Architectural Sketches

ARCHITECTURAL SKETCHES

Edward Alan Vance, FAIA

ARCHITECTURAL SKETCHES

Edward Alan Vance, FAIA

Acknowledgments:

Author: Edward Alan Vance, FAIA Design and Composition: Kevin Michael Welch, Associate AIA

CONTENTS PART I Sketches of Europe..………………………4 Section I: Ink Sketches.……………………………7 Section II: Pencil Sketches...………………………25 PART II Watercolors ………………………………42 PART III UNLV Class Sketches……………………52 PART IV Work Sketches....…………………………72 Section I: Masterplan Sketches...…………………77 Section II: Elevation Sketches.……………………97 Interior Sketches...……………………121 Section III: Section Sketches...……………………129 Section IV: Perspective Sketches…………………137 Section V: Isometric Sketches...…………………147 ABOUT THE AUTHOR…....………….157

SKETCHES OF EUROPE

PART I

Ut prat, con volor sum verostisl essim

Landscape Geneva, Switzerland

3

SKETCHES OF EUROPE

PART I

I stumbled on the ability to draw well at a young age. I was often told that I had a gift and I naively believed it. Later I realized that the real gift was my mother giving me a pencil and paper and telling me to draw something, anything. When I went back to her for the usual praise she would say “that’s nice” and give me another piece of paper and tell me to draw something else. It wasn’t until I entered college that I discovered that drawing was a skill that can be learned by anyone with average eyesight and average hand-eye coordination. The real magic was learning to “see” a certain way.

While in Paris in the summer of 1979, I was traveling with a fellow student who was really struggling with his sketching. David was an average student with average grades but with a real desire to become an architect. It was while we were sitting on the plaza behind Notre Dame that he suddenly “Got It!” He drew the most wonderful sketch of the cathedral complete with flying buttresses and stained glass windows. He was absolutely elated. From that day forward, David drew anything and everything and his sketches were all marvelous. We returned to college the following fall and David began to really excel in his design classes. His confidence had grown commensurately with his ability to draw well. David completed his fifth year with straight A’s in all his studios.

We spoke often of his metamorphosis and decided that the ability to willfully make the “shift” in perception in order to draw well is not unlike the mental shift required in the design process. It is certainly the best tool a designer has to give the necessary feedback while designing.

As an employer now, I’m always on the lookout for interns and architects who can draw well. There has always been a romance between the architect and the sketch. It’s up to all of us to keep it alive.

Draw!

4

Festumg Marienberg Wurzburg, Germany

5

6

Ancient Ruins Rome, Italy

INK SKETCHES

SECTION II

T

raveling through Europe with seven architectural students all with varied interests and desires can make sketching a real challenge.

Everyone had different agendas and time demands and finishing a sketch was never easy. We all had to learn to draw fast and the felt tip ink pens made for quick drawing. They provided great expressiveness especially when a moistened finger was applied to the drawing. It made for fast shades and shadows giving the sketch an almost “watercolor” effect.

Most of the following drawings are unfinished, but everyone comments on how they like them better than the finished ones. The valuable lesson I learned from this was to liberate myself from trying too hard to perfect the work. The same applies to the design process.

Get your ideas down quickly. Don’t worry about making mistakes.

The results will set you free to create and be a better designer.

7

8

The Pantheon Rome, Italy

Narrow Corridor Rome, Italy

9

10

Basilica of St. Francis Assisi, Italy

Typical Waterway Venice, Italy

Ancient Ruin Rome, Italy

11

Arc de Triumph Paris, France

13

14

Top of The Spanish Steps Rome, Italy

Anceint Ruins Rome, Italy

15

16

Cathedral Vienna, Austria

Streetscape Wurzburg, Germany

17

18

Street Salsburg, Austria

Burggarten with Neue Burg Vienna, Austria

19

20

Country Church England

22

Anceint Ruins Rome, Italy

St Peter’s Cathedral Geneva, Switzerland

23

24

PENCIL SKETCHES

SECTION II

One of the schools requirements was that we were to vary the mediums of our sketches. As children, the pencil is probably our first drawing instrument and we liked it because we can erase our mistakes when we make them. We draw comfort from this and therefore find it easier to “let go� when we draw with the pencil.

What amazed me the most was the variety of drawing effects I could achieve with soft leaded pencils especially with chiseled points. The pencil can yield far more detail and so when I found myself with a little more time, I chose the pencil and experimented with all kinds of techniques. The result was a great variety of sketches that evoked different kinds of moods and feelings when finished.

