Architectural Archives

Architectural Photography’s Most Underrated Technique?

Send us a photo. Tell us a story. Win $2,500! Architizer’s 3rd Annual One Photo Challenge is underway with a Main Entry Deadline on June 24, 2022! Start your entry for architecture’s biggest photography competition here.

All architectural spaces have their special atmosphere. The space may be majestic, calming, tedious, depressing or more. Whatever the atmosphere is, it is specific to the building’s own history and site contexts. While being in a building is a four-dimensional experience, photographs capture static two-dimensional moments of the building. Photographs recreate the atmosphere of architectural spaces without bringing people to the building. The architectural space and its stories are presented to more people, especially in the age of digital photography.

Moreover, photos frame ephemeral moments and use these captures to tell stories in a much more straightforward way than the actual space does. Through careful decisions on all aspects of the photo, such as light, color and composition, a set of visual elements are filtered from the vast amount of spatial information to best compose a narrative.

While the margins of photos are already frames of images, creating a second frame within the image is a powerful way to direct the focus. When the photo is divided by the second frame, there are usually contrasts between the inside and outside of the second frame. The contrasts then emphasize the characteristics of both parts of the photo. See how the second frame works in the photos of six finalist from last year’s One Photo Challenge.

Superhero by Giorgio Marafioti

Giorgio Marafioti - The One Photo Challenge - Superhero Taken in Novazzano Residential Complex in Switzerland, this work imagines the site as the residence of a superhero. The view looks through a series of circular openings and lands on the end of the space. There, a figure is floating as only a superhero can. The figure occupies the center of the composition and is backed by a warm, bright background.

Consecutive openings form a strong sense of perspective and a series of cold-color frames, both emphasizing the figure in the center. The repetitiveness of the identical frames expresses the “sense of bewilderment” of nowadays society that is “closed in on itself.” Ending this repetition is the hero who brings hope to society.

Mid-Century (birds) Framed by the doorway in this image is a wall covered in wallpapers depicting birds and plants. In the foreground is a darker room with abstract geometric shapes on its walls. The rather modernist patterns in the foreground contrast the nostalgic patterns behind them in terms of brightness, color schemes and the complexity of shapes.

When the space in the foreground was built, it was meant to get away from the “old-fashion,” figurative decorations. Interestingly, what was seen as old-fashion is now in-style once again. The image displays a subtle coexistence of the aesthetics from two time periods which turns into a loop of fashions over time.

Oculus sky - Melissa Teo In this photo, the first thing that grabs the viewer’s attention might be the sky framed by the building’s roof. Inside and outside the frames are respectively the bright natural environment and the built environment in the roof’s shadow.

The frame is broken by a figure in the lower middle of the composition. By connecting the inside and outside of the frame with the figure, the framing allows two separated, contrasting parts become a coherent image. The upward-looking self-portrait conveys the author’s positive feelings toward the future.

"Expo'98 Portuguese National Pavilion" by Tomáš Hejzlar Nearly half of the image is occupied by the canopy of Álvaro Siza’s Expo’98 Portuguese National Pavilion, which reframes the image. All contents, the street, the pedestrians, the cyclists, etc, are concentrated in the lower half of the composition. The brightness of the late morning sunlight becomes a white canvas, while the shaded inner side of the canopy seems so dark that forces your view down.

The canopy is plain and massive, and the shapes in the light look elegantly delicate. The slight curvature of the canopy neutralized the heaviness and harness. Moreover, as the frame curves upwards at both ends, it indicates a space that gradually opens up outside the photo.

Habitat by Manolo Langis

The author creates an irregular second frame with the building Habitat 67 by Moshe Safdie. Heavy concrete volumes are layered one over another, while each rectangular volume is different in length and thickness. Together, they frame the green space in the background with straight lines and clear angles, highlighting the contrast between natural and built, organic and industrial.

