Hand drawings    

Hand drawing is the traditional sketching with a pen on paper. For a long time, architects have used hand drawings to explore ideas and assess multiple options during the design stage. Unlike today where hand drawings are used to make rough sketches before fine tuning with computer software, traditional hand drawing had to be perfect.  

The first-hand drawings in the history of architecture date back to 10,000 B.C.E. At this time the drawings were merely artistic, but then they gradually evolved to become architecturally meaningful. Today hand drawings have been faded out, but in small instances, they exist side by side with computer-assisted drawings.  

Computer Generated Imagery  

Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) is as the name suggests the processes of using a computer application to create a representation of a project, with the soul purpose of communication.

As technology has progressed, so have CGI’s, and they now form a fundamental part of architectural presentations and documents at all scales.

Computer Aided Design 

Computer-aided design (CAD) is used throughout the entire design and construction process of a project, having completely superseded older formal hand drawing methods. The advantage amongst being a lot more precise and accurate, is the ability to revise and undo elements of the drawing with ease and speed, making it a much more efficient method of drafting.

Both architects and engineers use 2D and 3D CAD software. These programs enable in-depth exploration of design ideas. Architects can visualize concepts and simulate design performance in the real world.  

Computer-assisted designs are highly beneficial in the construction world. Designers can collaborate over the cloud across oceans. The designs are easy to interpret even for non-professionals.