Gesture Graphic Final Project ARCH 587 Andy Billings

Computer Use In Design With the influence of computers in the design process, many architects and aspiring students have implemented the use of computers in producing and representing their work. Initially, computer aided drafting programs were motivated by utility. These early programs facilitated the desire for drafting design projects that could easily be modified and reproduced. Consequently, straightforward representation was the result.

Straightforward Representation Construction drawings needed only to be clear and concise.

The Move From Blue Printing To Plotting

Computer drawings don’t represent an entire design project. A major short-coming of computer aided drafting programs is their inability to express the essence of a design project. Floor plans, sections and elevations print out efficiently, but lack an aesthetic quality necessary to convey ideas. They also fail to communicate feeling and character, both integral components of design.

The Analogue Tweak This situation has left designers on their own, forced to tweak plotted drawings in an analogue method. Designers have implemented expressive techniques in hope of transforming drab drawings into informative and experiential representations of design. Sketching, painting, collage, and pasting imagery on plots are examples of how designers have supplemented computer drawings. The problem with the analogue overlay method is that it is very time consuming. Using both analogue and digital representation in a single design project can be seen as counter productive.

What to do? What if this design problem could be resolved? What if the analogue layering of information on top of digital computer drawings could take place on a digital platform where it could be easily modified? This could potentially revolutionize the presentation aspect of the architectural field.

The Program For Gesture Graphic The design and implementation of a computer program that would spice-up drab computer generated drawings from ArchiCAD, AutoCAD and other drafting programs could fill the gap. From a database of digital material, and application schemes, designers could tailor additive elements to express the essence of a project. Color, patterns, and images could be chosen from a database, or created by the user. A project would be a well-received, clear representation not only of walls, floors, windows, and doors, but also the heart and soul of the design.

The End