always used drawings to help office for the memory bank of a computer.
them visualize their ideas as they made adjustments
The built world and artifacts around us are evi­
in the continuous process of fitting parts together.
dence of the almost fatal error of basing design on the
Drawing under these conditions is inseparable from
mindless work of the assembly line. To develop pro­
the work itself. Some historians say that the working
gramming and operational research based on mind­
drawings for the great churches of the twelfth and
less design would be to continue a disastrous historic
thirteenth centuries were drawn on boards that were
continu um.
later nailed into the const ruction.
Graphic thinking is of course necessary to help
But drawing also has other purposes. The division
rejuvenate a moribund design system. But communi­
of labor increases productivity. Artifacts requiring
cation "with the pe ople" is not enough. Creativity
several weeks of work by a single skilled craftsman
itself must be shared, and sha red with everyone from
are divided into smaller standardized work tasks.
dowel knocker to "Lieber Meister." The need for
Production is increased as skill is eliminated. The
graphic thinking is great, but it is greater on the
craftsman's expression of material, design sense, and
workbenches of the assembly lines at River Rouge
sket ches are banished from the workplace. Drawings
than on the desks of the chief designers of Skidmore,
and specifications predetermine all facets of the
Owings & Merrill.
work.
- F ORREST W ILSON, 1980
Design decisions are given to a new class of work­
men who do not work with the material but instead
vi
•

Preface to the Third Edition
T
wenty years have passed since the first publi­ individual and the organization. One view is of ind i­
cation of this book. The events of the inter­ viduals supporting information; the other is of infor­
vening ye ars have served to reinforce my mation supporting individuals.
initial assumptions and the points made by
A premise of the first edition of this book was that
Forrest Wilson in the Foreword.
individual, creative thinking has a vital role in a pre, s­
The accelerated developments in personal com­ ent and future society that must cope with complex,
pu ters and their application to architectural design interrelated problems. Addressing such problems
and construction have raised more forcefully the depends upon a compreh ensive understanding of
question of the role of individual thought and creativ­ their nature rather than shoehorning them into con­
ity within processes that are increasingly complex venient, simplistic, theoretical models. And visual
and specialized. Will individuals experience more communication provides an important tool for
opportunities for expression and contribution or will describing and understanding complexity. Increased
their contributions be devalued because of the speed comprehensive, rather than specialized, knowledge
and precision ofcomputer-driven processes? in the possession of individuals should benefit both
the organization and the individual. In their book, In
Although the Internet/web has dra matically
Search of Excellence, Peters and Waterman illus trated
increased individual access, two major philosophical I
that the effectiveness of organizations depends upon
camps still guide computer development and applica­
an understanding of values, aspirations, and mean­
tions. One camp sees the computer as a way to
ings that is shared by all members. We are also
extend and improve traditional business organization,
becoming more aware that the mental and physical
with its segmentation of tasks and reliance on spe­
health of individuals is a valid as well as practical
cialists. The other camp sees the computer as a way
concern of organizations.
to revolutionize business by broadening the scope
.and impact of the individual to the benefit of both the
vii
•

Preface to the First Edition
I n the fall of 1976, while participating in a discus­ The creative architectural space begets creativity,
sion group on design communication at the new insights, new choices. It is a catalyst for cogni­
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, I had the tion. This suggests an ethical imperative that applies
occasion to mention my book Graphic Problem not only to architects but also to anyone who acts on
Solving. Essentially, that book was an attempt at con­ that imperative. Act always so as to: increase,
vincing architects to apply their freehand concept­ enlarge, enhance the number of choices.
I
gathering skills to nontraditional problems dealing
Relating these ideas to the challenges enumerated
more with the processes than the products of archi­
earlier, I see two corresponding imperatives:
tecture. During the discussion, Fuller Moore stated
that the graphic skills I had assumed to be part of 1. Architects should solve problems wi th peopl e
architectural training were being neglected in the instead of for them by helping them understand
schools and that a more basic book on drawing in their needs and the choices of designs that meet
support of thinking was needed. Soon after, I had the those needs. This is done by bringing those who
chance to talk to several architects about the sketches use the buildings into the process of designing
they use to develop designs in contrast to the "fin­ those buildings.
ished drawings they use in presentations." Most cre­ 2. Architects must better understand science and
ative architects had developed impressive freehand how much it has in common with architecture.
sketching skills and felt comfortable sketching while Jacob Bronowski pointed out that the creative sci­
thinking. Some architects drew observations or entist is more interested in exploring and expand­
design ideas in small sketchbooks they carried with ing ideas than in establishing fixed "truths." The
them at all times. Both the architects and the educa­ unique quality of human beings lies in the
tors I interviewed expressed concern over the appar­ increase rather than the decrease of diversity.
ent lack of freehand graphic skills in people now
Within this context, sketches can contribute to
entering the profession.
design, first by facilitating the exploration and diver­
As I began to collect materials for this book, 1 sity of each designer's thinking. Second, sketches can
wondered about the relevance of sketching in archi­ help open up the design process by developing com­
tecture. Could sketching be better applied to design­ munication with people instead of presenting conclu­
ing as practiced today? The answer to this question sions to people.
depends on an examination of the present challenges
The notion of graphic thinking grew out of the
to architectural design:
recognition that sketching or drawing can and should
1. To be more responsive to needs, a problem-solv­ support the designer's thinking. I realize that some
ing process. readers would be more comfortable with a book
2. To be more scientific, more reliable, or pr'> about either thinking or drawing, but I felt it was crit­
dict able. ical to deal with their interaction. Pulling them apart
seemed to be like trying to understand how a fish
The response to these challenges was suggested
swims by studying the fish and the water separately.
by Heinz Von Foerster:
I hope you will be able to bear with the rough spots
...the language of architecture is connotative lan­ in this book and find some things that will help in
guage because its intent is to initiate interpretation. your work.
viii