The skylight in the upper-left corner drops a piece of light on the floor as well as the figure walking in the foreground. The geometrical outline of the skylight echoes that of the inner frame and hence that of the building.

overhead-hong-kong-tommy-lei-fine-modern-photographer The image depicted here might be striking to those who never lived in areas of dense population. However, it is the type of view that the author grew up with. The building here is one of the government-subsidized residences for low incomes. In this photo, the sky is clear like a plain color block while buildings are rich in forms and textures. The windows are rhythmic as your view goes upwards from the bottom of the photo. The rhythm comes to a sudden end as it reaches the top of the building, where the sky frees you from the intense building surface. The photo is mirrored to form the symmetrical frame in the middle. This creates a feeling of being surrounded by buildings and multiplies the intensity of the textures.

Reference

Architecture

7 Tips for Snapping a Killer Architectural Photograph

By Zarkon Group,09/06/2022

The art of architectural photography is a passion not just for architects, but everyone with a desire to capture the environment around them in all its glory. This desire extends far beyond simply archiving a building’s physical features: we yearn to capture the mood, atmosphere and emotion of places and the people that inhabit them. This is what Architizer’s One Photo Challenge — our global annual competition dedicated to architectural photography — is all about.

With 2 top prizes of $2,500 and global recognition for your work, this is a competition you will want to get involved with. Head this way to learn more and upload your submission:

Enter the One Photo Challenge

Architizer’s popular architectural ideas competition poses a simple question: Can you capture a single photograph that tells a powerful story about architecture? The best architectural photographs can tell you more about a building or cityscape than any essay or lecture, informing and inspiring in equal measure.

But what does it take to achieve such lofty goals with your phone, a compact or even an SLR? I am no technical expert when it comes to the genre, but I have taken a few snaps in my time: 10,000 photographs over 9 months of traveling in 2012 drew me so deeply into this niche, I suspect I’ll never view the built environment the same way ever again!

Here’s what I learnt over the course of that extraordinary year, primarily relating to composition and shot selection. Hopefully, one or two of these tips will aid you in your own quest for photographic immortality…

Louis Kahn Looking at His Tetrahedral Ceiling in the Yale University Art Gallery, 1953. © Lionel Freedman. Via Archdaily

1. Let There Be Light

Khan, Ando and Zumthor will tell you as much — light is the most crucial tool in an architect’s box, and the same can be said for photographers in the field. For exteriors, visit your subject in the early morning or late afternoon when the sun is low in the sky to capture images with a greater degree of contrast — assuming, of course, the weather is kind to you. I have been known to sit for an hour or more, waiting for the clouds to break so I can catch my favorite buildings at their glorious best. It pays to be patient!

Look for concentrated natural light sources within buildings too, for dramatic, high contrast shots full of atmosphere.

Centre Pompidou by Piano + Rogers.© Royal Academy of Arts. Via Metalocus

2. Color Me Stunning

Black turtleneck clichés abound, many architects would consider themselves somewhat allergic to color — there is nothing like a high-contrast monochromatic image to accentuate the striking forms and uncompromising lines of a modernist icon by Niemeyer or Corbusier.

However, it is possible — bear with me here — for a flash of color could provide a distinctive, eye-catching moment within your image, communicating architectural language by accentuating a window reveal, a soffit, or a key structural element. Try photographing the work of Richard Rogers, with his vibrant Pompidou ductwork, to kick-start your newfound love affair with color.

© Trey Ratcliff. Via PhotographyMad

3. The Rule Of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds is typically recognized as a safe bet when considering composition in photography: keep your primary subject or focal point off centre, a third of the way across the view, to creating additional tension, energy and interest within the image. For more distant shots, a composition should have balance and weight if the horizon sits a third of the way up the image.

Having said all this, if your subject lends itself to a centred composition, or a zoomed-in detail, go right ahead – rules are made to be broken!

© Ezio Beschi. Via Flickr

4. Rhyme and Rhythm

A certain Johann Wolfgang once compared architecture to frozen music, and you can see his point: Some of the greatest works in our time have some wonderful rhythmic qualities. If you can find the right angle from which to take your photograph, these rhythms can be emphasized, revealing the logic behind the designer’s thinking and the structural qualities of the building in a single, stunning image.

Once you have those repeated elements within your viewfinder, align diagonal lines of perspective with the corners of the photograph to add depth and balance in equal measure.

