McGill University School of Architecture

ARCH 221 Architectural Drawing

Course Outline - Fall Term, 2011



Course faculty:

Professor David Covo (david.covo@mcgill.ca)

Professor Robert Mellin (robert.mellin@mcgill.ca)

Note: this outline will be revised during the term
(check the course web page regularly for updates):

http://www.arch.mcgill.ca/prof/mellin/adfall2011/index.html



1. Course description (from the University Calendar):

The purpose of this course is to provide a critical
overview of theory and practice in relation to
architectural drawing, and to develop familiarity with
methodologies for generating appropriate drawings at
every stage of the design process.

2. Supplementary course description:

This is not a course with step-by-step instructions on
the purely technical aspects of manual drawing and the
construction of physical models (there are literally
hundreds of books on the technical aspects of these
subjects you may wish to refer to or even to add to your
personal library, and further guidance will be provided
by your studio instructor in conjunction with studio
projects). Although many technical aspects will be
discussed throughout the term, representation is the
underlying theme of this course, providing an
introductory overview that connects intentions and
values with the selection and use of materials and
methods. If you have taken an introductory drawing
course at another university, as a U1 student you are
not exempt from ARCH 221.

We hope to arrange occasional field trips to the CCA to
view drawings in their archives. The drawing course
meeting time (early Thursday mornings) will not permit
CCA field trips at that time, so these field trips will
be arranged either for Tuesday afternoon or Thursday
afternoon during studio time.

Manual drawing techniques will be used for all
assignments (the use of the computer for drawing and
physical modeling is not permitted, but the computer may
be used for the scanning of photos/documents, for the
editing of images with Photoshop, for assistance in
desktop publishing with programs like Adobe InDesign,
and for printing if required for your portfolio or for
other purposes).

3: Schedule - Weekly presentations/assignments:


Sept. 1: Sketching/Analytiques [Robert Mellin]

Part One- Field sketching:

Keywords, subjects: journals/sketchbooks/diaries:
Moleskine requirements, drawing in Moleskines,
Moleskine precedents (web examples), content,
graphic design, watercolours (materials, methods,
precedents), Sketching School examples (2011), Le
Corbusiers sketches/diaries, Steven Holls
watercolour sketches/diagrams.

Part Two- Analytiques:

Keywords, subjects: Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Frascari,
Rossi (Ryle- analogy), R. Mellins analytiques, and
presentation strategies, Scarpas drawings.

Readings: Written in Water (Holl), pdf files, Le
Corbusiers Carnets, R. Mellins Tilting analytiques
(pdf file), Holl art gallery project.

Assignments: the documentation of a particular
location in the City of Montreal. You may
collaborate with others within your group for the
purpose of sharing basic information (city maps,
photography, measuring).

Note that this first assignment is integrated with
the first assignment for ARCH 201, and involves two
required components; 1)sketches in your landscape-
oriented 5 x 8 Moleskine (graded for ARCH 201),
and 2), an analytique (graded for ARCH 221) on one
sheet of white Arches watercolour paper (22 x 30,
hot pressed surface, 140lb., portrait orientation).

Using your Moleskine sketchbook, prepare quick,
annotated analytical sketches using pencil and/or
watercolour(possible topics: details, materials,
light, assemblies, colour, form, procession, scale).

On your Arches paper, prepare an analytique using
pencil and/or watercolour (no ink or felt pens),
keeping in mind the analogical purpose of such
drawings in analyzing form, construction, details,
and materials. The analytique may include
orthographic drawings in various scales (site plan,
site elevations, building elevations), as well as
freehand or with instruments instrument drawn
details. Do not glue or tape anything to the Arches
paper.

Note: make sure your name appears clearly on the
inside of the cover of your Moleskine, and also on
the front of your analytique. These assignments are
due on Wednesday, September 7 @ 6:00pm.

Sept. 8:
Analytiques cont., Watercolours [Robert Mellin]

Topics: Analytiques continued, Ecole drawings, Anne
Meredith Barry, watercolours, sketching vs. painting,
Steven Holl, Sketching School examples, Toni Onley,
Emile Nolde.

Readings: Toni Onleys books (A Silent Thunder),
Gadamer (Truth and Method: chapter titled The
Ontology of the Work of Art), plus a critique:

http://sam-gill.com/Lecture%20PDFs/Play%203%20Gadamer.pdf

http://sam-gill.com/PDF/Play%20(gill).pdf


No Assignment

Sept. 15: Drawing Instruments [David Covo]
Keywords, subjects: history of the pencil, and many
other drawing instruments and drawing aids.

Readings: Tools of the Imagination by Susan
Piedmont-Palladino, Drawing Instruments by Maya
Hambly.

Assignment: design, name, and construct a simple
manual drawing instrument or aid to manual drawing
of your own invention, describing its relationship
to any precedents for traditional drawing
instruments, if any. We welcome the weird, wonderful,
curious, incongruous, monstrous, and mysterious in
this assignment. Submit one 8 ! x 11 portrait
orientation drawing on high quality, white
heavyweight paper documenting the instruments
design and construction and providing instructions
for use, plus an example of your use of the
instrument on a separate sheet of white heavyweight
paper. Assignment due Sept. 21 @ 6:00pm.


Sept. 22: Physical modeling [Robert Mellin]

(Work Inc., Piano, Chipperfield, student models,
Slow House model, hypothetical models, realistic
models, Ghery film- models)

Readings: Model Making by Megan Werner (New York,
Princeton Architectural Press, 2011).

