Another example, this time at the level of building
design, is that of courtyard houses in Syria and other parts
of the Middle East. Again the studies are based upon
student field trips to the region. The form of the traditional
courtyard house was a direct response to climatic con-
ditions, although over time it assumed a cultural and social
significance. The dimensions of the courtyard, thickness of
walls, presence or absence of ventilating chimneys, the
size and position of windows and much else was a direct
response to solar design. These characteristics lend
themselves to sketchbook analysis and, if time permits, to
more thorough investigation of temperatures at different
times of the day and over the year. By combining visual
analysis with building physics, the student can learn a
great deal about sustainability in the field.
The final example at the level of construction concerns
the use of ventilating cowls in contemporary building
design in the UK. The sketches concern buildings of
different types (library) and different architects (Rab
Bennetts and Bill Dunster). The aim behind the drawings
was to investigate the workings of natural wind-assisted
ventilation, the impact upon the interior spaces and the
external aesthetic consequences. By combining different
types of drawing (mainly sketches and cross-sections) it
was possible to understand more fully this phenomenon
of current green design practice.
The exercises described here were of academic as
well as personal interest. The sketchbook provided the
means to more fully understand the subject of sustainable
development than had photography alone been
employed. Different types of drawings were needed to
interpret the complexities of sustainability, and frequently
words and arrows were added to the sketches to
elaborate in some detail. As with understanding
architecture generally, the use of sketching gets beneath
the surface of subjects, allowing the principles to be
better understood.
18.7 (top)
Typical courtyard house in the Middle East. The drawing explains the traditional
methods employed for cooling using wind towers.18.8 (above)
Study of ventilating cowls at Brighton Public Library designed by Bennetts
Associates. The building was short-listed for the Stirling Prize in 2005.18.9 (right)
The Loch Lomond Visitor Centre designed by Bennetts Associates uses local oak in
its construction and rhythms drawn from the adjacent woodland. The building seeks
to reduce its environmental and visual impact whilst still being modernist in spirit.158 Understanding architecture through drawing