I was often moved by the architecture and the setting to the extent that it would inspire me to draw a certain way to better capture the mood of place.

Cathedral de Notre Dame Paris, France

25

26

Church Cologne, Germany

Cathedral Wurzburg, Germany

Church London, England

27

28

Narrow Street Wurzberg, Germany

Santa Maria del Fiore Florence, Italy

Well Florence, Italy

29

30

Christ Church London, England

Streetscape Munich, Germany

31

32

Piazza del Mercanti Milan, Italy

Detail of a Church London, England

33

34

Streetscape Florence, Italy

Woman Paris, France

Anatomical Drawings of Leonardo Davinci’s Dispaly Florence, Italy

35

36

Lake Behind The Palace of Versailles Versailles, France

37

38

Le Courbusier’s Sainte Marie de La Tourette Lyon, France

39

WATERCOLORS

PART II

41

WATERCOLORS

PART II

Our watercolor teacher in college told us (before anything else) that we would need to complete at least 100 paintings before we would even begin to know what we are doing. For the most part he was right. However the few of us from the architecture department seemed to excel a little faster than he predicted. But it’s not unlike drawing in that shear repetition will yield the expertise necessary for you to liberate yourself into a creative zone, a zone that we as designers are trained to understand and consciously access with greater ease than most.

Learning this medium will be useful to you in that understanding how to illustrate entourage often depicted in watercolor paintings will serve you well in illustrating your work and design presentations.

Mastering watercolor will also allow you to understand and become more proficient in the use of markers, which if used correctly can actually provide you with similar effects.

42

Poplar Trees in Winter

44

Winter Landscape Scene

Winter Landscape Scenes

45

46

Winter Mountain Landscape Scene

Mountain Landscape Scene

47

48

Winter Farmland Scenes

Winter Mountain landscape Scene

49

UNLV CLASS SKETCHES

PART III

UNLV Class Sketches

51

UNLV CLASS SKETCHES

PART III

During the early 90’s I was asked to teach drawing classes at UNLV’s School of Architecture. The students had been taught historically to draw with the usual drawing tools which I detested. I found them constraining and not at all useful to their learning the art of drawing. So when they arrived with their maylines, triangles and templates, I told them to get rid of them and that we were going to learn to draw freehand.

Needless to say they were distressed and a bit scared, but after a few demonstrations they were amazed at how easy it was. I found that they learned best by watching me draw and then trying it themselves.

Later I discovered one of my favorite architectural illustrators “Kirby Lockard” produced a series of video tapes of him drawing.

I purchased the tapes and would then hold my classes in my office conference room which had a full AV setup. I would draw with them and the following are some of those “Lockard” exercises.

52

UNLV Class Sketch

54

UNLV Class Perspective Sketch

UNLV Class Perspective Sketch

55

56

UNLV Class Plan and Elevation Sketches

UNLV Class Plan and Elevation Sketches

57

58

UNLV Class Section Sketch

UNLV Class Section Sketch

59

60

UNLV Class Graphic Design Sketches

UNLV Class Graphic Design Sketches

61

62

UNLV Class Sketches

UNLV Class Sketches

63

64

UNLV Class Design Drawing

UNLV Class Design Drawing

65

66

UNLV Class Design Drawing

UNLV Class Design Drawing

67

68

As architects and designers we have but a few things that we need to master in drawing to fully illustrate the built environment we are designing. We call this “entourage� and among these items are people, trees, cars, mountains and skies. I have found that by tracing or copying entourage that others have draw (over and over again) that I began to develop my own style. It is through shear repetition they we get good at anything.

The secret is to not labor over the small stuff. Again learn to draw your entourage quickly and efficiently so that you are spending the bulk of your time on the design of your project not its surroundings.

Using color to do more of your work will free you up to draw more with less as indicated in some of the drawing on this page.

UNLV Class Entourage Drawings

69

WORK SKETCHES

PART IV

71

WORK SKETCHES

PART IV

I arrived in Las Vegas in 1987 as a young intern eight years out of school. I worked for a small firm by the name of Swisher and Hall for two years before joining JMA in 1989. It was there that I began to really learn the craft of design and drawing as it related to the art of visual thinking.

