Free-Hand Sketching & Architecture

On Thursday 10^th November 2011 I gave a talk to the young Architects at the office of LWK Architects in Shenzhen, China. The talk was scheduled to begin at 5:00 pm, but when I arrived, I was not sure I was at the right place; the meeting room had standing room only; jammed packed with more than 50 people waiting. I was about to turn away because I thought there was a private meeting running; luckily the crowd hailed me to step into the room.

The art of sketching belongs to many great personalities, before and after the invention of CAD. Architects essentially use sketches to aid their thinking and conceptual process. Their sketches become their ‘signature’ over time. You should not be afraid to show your sketches. Your sketches will speak louder than your words.

Hong Kong is a beautiful city. When I first arrived in Hong Kong in 1993 I wandered around every evening after work to experience the magnificent views that seem to be everywhere. I was entranced to sketch and make notes of my experience. What a wonderful world Hong Kong is!

I extend my free-hand sketching skills to compliment my architectural thinking process. Free-hand sketching can be faster than CAD if you understand the principles and short cuts in sketching.

Remember the 5 elements in Free-hand sketching: Fore-ground, Middle-ground, Back-ground, Horizon and Vanishing Points. There were more than 200 slides in my presentation. The young architects were so keen the talk lasted for more than two hours!