Assignment: to be announced. Due: Sept. 28 @ 6:00pm.

Sept. 29: Mind/eye/heart/hand
[Heather Midori Yamada]

Readings: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by
Betty Edwards (New York, Penguin, 1999), Emile Nolde,
Pallasmaa The Thinking Hand.

Assignment: Visit the Japanese paper store in
Montreal(Au Papier Japonais, 24 Fairmount West).
Select three different types of 8 ! x 11 paper,
and submit experimental sketches/paintings. The
purpose is to explore and test the use of different
media using this type of paper. Due: Oct. 5 @ 6:00pm.


Oct. 6: Orthographic Projection
[D. Covo and R. Mellin]

Keywords, subjects: Palladio (realms/intentions),
Ecole des Beaux Arts, others (work of contemporary
architects: Chipperfield example), Mellin: Tilting,
analogy/details, Christopher Pratt paintings.
Abalos/Herreros, Axonometrics: Five architects,
Eisenman, Holl (house types), Charles Moore (The
Place of Houses), Le Corbusier, working drawings,
Zumthor (no distinction between design and
construction drawings, Pencil Points Journal, In
Detail, conventions, Graphic standards (evolution
over the years), Readings: Lebbeus Woods, John
Hejduk, Eisenman, Hadid paintings, Morphosis (ink
drawings/projection), FLWs 3D plans.

Readings:

Geometry of Design, Eisenman

Assignment: no assignment.

Oct. 13: Orthographic Projection [Mellin, Covo],
Perspective [David Covo]

Keywords, subjects: Christopher Pratt paintings,
narrative drawing with special reference to
Piranesis Carceri.

Readings: (chapter from Architectural Representation
and the Perspective Hinge)

Assignment on Piranesi/perspective: to be announced.
Due Oct. 19 @ 6:00pm.


October 20: Intangible drawing/modeling [R Mellin]

Keywords, subjects: Andy Goldsworthy film (Rivers
and Tides), sculpture

Assignment: installation with leaves on McGills
campus, documented with photographs and a
watercolour sketch on 8 ! x 11 white heavyweight
drawing or watercolour paper, landscape orientation
(different leaf colours should be available,
however- depending on the timing of the fall season
the date scheduled for this subject and
corresponding assignment may change). Due: Oct. 26 @
6:00pm.

October 27:
Process/underdrawing/overdrawing/ [Robert Mellin]
The Art of the Cartoon [David Covo]

Keywords, subjects Process: palimpsest, history,
marginalia, messy media, amnesia, fuzziness, traces,
theoros, play, mimesis, A. Aalto, C. Scarpa, F.L.
Wright, Renzo Piano. Underdrawing/overdrawing:
Freehand drawing: animation (Michael Graves
drawings), Renaissance, Disney, animation/graphic
novels (Jimmy Corrigan, Walrus cartoon, real estate
agent Julis Kniple Real Estate Photographer: Ben
Katchor) movement- Chihuly (paintings to studio
glass), Kahn: full size circle drawings, Corbeletti
drawings, Overdrawing: Lewis Tsurumaki Lewis

Readings: Jimmy Corrigan, Overdrawing article by
Lewis Tsurumaki Lewis.

http://www.katchor.com/

No Assignment

Nov. 3:
To diagram/collect/document; Process [R Mellin]
Layered Drawing/Sketching/Design Sketching [D. Covo]

Keywords, subjects: Marlene Creates, Tuftee, Maps,
cognitive mapping, cartography, visual information,
collections, connections with place (Onleys brushes,
Createss stones/leaves), sketching and ideas.
Heritage conservation: documentation with drawings
and photographs, scale, process (large to small),
precedents (Glassie, Mellin, Holl, Hubka, HAB
Survey), measured drawings, HABS.Holl, Schoenauer,
Natural History (Herzog/deMeuron)

Readings:

Places of Presence, map books, Tuftee, etc., Pet
Architecture (Tokyo), Architecture and Field/Work:
Susan Ewing, ed. (New York, Routledge, 2011).

No assignment


Nov. 10:
Freehand Drawing Session [Robert Mellin]
Note: meet in the Freehand Drawing Studio Level 5

Reading for the remaining sessions:

Architects Draw by Sue Ferguson Gussow (New York:
Princeton Architectural Press, 2008)

No assignments: retain your studio session drawings
for your portfolio!

Nov. 17: Freehand Drawing Session
[D. Covo, R. Mellin]
Note: meet in the Freehand Drawing Studio Level 5

Nov. 24: Freehand Drawing Session
[D. Covo, R. Mellin]
Note: meet in the Freehand Drawing Studio Level 5

4) Grading:
Sketching (10%)

Drawing Instrument (10%)

Physical model (10%)

Mind/eye/heart/hand (Japanese paper) (10%)

Intangible (10%)

Perspective (10%)

Drawings from the Freehand Drawing Studio (30%)

Digital portfolio with a one-page essay on
representation [more information to be provided on this]
(10%): Due, last day of classes.

5) Digital portfolio:

Requirements: digital archive (low resolution jpg
images) of your work, configured with a basic
Dreamweaver template (Dreamweaver available on the EMF
network).

6) Resource Persons:

David Krawitz, Admin. Coordinator (room 204)
David Speller, Workshop Technician (room G14)
Per Kefgen, Media Lab Technician (room G12)

7) McGill Policy Statements:

Please make sure you read the information in the section
titled McGill Policy Statements on the McGill
University web page below:

http://www.mcgill.ca/tls/resources/outline/#GENERAL