Architectural Drawings

Architectural drawings are visuals used by architects to graphically represent the design of a proposed structure.

There are three broad types of architectural drawings for homes, including plan drawings, elevation drawings, and section drawings.

Plan drawings

These are architectural drawings that provide a bird’s-eye view of a building or a portion of it. They are drawn on a horizontal plane looking down from above.

In the case of a floor plan, for example, the roof is removed to allow the interior of the building to become visible.

 A floor plan drawing is achieved by removing the roof to make the interior space visible.

Types of elevation drawings

1. Plan drawings

Commonly referred to as architecture plans, plan drawings offer a bird’s-eye view of a building. They are used to illustrate the layout of a building.

Plans are often drawn cutting through the building with a horizontal plane.

They are usually cut at a height of 4 feet above the floor, although an architect may opt to cut it at a different elevation.

2. Plan callouts

A callout is a space within the plan drawn at a larger scale.

For instance, a floor plan at 1/4″ = 1′-0″ scale of a house can have a callout of the kitchen and bathroom, representing them at 1/2″ = 1′-0″ scale.

A 1/2″ scale is double the size of a 1/4″ scale.

3. Plan details

In architectural drawings, plan details are large-scale drawings that offer details on how construction will be undertaken.

Plan details are usually 3/4″ = 1′-0″ or larger and they identify all the materials and connections for the construction project.

4. Site plan

A site plan is an architectural drawing that illustrates the building in relation to the entire site where the structure sits. It shows the site and utilities such as power lines, roads, etc.

RELATED: Types of Construction Drawings

In most cases, a site plan shows the roof of a building. However, it can also feature a floor plan, viewed from above, to show how the building’s interiors interrelate with the site.

5. Roof plan

This is a bird’s eye view of a building showing the roof layout, parapets, stair bulkheads, and everything else that is likely to be placed on top of the building, including solar equipment.

6. Reflected ceiling plan (RCP)

This is a depiction of the ceiling within a space; usually drawn looking downwards as if a mirror has been placed on the floor to reflect the ceiling.

RCP shows structure, ceiling heights, lighting, etc.

7. Plan perspectives

This is an architecture plan shown in perspective. It is more of a design drawing made to represent how a space will look without giving details on how the space will be created.

Elevation drawings

Elevation drawings are a type of architectural drawings that illustrate a building or a portion of a building viewed from one side.

They are drawn from a vertical plane looking straight onto a façade or interiors – appearing as if one is standing in front of a building and looking straight at it.

There are four types of elevation drawings:

1. Elevation drawing

This is a 2D, flat representation of a building façade.

It shows the heights, length, width, and appearance of the main features of a building in relation to a fixed point such as the natural ground level.

Unlike floor plans that are drawn from a bird’s eye view of a building, elevation drawings are drawn as if one is looking at a structure from the front or side.

They give an idea of how the building will look like.

RELATED: How to Read Construction Drawings

Architectural drawings elevations must specify all sides of the building at a scale of 1:1000, orientation (north, east, south and west), and wall height as well as the overall building height measured from the natural ground level.

2. Interior elevation

This is a vertical projection of a wall or any other surface inside a structure.

It details all of the heights inside the building – starting at the finished floor elevation and stopping at the ceiling.

Interior elevation includes details such as heights of walls, doors, windows, built-ins (bookcases, fireplaces, etc) window & door trim, and orientation.

They can be tailored to the client’s particular needs.

3. Elevation callout

This is a short string of text linked by a line arrow, or similar graphic to a specific feature of an illustration or architectural drawing to give details about that feature.

4. Elevation detail

This type of drawing is an illustration of the lower floors of a building drawn from the curb level to a height of about 30 feet. It includes the ground floor height, dimensions of windows, doors, and signage.

Elevation detail should distinguish between transparent and non-transparent façade materials. It should also specify specific site conditions that need further description for review by both technical experts and the general public.

Section drawings

These types of architectural drawings are vertical depictions of a building or a portion of it – cutting through a space to illustrate what lies within.

They are drawn from a vertical plane slicing through a building as if one cut through a space vertically and stood in front looking straight at the structure.

There are several types of section drawings:

1. Section

Section drawings cut through a space to show details of the room’s features. It can be cut from any part of the space depending on the details to be shown.

2. Section callout

These are rectangular dashed line shapes with a bubble and a number used to inform the construction team of the fact that there are more details about a specific area of the project on another drawing.

3. Plan detail

As discussed above.

4. Site plan

As discussed above.

5. Reflected ceiling plan

This is a drawing in which the ceiling is projected on a flat plane directly below – as if the ceiling is being reflected onto a mirrored floor. It shows structure, ceiling heights, etc.

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