Graphic thinking for architects and designers

This unique volume is the first work in its field to bridge the gap between freehand drawing and the architect's thought and design process. Emphasizing that the manner in which designers record their ideas is an integral part of the way they think, the author shows how more versatile and facile sketching results in more flexible and creative thinking.The reader will find analysis of graphic thinking in relation to community and public design processes. Special attention is given to the shift in perception necessary for community work, and specific examples illustrate the more effective techniques now being used to achieve it. There is thorough treatment of the often-neglected process of abstraction in design, as well as a discussion of the distinctions between individual, team and public thinking and how to adjust one's drawings to each.The book also contains a wide variety of sketching techniques and sample drawings that will further enhance the architect's sketching process. Abstract conceptual diagrams and definitive sketches are included that will be valuable tools for designing a wide range of buildings and environments.Beginning with the tradition of sketching in architecture and the origins of graphic communication, the volume goes on to cover such basic skills as freehand drawing, graphic notetaking, perceptual and visual training, and building a sketch. It explores the value of graphic language in design communication... the role of freehand perspective. . .the use of ideograms in retention of conceptual clarity .. .and the structure of design problems.All information is presented so that the reader can easily apply it to his or her needs, making this an invaluable working tool for architects, architectural designers, environmental designers, and students in architecture and related fields.ABOUT THE AUTHOR ...Paul Laseau has enjoyed a distinguished career as a practicing architect, a teacher of architecture and an architectural researcher. Currently serving as Professor of Architecture at the College of Architecture and Planning at Ball State University, he is also a cofounder and member of Wyman, Perry, Laseau, Carpenter. Previously, he was a member of such prestigious architectural firms as Marcel Breuer and Associates, Henri Colboc and Gerard Phillipe, the Office of Alfred Easton Poor, and Building Science, Inc. A registered architect in the State of New York, Mr. Laseau is a member of the Environmental Design Research Association. He is the author of an earlier book on graphic design entitled Graphic Problem Solving.