Information Sheet 1.

1-1
Architectural Working Drawing Terms and Definition

Learning Objectives:
After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, YOU MUST be able to:
1. Innumerate the different architectural working drawing terms
and definition, and
2. Interpret the different architectural working drawing terms and
definition

Introduction:

Over the course of centuries, architects and builders have developed

specialized terms to describe their buildings. This section of the guide
provides definitions for some of the more common technical terms. It
should be used with reference to other Historic Resources Branch
materials that are part of this series (specifically Architectural Styles in
Manitoba and Historic Construction Materials and Techniques) where
technical subjects are also discussed. The contents of this section have
been drawn from a larger glossary that is included in a more detailed
branch publication, Identifying Architectural Styles in Manitoba.
This guide groups terms according to how we generally perceive a
building, from the large to the small. Thus we start with some of the terms
that help describe a building’s basic form: the plan and roof shape. Terms
that distinguish certain construction materials and techniques are
presented next. Windows and doors are often a source of great interest for
designers and some of the key technical terms associated with those
elements are noted here. Finally, the multitude of details that may be
applied to a building are introduced, with some of the more common
terms defined.

Technical Terms Encountered in Preparing Architectural Working

Drawing

 Baluster Detail - the detail of the vertical railing along a staircase

or balcony railing.
 Column/Footing/Beam Schedule - a complete specification of
column, footings, and beam in terms of sizes, materials, and
quantity.
 Construction Notes - a sub-complete detail of wall footings, lintels,
beams, and other required structural features to present in the
plan.
 Electrical Plan - a plan that consists of lighting plan, power layout,
and specification details of the house.
 Foundation Plan - a structural excavation plan of footings and
walls of a building.
 Floor Plan - the top view of the floor area of a house.
 Footings - a part of foundation directly supporting the column or
post of a house.
 General Notes - a complete specification and legend of structural
features presented in the plan.
 Lighting layout - an electrical plan that shows the flow of house
lightings.
 Location Plan - the top view of the site or lot where the proposed
house will be built.
 Perspective - is a drawing angle from which an object or structure
is viewed.
 Power & Auxiliary layout - an electrical plan that shows the
location of the convenience outlet and other auxiliary outlet in the
floor plan.
 Reflected Ceiling Plan - the complete design plan of house ceiling.
 Roof Plan - is a plan showing the outline of the roof and the major
object.
 Roof Framing Plan - a structural framing plan of the roof plan with
complete specifications.
 Section - the view showing the inside part of the building either in
cross-section or longitudinal section.
 Site Development Plan or Lot Plan - refers to the position and the
location of the building with property line, setbacks, approaches,
grade contours, landscape, and other pertinent data in relation to
the site.
 Septic Tank - it is the depository of human excreta and a drainage
reservoir for all washing done in the kitchen and bathroom.
 Storm Drainage System - shows the flow of water waste from the
lavatory, floor drain, and downspout from the roof to storm
drainage.
 Truss Detail - a complete structural detail of a common or typical
truss of a building.
 Information Sheet 1.1-1
Drawing tools, materials and equipment

Learning Objectives:

After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, YOU MUST be able to:

1. Identify different tools, materials and equipment for Architectural
working drawing
2. Select different tools, materials and equipment in accordance to
standard operating procedure of SOP.

Introduction:
Most Architectural drafting works generally consist of freehand and
mechanical drawings. As such, the learner must know how to plan and
prepare carefully all drafting tools, materials, and equipment needed for
the required work or job.
It is presumed that all students like you are already aware of the
tools and materials needed in drafting works, considering your learning in
the previous year level. However, it is still necessary that you review the
past lesson to help you prepare for higher drafting activity.

Architectural drafting tools, materials and equipment

A. TOOLS

1. T-square - used to draw horizontal

lines and serves as a guide for
triangles.

2. Triangle - an instrument used for

drawing vertical and oblique lines.

3. Drawing Pencil - one of the most

important tools of a draftsman in
drawing.
4. Erasing shield - a thin sheet of metal
used when erasing pencil and inked
lines to protect other drawing lines.
5. Protractor - it is used in setting a line
degree angle.

6. Triangular Scale - a tool used to enlarge

or reduce measurement and
distances to a regular proportion in
the drawing paper.
7. French curve - a flat drafting
instrument with curved edges and
several scroll shaped cutouts, used
as a guide in drawing irregular
curves when constructing graphs or
making technical drawings.
8. Penknife or Pencil Sharpener – shapes
long pencil lead into a conical shape
points.

9. Compass - used to draw arcs and

circles.

10. Dusting brush – a tool used for

dusting and cleaning drawings with
dust and crumbs.

