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to ensure that the draughtsman always has a reasonably le gible screen view. However, simple processing of complex drawings by zooming in and out, and performing shifts on screen is rather disruptive for the clarity and comprehension of complex architectural tasks, since common computer-based drawing practice and the “deep immersion” into a drawing down to the last detail using a scroll wheel or zoom function, as well as scale-independent copying of identical components depicted in great detail, requires the generation of an unnecessary abundance of information within a drawing, complicating its actual objective: communication between stakeholders. The comprehension of space, function and engineering by means of the analogous final product, i.e. the printed architectural drawing, is made extremely difficult by excessive and superfluous digital information. When drawing by hand, the idea of drawing countless ink lines next to each other so that they form a large black spot never occurs. Apart from the fact that the human hand’s motor skills are limited, it doesn’t make sense for the practice of design and engineering to, for instance, depict a 1:50 scale floor plan of a façade post with all its components such as seals, screws and similar elements. Hand drawings depict and solve precisely what can be depicted and hence solved in a selected scale. This thinking in terms of scale is not a prerequisite for filling a computer-generated drawing with information during the later stage of plan printing, which is decoupled from the preparation of a digital drawing. It can be augmented by an infinite number of elements. Thus, the printed plan of such an augmented digital drawing becomes imprecise, difficult to read and therefore unappealing. Without an appealing plan, a good design cannot be communicated. This book is about the precision of architectural drawing as a means of clear communication and as an aesthetic experience. The objective is not to superficially discuss questions of presenting architectural drawings, but rather to underline the importance of scaled designing and engineering in architecture. In doing so, the space between lines becomes significant. In architecture, lines not only define the living areas created by buildings. The same lines also delimit the space claimed for
engineering the architecture. This engineering space is incrementally filled during the creation of architecture, in a long, initially conceptual and subsequently technical process. Just as the living areas between lines in architectural design and engineering gradually take shape, the engineering space does so too, until it is filled with building materials on the construction site. As such, the engineering space becomes substantiated as building specifications increase. This densification process is accompanied by incremental solutions to architectural problems in consecutive scales. Therefore, there must be sufficient room between the lines of the engineering space for substantiating the structure in every phase of architectural work. The unfilled space between the lines provides room for the creative work of the architect. This book is divided into three topics: The first part discusses fundamental aspects; the second part is dedicated to the design scales of 1:2000 to 1:100, while the third part takes up the engineering scales of 1:50 to 1:1. The objective of this book is to work out which key architectural statement and decision is made in the respective scale. It is meant to contribute towards thinking in terms of scales when designing and engineering architecture, and leaving space between the lines in order to do the right thing at the right moment.