Hi, I'm Doug Pat and this is the final episode in the How To Draw Like An Architect series, Part 6.
Scale: The best way to discuss scale is using something of a constant size, that would be our 24 x 36 piece of paper just suppose to something that’s changing. That would be our scaled drawing. The scale of a drawing is the size of which it's being displayed. Scale is read by the viewer as a way to interpret the size of a drawing and its components in relation to full size. Contrary to many places of the world, the US still uses imperial units of measurement or yards, feet and inches.
This is an architect scale. This one has three sides and 12 distinct scales. This side shows inches which is also called full scale. It can also be used as a 1/16th scale as well as a 3/16th and 3/32nd scale. That means that 1/16th of an inch, 3/16th of an inch and 3/32nd of an inch equal one foot, zero inches.
The next side has four scales 1/8th inch and ¼ inch as well as a ½ inch and one inch. And the last side also shows four scales, 3/8ths inch and ¾ inch as well as 1½ inches and three inches.
After the side plan, one of the first drawings you’ll typically see in an architectural setting is the floor plan. Floor plans are typically drawn at 8-scale or the larger quarter scale. Elevations are also typically shown at those same scales. In a drawing set they should match so they coordinate visually. A wall section is drawn at a larger scale so more detail can be shown typically at ½ inch, ¾ inch or one inch.
Finally, these details are shown at a larger 1 ½ inch scale so that even more detail can be drawn. It's clear that doubling the size of the ¾ inch wall section allows the architect to show more detail and more notes.
At the end of the day, the objective for architectural drawings is to convey the proper information at the proper scale in order to clearly define the job to be completed. See you next time.
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