Architect Drawings - A Selection of Sketches by World Famous Architects Through History

CHAPTER 8

CONTEMPORARY ( 1980 –)

In a different approach from the previous chapters, selected prominent designers who are currently

practicing were asked to submit a sketch of their choice for inclusion in this book. They were also

requested to send a brief biography and a short description of their thoughts while completing the

sketch. In most cases, the architects sent biographical materials and a paragraph or two describing the

architecture or the impetus for its design. Very few replied with discussion of their thoughts concern-

ing the sketch during the design process. It may have been difficult to remember specific processes; or,

perhaps this activity was hard to translate into words, and thus the process remains elusive even to

those who constantly use sketches.

It is always challenging to distance oneself to assess a current condition; this is the case with archi-

tectural sketches and likewise with architectural style. Viewing contemporary conditions echo this

concern. Without the advantage of historical perspective, there are several trends and movements at

the turn of the twenty-first century that elucidate a discussion of architectural sketches.

Contemporary architecture is as diverse as the architects practicing. Architects such as Frank Gehry

have been building signature buildings around the world, while Daniel Libeskind was recently awarded

the re-construction of the World Trade Center site. Japanese architects, such as Kazuyo Sejima, have

been designing minimalist architecture with ephemeral and illusionary materials. Elizabeth Diller and

Ricardo Scofidio question the built environment with their thought-provoking and theoretical installa-

tions. Many architects have been exploring newly developed building materials to be more energy effi-

cient, create diverse visual expression, and lighting effects. Still other practitioners have been exploring

the design and fabrication of buildings through use of digital media. One development common to all

these contemporary architects concerns the question of how digital technology influences their practice

and the buildings they construct.

SKETCHES; DIGITAL MEDIA

Computers are a vital component of contemporary architectural practice, and very few firms can

successfully build without their use. Digital representations are employed in all phases of architec-

tural production, from early conceptual ideas to construction management. They are particularly

effective for contract documents, as details can easily be carried between drawings. They are vital to

structural analysis, tracking the performance and integration of building systems, and presentation

renderings, to name a few. For many years the contribution of the computer was limited to CAD

documents, but the digital world has expanded to infiltrate every aspect of the building process.

One of the last areas to embrace the computer has been the conceptual stages of the project – the

initial sketches. Hand sketches, so representative of the intent and personality of architects, have

long been considered sacred. Recently, new digital programs have become available to facilitate this

intimate thinking process. Digital sketching programs such as Sketch-Up have attempted to imitate

conceptual thinking. If a sketch is defined as being preparatory to something else, and also consists

of simple forms similar to an outline, then these digital images may indeed be viewed as architectural

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