Hong Kong High Rise. © Michael Wolf. Via Daily Mail

5. Clean vs. Chaotic

A classic architectural cliché is illustrated in that most infamous of Tumblrs, ‘Unhappy Hipsters’: Clean-cut minimalism, free from even the slightest speck of dust, a children’s toy, or — heaven forbid — a smiling face. However, consider shooting buildings in all their ugly glory: Anarchic apartment blocks, traffic-filled streetscapes and rusting industrial monoliths can tell a story that your slick, set-piece image may never manage.

The same can be said for weather: Capturing your favorite architectural icon on a crisp, clear day is just fine, but what about shooting it during the chaos of a thunderstorm, or even a blizzard? Brave the elements and find out, hardy souls.

‘Break Point’. © Darell Godliman. ViaBD Online

‘The Urban Lantern’. Via BD Online

6. The Human Touch

Speaking of smiling faces, who needs ’em? I have spent many a long day waiting with growing frustration as people walk in front of the church or museum elevation I’m trying to catch a perfect, person-free image of. We are all about the architecture, not the portraiture… right?

Ok, I must grudgingly admit that sometimes people can add an awful lot to your photograph. From a practical point of view, they provide comparable scale — tiny people in front of gargantuan skyscrapers really throw the urban environment into sharp perspective. On top of this, they can also provide that vital injection of cultural and social context — after all, without their inhabitants, buildings are merely objects upon the plains.

Via Craft Hubs

7. All the Gear, No Idea

If you search around the internet for architectural photography guides, you will be swamped with a plethora of recommendations regarding equipment and specifications: wide-angle lenses, tripods, tilt-shift lenses, polarising filters, bellows for detail shots, long exposures for night scenes, varied apertures… the list goes on.

If you are just starting out, reading about all of this can be bewildering – but ultimately, the best way to learn is to get out there and experiment. You will soon learn how the gear works and which settings will give you the result you are looking for.

Right, I’m off to the dark room, excuse me…

Submit your best architectural photo in the inaugural One Photo Challenge for shot at $2,500 and global recognition:

Enter the One Photo Challenge

Top Image: 56 Leonard Street by Herzog & de Meuron, photographed by One Photo Challenge juror Paul Clemence.

Reference

Architecture

Why Capturing Movement Will Elevate Your Architectural Photographs

By Zarkon Group,06/06/2022

Architizer’s annual One Photo Challenge offers professionals and blossoming design students the chance to showcase a photograph that they think best captures the essence of an architectural design or specific surrounding. The 2021 One Photo Challenge brought a wonderful selection of images, all of which demonstrated the potentiality of capturing architecture through a camera lens.

Enter One Photo Challenge

While each entry was remarkably singular and distinctive, a notable overarching theme emerged across a handful of photographs. One will notice that in last year’s One Photo Challenge, many photographs capture a strong sense of movement. Listed below are four photographs from the 2021 One Photo Challenge, all of which explore the human form coupled with interesting architecture to produce movement-heavy imagery.

“Social Bathing” by Derek Wasylyshen

This image captures a bird’s-eye shot of the hugely popular and highly recognizable Széchenyi Medicinal Bath. Located in Budapest, Hungary, this large-scale bath is a popular tourist attraction where visitors can experience social bathing as well as marvel over the site’s ancient Roman history.

At first glance, the eye is caught by the vibrant aqua blue water, which greatly contrasts the surrounding cement floor. Following this, the gaze moves to the abundance of dark spots (human bodies) that span the entire photograph. The moving bodies are small in scale but their abundance creates a strong feeling of sociality and community. Moreover, the gently-sloping staircase that covers the bath’s perimeter is filled with lounging bodies, which equally enforces a strong social atmosphere.

The large presence of water and abundant human form work together to create a movement-heavy photograph. Whether the movement is caused by the natural rhythm of the water or the frolicking bodies, lively energy is produced and the same social ideology of the ancient Romans is presently felt.

“The roofscape of the obscure” by Venla Rautajoki

Non-Student Winner, 2021 One Photo Challenge

This photograph has an extra-terrestrial feel, which makes it immediately enthralling and equally challenging to pinpoint. The image was shot at Amos Rex, the famous art museum in Helsinki, Finland designed by JKMM Architects.

Amos Rex is known for its windowed domes that span the urban environment like a series of hills. Each dome has a peephole large enough for visitors inside the museum to see out of. The photographer was immediately captured by a young boy who continuously climbed atop the domes to peep into the interior museum space. The image is captured in monochrome which strengthens the viewer’s gaze on the young boy. The boy is captured in a highly active pose — his two hands perched like a cactus and his leg bent as if he’s climbing.