11. Technical Pen - a pen used for inking

lines in drawing. It comes in different
points/sizes.

12. Templates - a flat piece of plastic with

standard symbols which is used as
guide for drawing architectural
images on plans.
13. Ruler - it is the most popular type of
tool for measuring sizes and short
distances.

14. Divider - an instrument used when

transferring measurements, dividing
lines or arcs into the desired number
of equal parts.
6. Triangular Scale - a tool used to enlarge
or reduce measurement and
distances to a regular proportion in
the drawing paper.
3. MATERIALS
1. Tracing paper - thin transparent paper
used for reproduction in blueprint.

2. Masking tape - used to hold and fasten

drawing paper on the drawing board.

3. Eraser - used to remove smears of

pencil and ink lines

4. Sandpaper Block - serves as substitute

instrument in sharpening a pencil
into desired points.

C. EQUIPMENT

1. Drawing board/table – a board made

of soft wood but with cleats of
hard wood where the drawing
paper is fastened with a draftsman’s
tape.
 2. Drawing stool - a basic tool in drafting
used to give some height for the drafting
table on to the user when drawing on the
drafting table.
3. Drafting machine - a high technology
machine for drawing purposes

Ref. https://www.slideshare.net/rrmagno232/technical-drafting-
module-3 https://www.slideshare.net/loreinmay/drafting-technology-
y3

Information Sheet 1.1-1

Procedure in Setting up Drawing Tools, Materials, and Equipment,
and Standard Operating Procedure

Learning Objectives:

After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, YOU MUST be able to:

1. Identify different tools, materials and equipment for Architectural
working drawing
2. Select different tools, materials and equipment in accordance to
standard operating procedure of SOP.

Introduction:
In preparation for the required task of drawing architectural layout
and details, a draftsman should analyze the job order, prepare, and select
tools and materials for the task. This is to ensure the correct setting of
standard procedure and accuracy of drawing plans. Some of the key tools
used in drafting architectural plans are described and illustrated in this
learning Outcome.
The drawing tools, materials and equipment are very expensive items,
however these are important in all drafting tasks. Considering their cost
and value in drafting activity, it is also important to take care of, and
maintain their functionality.
You are required to adhere to standard operating procedure in keeping
them safe, and functional during and after each use.

A. Setting-up of drafting tools, materials, and equipment:

1. Select the tools, materials and equipment which are needed in
performing the assigned task.

2. Properly set up the required tools and materials in a place within your
reach which is convenient for you to move around in and execute your
work.

3. Clean the table and tools, see to it that these are free from dust and
other elements that would cause damage to your work.

4. Wash your hands with clean water.

Setting up a Drawing on the Drafting Setting up a Drawing paper on

the Drafting Board

1. Tear four pieces of drafting tape and place on the edge of your
drawing table.
2. Place the T-square on your drawing table somewhere around the
lower third of the table.
3. Make sure that the head of the T-square is tightly against the edge
of the table.
4. Hold the T-square in place by pushing the arms of the T-square
tightly against the drawing table.
5. Put your paper on the board above the T-square and slide it down
until the paper is resting against the upper edge of the T-square
arms.
6. When the paper is in the place, put one hand firmly in the middle.
Be careful to not slide, twist, of move the paper.
7. With your other hand, generally place tape across each corner of
the paper. Tape the paper firmly to the board. Be careful to tape
down only as much of the corner as needed to ensure that the paper
is secured.

Lot plotting:
Protractor is an instrument graduated in angular degrees for measuring and laying out
angles.
Procedures in lot plotting:
1. NORTH is always to be pointed vertical up with respect to the paper.

2. Bearing is read, plotted and marked off directly as, due NORTH, due SOUTH, due
WEST, or due EAST

3. Plotting starts with point 1 and ends with point 1

4. Compass axes North-South and West-East are zeroed in each point
and bearing marked off.
Drafting practices in lot plotting:
1. All drawings and labels are inked.
94
2. Use only standard plotting paper if submitted as part of Contract Document.

3. Lot points are represented by small circle and point no. indicated near it within the
lot whenever possible.

4. Bearing and Magnitude are centered to the lot line and within the lot whenever
possible.

NOTE: Bearing and Magnitude must be written and readable from South West
quadrant.
5. Lot No. and Block No. are written at the center of lot.

6. Subdivision streets are indicated as Street Lot No. ____. It is directly centered and
parallel to respective streets.

7. Scale is indicated under the NORTH symbol for non-documentary work and proper
position for documentary Plotting Paper.