One of my partners was a man by the name of Steve Carr, AIA. Steve was originally from Colorado, an excellent designer and the epitome of an artist. He taught me more than anyone in my career about the art of drawing and design. His approach to design and drawing was unfettered and absolutely liberating. There was nothing he couldn’t design, illustrate or paint. He continues to be an inspiration to me today.

The sketch on the opposite page was drawn while I was on a plane flying back from the Midwest. I drew it on the back of a place mat.

72

Design Sketches of a Multi-Tenant Medical Office Building

73

74

Subtereanean Garage Level

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Santa Fe, New Mexico In late 2007, my good friend Mr. Glenn H. Fellows, AIA a Senior Principal with SMPC Architects in Albuquerque, New Mexico asked our firm to join him along with John Padilla, AIA of Sante Fe in proposing on a mixed use project on the Arch Diocese adjacent land in Sante Fe’s historic district.

The project known as “The Cathedral Project” was to be located on 5.5 acres at 213 Cathedral Place in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The site is one block from the historic plaza and one block from the entrance of the world famous gallery area named “Canyon Road”.

As the design architect, our job was to quickly plan around several existing (and historic) buildings to provide 70,000 sf of new residential product over 120,000 sf of new retail space. Our plan called for all the parking required (500 cars) for the project to house in two subterranean levels to allow for a lively pedestrian friendly market of shops and cafe’s. The field sketches on this page were provided to indicate that the project would be designed in keeping with the historic nature of the site.

Field Sketches Sante Fe, New Mexico

75

76

MASTERPLAN SKETCHES

SECTION I

At the core of any design is the plan. Whether the project is small, medium or large, the approach to any design solution almost always starts with the site, its context, its topography, the views it affords and how you access it.

Once you have the projects programming needs in mind, along with the local setback requirements and parking requirements get your ideas down quickly. Try to get three ideas out within a few minutes before trying to finalize any one approach.

Once you have a favorite, use simple yet strong geometries to organize your solution while paying close attention to site circulation not only for the car but for the interface with pedestrians.

Remember there are no mistakes when drawing, only layers!

Midrise Residential Project Henderson, Nevada

77

78

Process Sketch of a Comprhensive Mixed Use Master Plan Near Kansas City, Kansas

Final Overlay of a Comprhensive Mixed Use Master Plan Kansas City, Kansas

79

80

Mixed Use Masterplan on a Golf Course Henderson, Nevada

Retail and Medical Office Masterplan Las Vegas, Nevada

81

82

Masterplan of Highrise Condominium Project Las Vegas, Nevada

Village Center Masterplan Las Vegas, Nevada

83

84

Option 1 Highrise Condominium Project Masterplan Las Vegas, Nevada

Option 2 Highrise Condominium Project Masterplan Las Vegas, Nevada

85

86

Commercial and Retail Masterplan Las Vegas, Nevada

Commercial and Retail Masterplan Henderson, Nevada

87

88

Commercial and Retail Masterplan Las Vegas, Nevada

Medical Office Campus Masterplan Las Vegas, Nevada

89

90

Retail Site Plan Las Vegas, Nevada

Retail Site Plan Las Vegas, Nevada

91

92

Condominium Site/Floor Plan Las Vegas, Nevada

Condominium Site/Floor Plan Las Vegas, Nevada

93

Mixed Use Masterplan Laughlin, Nevada

95

96

Mid-rise Residential Project Lake Las Vegas, Nevada

ELEVATION SKETCHES

SECTION II

I love elevations. Taking the building into the third dimension is always fun and exciting because they are easy to draw and we get to use all that wonderful entourage we’ve mastered.

It’s here that we get to apply the vernacular or architecture that gives the building its spirit and individuality. Color, texture, shade, shadow and scale all come to bear in this simple representation.

For me, reducing a building’s elevation into smaller study components, (whether large or small) always makes the solution finding less daunting. It also allows you to render small vignettes to completion without risking a lot of time spent on the whole drawing.

As always there are no mistakes, only layers.

