Drafting and Representation The Concept of Documentation Conventions in

draftinG and repreSentation

The word “drafting” is a carryover from days past. The term “representation” is becoming more widely used for what was called drawing or drafting. Graphic communication remains the primary means of communicating design and technical information. The words “drafting” and “drawing” will be used interchangeably here and will refer to either analog or digital graphic communication. When it is necessary to make a distinction, the word use will be clarified.

Drafting is the art of communicating complex design ideas in two dimensions. The drawings created by staff in design offices were done with pencil or ink on a variety of paper products, and later on Mylar film. Hand-drawn (analog) drafting makes use of a variety of tools, including a T-square, several types of triangles, French curves, a drawing compass, and variety of templates (such as a circle template). Drafting of the past is now referred to as analog representation (drawing by hand) and has been replaced by digital representation done on computers, applying an array of representation software such as AutoCAD.

The subject of drawing conventions is vitally important in site grading and justifies further elaboration. The lines, patterns, and symbols “drawn” by the designer are as necessary for successfully communicating design intent as the symbols, lines, and notations of a musical score that communicate a composer’s intent. Musical symbols incorrectly written on a page of sheet music would produce a terrible sound in what otherwise might be a very pleasing musical composition. Likewise, a contractor could interpret a misused symbol or incorrectly drawn line in a site-grading plan with disastrous results.

Those practicing the professions of architecture, engineering, and landscape architecture communicate their design ideas to others following a set of drawing or representation conventions. These conventions consist of line width, patterns, numbers and text usage, and symbols that are universal to the extent that all professions involved at different stages in the life of a design project (from preliminary design through construction documentation, bidding, contract negotiation, and construction)