Communicating ideas through imagery are central to the design process. In client presentations, site visits, or public exhibitions, we are required to represent important aspects clearly to the receiver, who is often not an architect. Furthermore, producing detailed architectural drawings can allow us to identify and modify certain aspects of the design. 

Diagrams and charts, because of their non-spatial characteristics, are often neglected until the last moments of the design process, however, they can be a useful tool for analysis and organization. Taking the time to think and articulate these elements yield positive results, from understanding and organizing a design process to providing an unexpected change of idea.

In an effort to enhance the graphics and diagrams in architectural representation, check out this series of case studies to help you boost the visual, analytical, organizational power of your work.

The textures, colors, and details, captured by @hernanmat in these minimalist photographs, show the vibrancy of the patterns and elements characteristic of the local, traditional and popular architecture of Argentina.

By photographing and compiling all these elements into one place, the collection becomes in a way a reflection of the different components of Argentine architecture that occupy the collective memory.

Check out below a stunning selection of minimalist photographs by @hernanmat.

Want a new home project to obsess over? We’ve got you covered. Stove, check. Fridge, check. Work surface, 3-4 inches below elbows - depending on what standards you use. The kitchen stands as one of the oldest typologies in mankind. From primitive fire pit to the sleek minimal surfaces we see cropping up online, it has gone through several overhauls in its long life. Nowadays its elements are consistent on an international level – so we can assemble them as quickly as possible, and even build them ourselves. In the search to rethink the kitchen space, sustainable wood manufacturer Arauco partnered up with Chilean architect Felipe Arriagada to create a simple and low-cost DIY proposal. The project is a series of a partnership between Arauco and leading designers to remodel and share ideas about relatable, down-to-earth design at home.

Check out the drawings and steps below:

We have listed all the materials you need for this easy DIY. 

For decades, SketchUp has been one of the most well-known 3D modeling programs in the design world, owed to its intuitive working tools and labyrinth of user-generated accessories, from open source libraries to plugins. Quite often, SketchUp is the software of choice for engaging children with architecture, due to its availability, flexibility, and ease of use.

Later in your design career, you could be forgiven for dismissing SketchUp as a 'rookie tool', a beginner's level below the advanced stages of Revit, Rhino, and AutoCAD. However, as SketchUp has evolved throughout the years, it now contains a formidable array of functions, capable of producing complex, exportable results in an organized, efficient manner for students and senior partners alike.

From geo-location to sun-paths, here are 10 very useful tips to make you the model SketchUp user of the office.

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The geometric design from Lab for Planning and Architecture for the Municipality of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Spain is a morphological response that conditions Julio Navarro's and Roque Díaz's swimming pools allowing adequate movement of people with reduced mobility.

The project is a path of stairs and ramps with a triangular design that integrates with the surrounding landscape; the materiality and the constructive details are adapted to the different needs and natural conditions of the land. 

Through his illustrations, architect Fernando Neyra tackles issues common to the discipline, for example, the need for a means of graphic style that can create a clear, visually-enticing representation of an architectural idea.

The following series of explorative illustrations shows how digital sketching becomes a powerful communication tool when paired with traditional systems of representation, such as the axonometric perspective.

The result provides us with an understanding of core architectural concepts, while allowing us to reflect on the role of the sketch in contemporary architecture.

Despite being aimed toward a common goal, the different perspectives of the architect and the client can sometimes lead to a tense working relationship. But where there is conflict, there is humor – in these strips, Tristan Comics manages to address the topic in a truthful yet humorous way. They say laughter is the best medicine, and through comics, Tristan manages to shed light on those pertinent issues that all those in the world of architecture can relate to.

A multidisciplinary design study by J.Roc Design, based in Boston, has developed a proposal using wood to restore value to an underused rooftop at the southern end of the city.

In order to accommodate a series of different activities, which required a wide variety of furniture, and therefore a considerable reduction of space, a subtle treatment was made to the flat surface of the roof creating distinct spaces that could be used for sitting, resting and entertaining. 

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Seeing the space of an auditorium in section is a key tool in allowing us to approach a design's of acoustics, accessibility, and lighting. These components are what make the design of an auditorium a complex task, requiring detailed and specific studies.

There are a number of ways to design an auditorium that offers multiple responses to these challenges. For this reason, we have selected a number of sections from different auditoriums that can help you understand how other architects have solved the challenge.

Check out the 30 auditorium sections below, they are sure to inspire you!

As a young architecture student looking for a way to take his mind off schoolwork, architect/artist Tristán began drawing comics that drew inspiration from what he knew best: architecture school. Settling on the protagonist of the architecture student, he created a full series of comic strips focusing on the day to day routine of architecture students and teachers.

The comics take on moments from the life of architecture school, from the stresses of pulling all-nighters to the realities of dealing with clients in the professional world. By creating these strips, Tristán aims to shed some light on the complexities of being an architecture student – not forgetting that humor can sometimes be the best medicine for what ails you.

The wide range in which pieces of masonry can be arranged allows for multiple spatial configurations. Born in a furnace, the brick adorns and reinforces, protects and—to various degrees—brings natural light into spaces that need slight, natural illumination. 

Throughout history, traditional brick-laying consisted of predetermined arrangement of parts, and lines of rope to guide the consistency and placement of each individual brick. But there are many other ways to exploit this multi-faceted, timeless material, so we've selected 16 projects that demonstrate the potential of the humble brick. 

Below find 16 construction details from projects that use bricks in ingenious ways. 

Buenos Aires' contemporary urban landscape as we know it today provides a tempered mix of historical and recent construction projects. As one of the most beautiful cities in South America, it's wide boulevards and grand buildings, based on European models, have morphed to embrace the needs of a modern metropolis.

These images show just how profoundly time affects our cities (and how centuries-old foliage can powerfully transform spatial perception).

Browse the 20 interactive images of Buenos Aires before and after.

Small stories and architectonic practices that existed in each character filled village and provinces in Buenos Aires are here rescued by Juan Viel when he captures their atmospheres and particularities through his camera.

The variety of images and their subjects invite us to reflect on the substance and architectural heritage in these small Argentinian towns, and to think about the places where we live.

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