Steps in Drawing Floor Plans

1. Layout the position of exterior and interior walls.
2. Add the thickness of the walls with a hard pencil (Don’t darken the walls at this
stage).
3. Locate the position of doors and windows by center line and by their width.
4. Darken the object lines with an F pencil.
5. Add door and window symbols with 2H pencil.
6. Add symbols for stairwells.
7. Erase extra heavy lines that can be perceived as object lines.
8. Draw the outline of the furniture and fixtures.
9. Add symbols for any masonry work such as planters, if necessary.
10. Dimension the drawing.

Rules for Dimensioning Floor Plans

1. Architectural dimension lines are unbroken lines with dimension placed above

the lines. Arrowheads, dash, small circles, and diagonal are used to denote the
termination of the dimension line. Arrowheads may also be placed outside the
extension lines when the area is too narrow or limited.
2. Dimensions should be placed to read from the right or from the bottom of the
drawing. The measurements should always be written above the dimension lines.
3. Dimension lines are placed about 10 mm. apart. Overall dimensions of the building
are placed outside all other dimensions.
4. Rooms are dimensioned from the center line of partitions. In some cases, they
maybe dimensioned from wall to wall, exclusive of wall thickness.
5. In dimensioning stairs, the number of risers is placed on a line with an arrow
indicating the direction (up or down).
6. Architectural dimensions always refer to the actual size of the building regardless of
the scale of the drawing.
7. Never crowd dimensions. To free the plan of excessive dimensions, the sizes of
doors and windows are given in the door and window schedule.
8. Refrain from double entry dimensions and omit obvious dimensions.

Doors and Windows in the Plan

1. Show normally swinging doors at 90 degree opening.
2. Doors swing are shown with light lines and quarter symbols.
102
3. Door type is not illustrated in plan, only in elevation.
4. Window type cannot be explained in plan except for width and location.
5. Show sill lines with a lighter line weight than walls, jambs, and glass.

Area Planning
In developing any architectural design, the designer should progress logically, follow
up a step-by-step the design process. One key step is to divide the functions of the
building into specific areas.
In multi-storey buildings, a separate floor plan is drawn for each floor level when the
layout of the room is not on each floor. However, when two or more floor levels have
the same arrangement and features, one typical floor plan representing all the
identical floors will suffice.
Three Major Functional Areas of a House
1. The Living Area
2. The Sleeping Area
3. The Service Area

Area/room requirements and pointers in planning:

Living Area. This is the center of the living area in most homes. It should be centrally
located and should be adjacent to the outside entrance and to the dining area, but the
entrance should not lead directly into the living room. This is the area of the home that
most strangers or visitors observe. As the name implies, it is here where the family
entertains, relaxes, listen to music, watches television, enjoy hobbies, dines, and
participates in other recreational activities.
Recommended sizes should be at least 2.00m x 3.00 small, 3.70 m. x 5.50 m.
average or optimum size would be 6.10 x 7.90 m. in rectangular shape.
Sample Living Area
Sleeping Area. The primary function of the sleeping area is to provide the family
facilities for sleeping and taking rest. The bedroom is usually located in a quiet part of
the house. Ideal number of rooms for low cost housing should be two bedrooms,
master’s bedroom and bedroom. Preferably, there 105
should be a toilet and bath in the master’s bedroom and a built-in cabinets or closets
for dressing purposes.
Noise Control
Since noise contributes to fatigue, it is very important to plan minimize if not totally
eliminate noise in the sleeping area. The following guides might help you design
bedrooms that are quiet and restful.
1. The bedroom should be placed in the most quiet part of the house, away from
major street noise.
2. Carpeting or porous walls and ceiling panels help absorb noises.
3. Rooms above a bedroom should be carpeted.
4. Floor to ceiling draperies help reduce noise.
5. The use of double-glazed insulating glasses in windows and sliding doors helps
reduce outside noise.
6. The windows of an air-conditioned room should be kept closed during hot weather.

Sample Bedroom
Service Area. The service area includes the kitchen, laundry, garage workshops,
storage room, and utility room. Since great number of activities takes place in the
service area, it should include facilities for the maintenance and serving the other
areas of the house. The function of the living and sleeping areas is greatly dependent
upon the efficiency of the service area. 106
Kitchen is the place where food is prepared. It is connected to the work triangle area
for storage and mixing center, preparation and cleaning center, and cooking center.
There should be a storage hanging kitchen cabinet with a minimal width of 0.60 meter.
a. Function - The preparation of food is the basic function of the kitchen. It may be
used however as dining and as laundry area. The proper placement of appliances,
storage cabinets, and furniture is important in planning to eliminate wasted motion.

b. Location - Since the kitchen is the core of the service area, it should be located
near the service entrance and near the waste-disposal area. The children’s play area
should be visible from the kitchen and must be adjacent to the dining area and
outdoor eating areas.