97

98

Thunder Valley Casino Design Process Sketches Sacramento, California

Thunder Valley Casino Design Process Sketches Sacramento, California

99

Final Elevation - Thunder Valley Casino Sacramento, California

101

102

Silver State Bank Corporate Office Design Elevations Hendarson, Nevada

Silver State Bank Corporate Office Design Elevations Hendarson, Nevada

103

104

Tenya Creek Restauran and Brewery Preliminary Elevations Las Vegas, Nevada

Care Meridians Post-Acute Care Facility Design Elevations Las Vegas, Nevada

105

Final Elevation - Bridger Building Las Vegas, Nevada

107

108

Various Office and Administration Projects Design Elevations Las Vegas, Nevada

Various Office and Administration Projects Design Elevations Las Vegas, Nevada

109

110

World Market Center Design Process Elevations Las Vegas, Nevada

World Market Center Design Process Elevations Las Vegas, Nevada

111

112

Conceptual Elevations - Highrise Condominium Project Las Vegas, Nevada

Conceptual Elevation - Mid-rise Condominium Project Las Vegas, Nevada

113

114

Preliminary Elevations - Care Meridian Las Vegas, Nevada

Preliminary Elevations - Care Meridian Las Vegas, Nevada

115

116

Various Conceptual Design Elevation Vignettes

Various Conceptual Design Elevation Vignettes

117

118

Various Conceptual Design Elevation Vignettes

Various Conceptual Design Elevation Vignette

119

120

Conceptual Design Interior Perspective

INTERIOR SKETCHES

SECTION III

C

lients love interior perspectives no mater how simple or complex they are. This is where their project comes to life for them because this is where they will live or work. And unlike plans, sections and elevations, everyone understands perspective drawing.

Mastering the one point perspective is all that’s required here. The entourage required is a bit more demanding because furniture and fixtures are required, but otherwise it’s not to difficult a task.

Again, work quickly by letting color do a lot of the work for you.

The advantage to you as the designer is that this effort begins to give you the instant feedback you need to fine tune your work. Does it work; does it look good, how does it feel? Learn to draw these quickly so you feel comfortable drawing in front of others, especially your client. Nothing will endear you faster to a client than drawing in front of them.

121

122 2

Conceptual Design Interior Perspective - Restaurant and Bar Las Vegas, Nevada

Conceptual Design Interior Perspective - Retail Mall Las Vegas, Nevada

123

124 24

Conceptual Design Patio Perspective Las Vegas, Nevada

Conceptual Design Interior Perspective - Restaurant Las Vegas, Nevada

125

126

Conceptual Design Casework Perspective - Ceasars Palace Las Vegas, Nevada

Conceptual Design Interior Perspective

127

128

Mixed Use Conceptual Design Section

SECTION SKETCHES

SECTION IV

Sections are critical to all designers because they require you to understand the workings of a building in the third dimension. The nice thing about them is that they can be draw like elevations and make for very nice presentations for your clients.

They really communicate very well the nature of the built environment to your clients and the team members who are working on your project especially when dealing with complex solutions.

Not unlike elevations, I always recommend breaking the project into bite size chunks solving one piece at a time, then bringing them all together into a final composition for presentation.

129

130

Section of Mid-rise Residential Project Lake Las Vegas, Nevada

Mixed Use Conceptual Design Section Las Vegas, Nevada

131

132

Mixed Use Conceptual Design Section

Mixed Use Conceptual Design Section

133

134

Design Communication Sections

Deisgn Communication Sections

135

136

Conceptual Design Perspective

PERSPECTIVE SKETCHES

SECTION V

Mastering the two-point perspective is required here and there a lot of books out there that can help you understand the methodology.

That’s not the purpose of this book.

Learn to draw them fast. When you do, you’ll again get more comfortable expressing your ideas to others. Without question, these are the most complicated of the drawing methods and are more often than not farmed out to professional renderers who paint them or produced using the computer. Their results are amazing so it’s difficult to compete with the photo realistic results.

However, when you are in a meeting, there is nothing like doing a quick perspective to share your ideas with others. Let the computer provide the finished renderings, that fine. It’s the art of the quick thumbnail sketch that we are tying to preserve. It is here that the real design work is done.

137

138

Nevada Ballet Theater Las Vegas, Nevada

Entry Perspective - Bally Gaming Las Vegas, Nevada

139

140

Conceptual Design Perspective

Conceptual Design Perspective

141

142

Conceptual Design Perspective - Kloehn Pharmaceuticals Las Vegas, Nevada

Conceptual Design Perspective - Kloehn Pharmaceuticals Las Vegas, Nevada

143

144

World Market Center Conceptual Design Perspective Las Vegas, Nevada

World Market Center Conceptual Design Perspective Las Vegas, Nevada

145

146

Mixed Use Project Conceptual Design Final Isometric Las Vegas, Nevada

ISOMETRIC SKETCHES

SECTION VI

The isometric sketch is my favorite type of perspective sketch and the more you use it the more it will become your favorite too. It’s easy to learn, it’s easy to read and you can scale in all directions so you’re not cheating yourself. I think the isometric and axonometric sketches are the most useful tools available to the designer. With little effort you can take the site or floor plan and turn it 30 or 45 degrees and start extending scaleable lines. Entourage is so similar to the elevation that in no time you’re looking like an expert and your design is coming to life before your eyes.