The image at first appears static and isolated as the background is dark and unembellished. However, the focus on the young boy positioned in such an active stance lends a feeling of lively existence and movement.

“Yoga” by Edmund Sumner

This photograph was shot in Bangkok, Thailand in January 2020. The image depicts a yoga master and owner of the studio, Yogi Konstantin Miachin, holding an extended side-angle pose. Immediately what captures the eye is the incredible structure in which the yoga master is practicing.

The space feels intimate and warm and appears to be enclosed by a bamboo-esque material that wraps the walls in a curved manner. The wall material extends upwards to create an unconventional curved ceiling. Moreover, the cavities in the wall allow light to fill the interior, warming the environment and spotlighting the practicing yogi. The light-filled room feels like an incredibly zen and comforting space to practice yoga and meditation.

In this photograph, the human form balances and compliments the pronounced structure in a harmonious manner. The practicing yogi may feel small in scale, but his strong pose and reaching arm fills the photograph with energy. An equal vitality is felt in the structure’s curved and pronounced ceiling. The site was designed by architecture firm Enter Projects and the photograph was realized using low-tech materials such as rattan, with newer high-tech computer modeling such as Rhino.

“Echo” by Philippe Sarfati

This photograph feels mysterious, dramatic and incredibly intriguing. “Echo” is located in Tadao Ando’s gallery and features an autobiographic installation by the famed Cuban-American artist, Félix González-Torres. The photograph depicts an individual walking through the installation, which consists of a large-scale curtain made of red and white beads.

The installation underscores the difficulties and reality of living with HIV. The curtain of beads represents the progression of the virus within the bloodstream in a confronting and honest manner. As the person pushes past the curtain, one can sense the dramatic sway of beads that is to follow.

This photograph feels like the calm before the storm – before the intense movement following a disrupted installation. The interaction between human form and object in this photograph demonstrates a dramatic transition from still to moving.

All four photographs highlight that when human forms are perfectly captured amongst static surroundings, there is the potential to create lively and active images that celebrate movement! Click here to learn more about this year’s upcoming 2022 One Photo Challenge and to start your entry:

Enter One Photo Challenge

Reference

Architecture

5 Powerful Ways Lighting Can Transform Simple Architectural Spaces

By Zarkon Group,04/06/2022

The A+Product Awards is open for entries, with a Main Entry Deadline of June 24th. Get started on your submission today!

Good lighting can make or break a well-designed interior project. In addition to optimizing the availability of natural light in a space, selecting the right light fixtures can augment the furniture inside and cement a tone for the entire space. Bright white lights can make writing or chopping easier whereas warm yellow lights can make dinners an elevated experience. Similarly, colored lights can liven up parties and candle-lit wall sconces can be perfect for cozy nights.

Layering a variety of lights can add depth to any space and make it more comfortable. This technique also helps utilize different parts of a space in different ways. The scale and size of light fittings can also help fill up spaces or make them look more spacious.

Natural Light

Apartment in Amsterdam by MAMM DESIGN, Amsterdam, The Netherlands | Image by Takumi Ota Photography

For years, designers have been trying to maximize the amount of natural light within a space. Having an abundance of sunlight pouring into a space can help make it feel bright, airy and comfortable (this is especially due to its soothing tone and physical warmth). Another check in favor of designing for natural light: it cuts down on power use.

Exposure to the sun’s rays also helps regulate the body’s sleep cycles as well as overall health. In addition to windows, skylights have become increasingly popular to draw in light in interior spaces. Some interior designers also use cleverly arranged reflective surfaces throughout the space to help the light bounce off of surfaces and make the space feel brighter. Translucent partitions or latticed screens in homes can also help draw light to interior spaces that might otherwise be blocked by solid walls.

Ambient Light

Lenvix by STIPFOLD

Peaches Rooftop Cocktail Bar by Pierce Widera, Melbourne, Australia

This is perhaps the most important selection of lights for a space. Ambient light refers to the fixtures that are used to brighten the entire space, more often than not in a uniform manner. The tone used for ambient light can also determine the overall mood of the space. Offices tend to use white light to help carry out tasks efficiently under the brightness. On the other hand, warmer lighting schemes are gaining popularity in restaurants and homes for the warm and cozy atmosphere they can create.

