Architectural Drawing as Verb, not as Noun: extending the concept of architectural drawing

nihilIn this paper I will discuss the renewed role of (the) architectural drawing in architectural practice, starting from my previous research. (Van Den Berghe 2012) Hence, I will present the potential of (the) architectural drawing by drawing a line from architectural research into architectural education. I will first outline my view upon (the) architectural drawing as a physical-mental action performed by the designing architect, and explain how (the) architectural drawing—in my practice, as in a number of other architectural practices—not only acts as a passive representation of the building in the future, but also as an active generator of content in the process of architectural creation in the present, in the (moment of) making. Hence, I will explain the concept of Chronological Drawing, as one of the concepts produced by my doctoral research. I will demonstrate this concept through a design-research case (House VDV-C), investigated and made explicit in my Ph.D. Subsequently, I will connect and merge this concept of Chronological Drawing with the concept of X-Ray-Drawing (House ST)—another concept that has come out of my doctoral research—and further point at the possibilities these (merged) concepts offer in the process of architectural creation, by explaining how they work through a set of drawings produced in my recent critical practice (House DG-DR). Finally, having explained and demonstrated these concepts from (my) architectural research and (my) architectural practice, I will present an application in architectural education, so as to ‘draw a line’ directly from architectural research into future workshops with (my) students. From the applications of these concepts in emerging new architectural practices—our students are the future generations of architects—the aforementioned importance of (the) architectural drawing can be grounded, disseminated, and applied for the benefit of (renewed) architectural practice.status: publishe