Historically we, like most architectural practices and designers, have used plans drawn in parallel projection, that’s to say that they are not in perspective. We do this because plans in parallel projection can be to scale and from a technical standpoint, it’s less easy to cheat and/or misleading. However, perspective drawings can add something to the communication process as some clients find it easier to read these types of plans, whereas a projection drawing requires the reader to use their imagination, and some people cannot do this as well as others.
Before computer graphics, a perspective drawing would be drawn on paper or film by a draftsperson or a specialist perspective artist, it could be either quite sketchy or almost photo realistic. Even now, we in the Building Tectonics office still sketch something out in perspective, usually to communicate something to another member of the team so being adept with a pencil is still very handy.
Of course, the computer and the software we generally use can generate very complicated 3 dimensional models and from that a perspective drawing, but it does require a lot more information and time to do this. You may also be surprised to know that these types of graphical representations of a job can take all night for a computer to process (even quite a powerful computer). For this reason, we have to charge extra for such work and if the client can do without it then all is well and good.
There is another side to this subject. Perspectives can be very misleading as they can give an impression of a building and perhaps it's surrounding, or indeed the inside of a room but it will not be to scale, and by playing with the perspective vanishing point the impression of space and proportion can be altered. There is a trend now to produce photo realistic drawings too and these can be very seductive, but we worry that the client is wooed by the image and does not concentrate on the actual architecture. Most people will come into contact with perspective or a 3D type of representation when they order a new kitchen, and I have heard people say that the end result, when the kitchen is installed does not always have the same feeling or sense of space that was engendered by the graphical representation.
Planning departments and builders still require parallel projection because they can trust them (if properly prepared) to give them the accurate information they need. However perspectives, walk throughs and fly round visualisations are required by some clients and so we do, if asked, produce them for an extra fee.
We would be very pleased to learn of your experience of viewing types of graphic displays, whether they helped you to make a decision about a particular design, and ultimately, did the building or kitchen live up to the promise of the presentation.
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Written by Tony Keller – Building Tectonics Ltd.