Sample Kitchen
The Work Triangle
From the work sequences described above, it will be observed that there are three
activities which relate to three main appliances – the refrigerator, the sink, and the gas
range or stove. The relationship of these three is commonly referred to as the work
triangle.
Types of kitchen: 107
A. U-Shaped Kitchen.
B. L-Shaped Type: 108
C. Corridor Type: 109
Dining Area. This is the area that greatly depends on the eating habits of the
occupants. This should be located between the living room and kitchen. Its size and
shape are determined by the size of the family.
Sample Dining Area
Bathroom. The bathroom is where the toilet and tub or shower is located to save
economically in plumbing. As much as possible the toilet must be situated near the
kitchen. The bath and toilet must be near the bedrooms, accessible to the living room
even without passing through other rooms. The toilet and bath are generally located
between bedrooms. In a two-storey 110
residential house, the bedrooms, toilet, and bath are often located on the second floor.
In this case, the stair must go up from the living room or hall if there is any. The stair is
generally L or U-shaped and has a landing.
Bathroom Doors and Windows. Bathroom door could be small as 55 – 60 cm.
except for utility bathroom which requires not less than 70. cm. wide to allow passage
of equipment as required. In general, bathroom wall contains only one door.
Entrances. Entrance is divided into several different types; the main entrance, the
service entrance, and the special- purpose entrance. The entrance is composed of an
outside waiting area like the porch, marquee or lanai and an inside waiting area like
foyer or entrance hall. It provides for and controls the flow of traffic into and out of a
building. 111
The main entrance provides access to the house. It is the one through which guests
are welcomed and from which all major traffic patterns radiate. The main entrance
should be readily identifiable. It should provide shelter to anyone who is waiting at the
entrance.
The service entrance provides access to the house through which supplies can be
delivered to the service areas going through other parts of the house. It should also
provides access to parts of the service area like the garage, laundry or workshop.
The special-purpose entrances and exits do not provide for outside traffic. Instead
they provide for movement from the inside living area of the house to the outside living
areas. A sliding door from the living area to the patio is a special-purpose entrance. It
is not an entrance through which street, drive, or sidewalk traffic would have an
access.
Garage and Carports
A garage is an enclosed structure designed primarily to shelter an automobile. It may
be used for many secondary purposes – as a workshop, as a laundry, or for storage
space. It is usually attached to the house in some manner to provide a sheltered entry.
112

A carport is a garage with one or more of the exterior walls removed. It may
consist of a free-standing roof completely separate from the house, or it may
be built against the existing walls of the house.

Use of Appropriate Scale in Drawing a Floor Plan

Drafting Scales
The architectural draftsman normally uses an architect’s scale for reducing and
enlarging the size or measurement of an object. There are two systems of
measurement, namely, the Metric system and the English system.
Sample Metric Scale
Architectural Use of Metric System
Always remember that the smallest the number used in metric scale, the bigger the
size in the triangular scale, whereas, the larger the number used, the smaller size of
actual measurement. 115
1:05 m. 1: 100 m.
1:10 m. 1: 200 m.
1:20 m. 1: 300 m.
1: 30 m. 1: 400 m.
1: 40 m. 1: 500 m.
1: 50 m. 1: 600 m.
1:75 m. 1:1000m.
Note: The scale of 1:1000 m. or more is being used in Lot Plan and other
topographical drawings.
Full size scale
The 1:1 is a full size scale and each division measures 1 mm. in width with the
numbering of the calibrations at 10mm intervals. This same scale is convenient for
ratios of 1:10, 1:100, and 1:1000
Half size Scale
The 1:2 is one-half size scale and each division is equal to 2 mm. with the calibration
numbering at 20-unit intervals. In addition, this scale is convenient for ratios of 1:20,
1:200, and 1:2000.
Architectural Use of RATIO COMPARISON TO 1
Metric Scale USE METER
CITY MAP 1:2500 0.4 mm. equals to 1 M.
1:1250 0.8 mm. equals to 1 M.
PLAT PLANS 1:500 12 mm. equals to 1 M.
1:200 5 mm. equals to 1 M.
PLOT PLANS 1:100 10 mm. equals to 1 M.
1: 80 12.5 mm. equals to
1M.
FLOOR PLANS 1:75 13.3 mm. equals to 1
1:50 M.
1:40 20 mm. equals to 1 M.
25 mm. equals to 1M.
DETAILS 1:20 50 mm. equals to 1M.
1:10 100 mm. equals to 1
1:5 M.
200 mm. equals to 1
M.