Drawing Heritage(s)
Hand Sketching in Architecture
Lectured in 2019, published in 2021
Tatovic, N., Hossain, Md S. (Eds)
UNESCO Chair for Intangible Heritage and Traditional Know-How: Linking Heritage of the University of Évora
Early in 2019, my fellow sketcher and illustrator, Pedro Alves and I were interviewed by Nevena Tatovic, heritage researcher at the University of Évora. The subject that interested her was how hand drawing could capture the essence and intangibles of heritage.
Later that year, we were honored to lecture alongside a group of artists, thinkers and intellectuals, on the usefulness of hand sketching in architecture. The lectures were gathered and edited by Nevena in a free distribution publication by the University of Évora.
“In order to make an image come alive, one must be totally within it.”
The following text is the abstract of mine and Pedro Alves’ article, based on our lecture in Évora.
“Hand sketching is an undeniably powerful tool in architecture. Early in the design process, fast sketches allow the team to visualise, understand and communicate ideas and solutions. Tighter illustrations convey the atmosphere and liveability. The main effort of an architecture illustrator is telling the right story to all stakeholders through hand drawn sketches, a process that emotionally bonds everyone involved to the project and helps the client feel part of the design team.
Urban Sketching is a practice that we, as architects, strongly believe that revives the roots of the practice by inviting us to go back to paper and ink as a means to capture the world as it revolves around us. By doing this, we “force” ourselves to look in a different way, while constantly exploring new techniques and new forms of communication, keeping us in constant evolution. In a way, it’s channeling the essence of what an architecture illustrator needs to be.”