Egress width calculations, maximum travel distances, and common paths of travel.
Consider starting a “Commonplace Book” for architecture — a single repository where you collect everything that fascinates you: a striking shadow pattern, a clever hinge detail, a sustainability metric, a quote from Lebbeus Woods. Revisit it often. Cross-pollinate ideas. You’ll be surprised how a note about a Japanese joinery technique suddenly solves a facade connection problem three years later.
: The process of bringing a design to reality. This includes the actual building or construction of the designed structure. architecture notes
Traditional linear notes fail in architecture because architecture is not linear. It is spatial.
The ultimate goal of your is to become Construction Documents . There is a specific moment in every project called "CD phase" where your loose notes must tighten into hard lines. Cross-pollinate ideas
Architecture often begins long before the first line is drawn. It is rooted in understanding what is to be expressed, a "primordial order" that is immaterial, pure, and creative.
Architecture is inherently visual. Sketchnoting combines minimal text with symbols, arrows, and diagrams. Use varied line weights to create visual hierarchy on the page. Use callout bubbles to highlight critical structural dimensions, and draw explicit connections between structural elements and material notes to map dependencies clearly. This includes the actual building or construction of
Documenting architecture requires a foundational vocabulary of historic and contemporary movements. These design eras reflect changing cultural values, technology, and materials: WRITING-DRAWING An Entangled Archival Practice
But what exactly are architecture notes? They are far more than hurried scribbles on a napkin. They are the DNA of a project, the raw data of observation, and the disciplined record of decision-making. Whether you are a first-year architecture student struggling with chiaroscuro shading or a licensed architect managing a $50 million commercial development, mastering the art of the architectural note is a non-negotiable skill.