Section Drawings are vital tools in architecture, offering a glimpse into the internal composition of a building. They go beyond merely illustrating structural details, guiding contractors, and informing design decisions by depicting spatial relationships and material conditions. Traditionally treated as final touches in the design process, sections can be more powerful when used as starting points, shaping the building’s character and enhancing the experience of space. By understanding various section types, architects can break free from conventional designs, fostering creativity and a deeper connection between form, function, and human experience.
What is a Section Drawing?
Imagine cutting a slice of cake and seeing the layers exposed, a Section Drawing similarly offers a visual representation that conveys the main volumes and spatial relationships within a building. It’s an orthographic projection that provides a detailed view, with annotated section lines and labels on the floor plans indicating the location of the cutting plane and the direction of the view. Section drawings serve as a crucial tool for transforming design concepts into reality by offering an in-depth understanding of the building’s layout. As Paul Lewis, Marc Tsutumaki, and David J. Lewis mention in *Manual of Section*, “the section is the place where space, form, and material meet with human experience.” Sections not only help analyse the experiential quality of a space, comparing the scale and proportions of interior areas to human dimensions, but they also situate the project within its immediate context and topography.
Why are Section Drawings Made?
Section Drawings are fundamental to construction documentation drawing set, serving as essential guides for contractors by providing detailed information needed for precise construction. They reveal critical construction details and structural components, ensuring that specifications and dimensions are accurately communicated to the contractor. Acting as a powerful communication tool, sections facilitate understanding between architects, clients, contractors, and other stakeholders, simplifying the conveyance of complex design concepts. In the process of creating construction drawings, sections help identify potential issues such as height clearances or conflicts between structural elements and mechanical systems, enabling designers to address problems early and save time and resources. Unlike elevation drawings and renderings, which can sometimes be vague about level differences, sections offer a clear depiction of the exterior envelope’s exact profiles while also illustrating the form of the interior spaces. They capture the intersection of scale and proportion, sight and view, touch and reach, all made visible in the vertical dimension.
Why Sections Should Be Designed, not just Drafted.
Section Drawings are often considered the final step in the design process, created to depict structural and material conditions for the construction contract. During the planning phase, much focus is placed on meeting the client’s requirements with physical dimensions, while sections are often overlooked. As a result, the building may end up as a disjointed collection of individually designed plans, lacking cohesion and character. However, leading architects have demonstrated a different approach by using sections as the starting point for design. Designing in sections shapes the spatial qualities and curates the flow of light, giving the building a unique character and transforming it into an experience, rather than just a repetitive stacking of spaces. Sections also act as a medium to acknowledge the immediate climatic context of the building.
The Book ‘Manual of Section’,co-authored by Paul Lewis, Marc Tsutumaki, and David J. Lewis, provides an excellent resource, detailing various terminologies and concepts related to section design that can be used for reference.
- Extrusion:
The simplest section type is when a design is extended vertically to a practical height, creating uniform spaces with little variation. This approach maximises usable space and is common in one-story offices, stores, and homes, often using flat concrete floors and rectangular frames. While efficient, it lacks distinct features, and more complex designs can reduce valuable space.
2. Stack:
Stacking in architecture involves placing multiple floors or spaces on each other with minimal connection between them. This approach maximises real estate value by increasing square footage without expanding the building’s footprint. While repetitive stacking resembles extruded sections, variations can introduce programmatic differences, like varying ceiling heights for specific uses, creating a unique experience. Stacking typically limits airflow and water movement.
3. Shape:
Shaping in architecture involves sculpting space by deforming horizontal surfaces like floors or ceilings to create distinct forms and volumes. While flat-slab construction has reduced the frequency of shaping, This approach is still common in buildings like cathedrals, stadiums, and igloos, where shaped sections often align with structural elements like domes or vaults. Shaped sections can enhance natural light, sound, and spatial experience.
4. Shear:
Shear in architecture refers to a rift or shift along the horizontal or vertical axis of a section, creating distinct spatial effects. Vertical shear adjusts levels within a building, enabling connections across floors, and enhancing interaction without disrupting structural efficiency.. Horizontal shear can shape collective social spaces through terraces or corbeling, integrating sectional shifts to enhance both interior and exterior experiences.
5. Hole:
In architecture, a “hole” is a cut or opening in a slab that trades floor area for sectional advantages. Holes create spatial connections, allowing light, air, and sound exchange while establishing hierarchical relationships. Atrias offers dramatic vertical views and spectacle. These voids can be used as central elements that animate the building’s spatial experience.
6. Incline:
Inclines are sloped surfaces that connect different levels, blurring the line between horizontal and vertical spaces. They facilitate continuous movement without compromising the floor plan. While inclines enhance the spatial experience, they can introduce discontinuities, complicating how spaces are organised and perceived.
7. Nest:
Nests create complex sections by interplaying discrete volumes, unlike flat elements like stacks or holes. Organises distinct rooms around a central concert hall, increasing the building’s skin thickness. Vertical circulation poses design challenges. Nested volumes can also enhance thermal performance, which utilises layered skins for climate control.
Understanding this vocabulary is essential for shaping ideas effectively. An architect who understands the impact of different sectional interventions can thoughtfully design using one or a combination of these methods, moving beyond the conventional “box stack” designs common today. Incorporating section drawings during the initial design phase allows for clearer communication of spatial and volumetric concepts to stakeholders, fostering meaningful discussions and early-stage refinements. As the design progresses, sections are refined to incorporate the detailing of internal and external components, ensuring that all elements come together cohesively for a well-integrated outcome.
In Conclusion, It can be agreed that Section Drawings play a crucial role in the architectural design process, serving as both a communication tool and a design guide. When incorporated early in the design phase, sections facilitate meaningful dialogue among stakeholders, leading to thoughtful refinements and breaking away from the monotonous box designs. Ultimately, embracing section drawings not only enhances the clarity of architectural concepts but also ensures that buildings resonate with their occupants, creating environments that are both practical and enriching.
Sources:
Editors, A. (2022) Architecture 101: What is a section drawing? – architizer journal, Journal. Available at: https://architizer.com/blog/practice/details/architecture-101-what-is-a-section/ (Accessed: 15 October 2024).
Smitt, L. (2024) The essential role of sections in architecture: Need, benefits and uses, LinkedIn. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/essential-role-sections-architecture-need-benefits-uses-lisa-smitt-vdwpc/ (Accessed: 15 October 2024).
Chatel, M. (2019) Studying the ‘Manual of section’: Architecture’s most intriguing drawing, ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/793424/studying-the-manual-of-section-architectures-most-intriguing-drawing (Accessed: 15 October 2024).
Lewis, P., Tsurumaki, M. and Lewis, D.J. (2016) Manual of Section. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.