Just as before I recommend breaking the project into smaller pieces allows for more options and sub-solutions that are all brought together in a final overlay that should be presentable to your client.

Always draw everything as artfully as you can. You never know when you’ll have to present to someone!

147

148

Mixed Use Project Conceptual Design Process Isometric Las Vegas, Nevada

Mixed Use Project Conceptual Design Process Isometric Las Vegas, Nevada

149

150

Mid-rise Residntial Project Conceptual Design Process Isometric Las Vegas, Nevada

Mid-rise Residential Project Conceptual Design Final Isometric Las Vegas, Nevada

151

152

Mixed Use Project Conceptual Design Process Isometric Las Vegas, Nevada

Mixed Use Project Conceptual Design Final Isometric Las Vegas, Nevada

153

154

Industrial Project Conceptual Design Isometric Las Vegas, Nevada

Commercial Project Conceptual Design Isometric Las Vegas, Nevada

155

156

About the Author

Located in Las Vegas, Nevada his firm is currently staffed with 20 professionals uniquely qualified to serve the healthcare, hospitality and commercial industries.

For more than 30 years Mr. Vance has served his Las Vegas clients and the profession of architecture. Design excellence characterizes Mr. Vance’s distinguished career. His work has led to numerous design awards and to significant commissions with major commercial, hospitality and healthcare clients.

Edward A. Vance, FAIA, is the founder and design principal of EV&A Architects, a specialty design firm serving the health care, hospitality and commercial markets.

He is the past president of JMA Architecture Studios, a nationally recognized design firm, of over 200 professionals, located in five offices in Nevada and California.

For nearly 18 years Mr. Vance served as a designer, project manager and principal-incharge at JMA. He was the director of the firm’s healthcare, commercial and hospitality studios. In November of 2006, Mr. Vance opened EV&A Architects to better serve his client base and the profession.

Mr. Vance has been awarded the AIA Nevada Young Architect Citation, the AIA Nevada Service Award and in 2006 he received The AIA Nevada Silver Medal, the highest honor bestowed on an architect in the State. He was elected to the AIA’s National Board of Directors in 2010 where he served a three year term receiving his Richard Upjohn Fellowship in 2012. He was elected to the AIA College of Fellows in early 2014 and received the AIA Regional Silver Medal in October of the same year. He is the 2019 Chancellor of the AIA College of Fellows.

As a past professor at UNLV’s College of Architecture, he continues to guest lecture professional practice classes and juries 5th and 6th year design studios. Active in his community, Mr. Vance served on the board of trustees as past vice president for the Lied Discovery Children’s Museum. He also served on the executive board of Boy Scouts of America, is a member of NAIOP and is the past Nevada State coordinator for NCARB’s Intern Development Program.

Credits: We wish to acknowledge EV& A Architects Inc., JMA and Swisher & Hall, Ltd. The works contained within this book were performed while at these firms as follows: EV&A Architects Inc. Pages; 74-79, 94-95 JMA . Pages; 73, 80-93, 96-119, 122-125, 130-140, 142-155 Swisher & Hall, Ltd. Pages; 120, 126-127, 141

ARCHITECTURAL SKETCHES

Edward Alan Vance, FAIA

For professional architects, designers, illustrators and students alike, this book demonstrates freehand drawing techniques that are easy to learn and clearly demonstrates how drawing (or “visual thinking�) is such a powerful tool in our approach to design.

As architects and designers, drawing is the best and quickest means of communicating our thoughts and ideas to others including ourselves. It is my hope that this book will inspire others to continue to practice the art of drawing in all of its forms. I have always taught my students and interns that there are three steps in becoming proficient in drawing and design....

Imitation, Inspiration and finally Innovation. Trace, copy or steal these sketches until you develop your own style. Enjoy the magic of drawing and have fun!

ARCHITECTURAL SKETCHES

Edward Alan Vance, FAIA