Ambient lighting can be designed in a variety of ways. It can range from ceiling lights, track lights, wall lights and chandeliers to recessed circular and strip lights. Using dimmable fittings for ambient light can also help adjust brightness levels for different activities. Now, there are a variety of options and illumination systems that are not only functional but also quirky and trendy.

In Lenvix, STIPFOLD composed a hexagonal pattern on the ceiling using slimmer light fixtures. This not only brightens the space but also adds an additional pattern to the space and helps demarcate the seating area. Alternatively, the Peaches Rooftop Cocktail Bar features a canopy of pink-toned spherical pendant lights hanging from the ceiling to mimic peaches.

Task Lighting

Coil Collection Naturals by LightArt

Casa Cosmos by S-AR, Oaxaca, Mexico

This could be considered a secondary source of lighting. Task lighting is referred to lighting fixtures with a very specific function. Desk lamps, bedside lights, wardrobe lights, strip lights under kitchen cabinets and even staircase guiders can come under this category. Task lighting can help carve out secluded nooks and can also help easy navigation during the night. It is ideal to isolate the switches for task lights from the overall ambient light connection so that they can be used only when needed.

Decorative additions like the A+Award-winning Coil Collection Naturals can make a great bedside companion for late-night reading and can also be used as an additional light source near desks or in hallways. In Casa Cosmos, S-AR used a focused light fixture to brighten the concrete-backed seating area. Unlike the above example, these lights can also help separate the multiple functions within a space without the use of partitions.

Accent Lights

Sticks by Vibia

Hong Kong Garden / Theatre House by Bean Buro, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong

The aim of accent lights is to draw attention to a specific object or an element, even when the general lights are on. These can be direct or indirect sources of light that highlight artwork, wall textures, level differences, recesses, false ceilings or other architectural elements in a space. This also adds more dimension and drama to the space. Types of accent lights range from small spotlights to wall-grazing linear lights.

The A+Award Winning Sticks is a modular design that can be used in a variety of ways to either focus on specific objects or illuminate specific areas in spaces. In the image above, the light is used to mimic the space of the doorway to accent not only the passage but also the wall texture. It also becomes an additional spotlight for the sides of a small stepped seating area. Accent lights also help highlight doors and partitions in Hong Kong Garden / Theatre House.

Decorative and Mood Lighting

Lo-Fi by SYNECDOCHE, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Media Plaza by Liong Lie Architects | Image by Christiaan de Bruijne

This category is often more to set a mood as opposed to being functional; it includes candle-based décor, string lights, lanterns, wall sconces and colored lights. These different techniques of illumination act as secondary light sources as they are not bright enough to help carry out everyday tasks without straining your eyes. There are extremely popular in restaurants and nightclubs as they help create an air of mystery and build tension without compromising the functionality of the furniture.

Neon blue and pink lights make up the interior of Lo-Fi in Michigan. The vibrancy of the lights energizes the otherwise dim space and also provides a great backdrop for photos, creating additional interest. In Media Plaza, a strip of blue wraps around the back wall of a projection room that is covered in foils that can change color when needed.

The A+Product Awards is open for entries, with a Main Entry Deadline of June 24th. Get started on your submission today!

Reference

Architecture

10 Architectural Photographers Who Dominate the Field

By Zarkon Group,27/05/2022

Send us a photo. Tell us a story. Win $2,500! Architizer’s 3rd Annual One Photo Challenge is underway with an Early Entry Deadline on May 27, 2022! Start your entry for architecture’s biggest photography competition here.

Architectural photography has forever changed the way we understand design. As images have become ubiquitous, their influence on culture and society can be felt throughout the world. Over the last thirty years, we’ve transitioned from discovering architecture primarily through individual experience and print to seeing buildings through renderings and photography. This has created an opportunity for architectural photographers to help designers see their work in a new light and utilize a photographer’s eye for structure, light and form.

Enter One Photo Challenge

Taking three-dimensional space and making it two-dimensional, architectural photographers build off their understanding of both their subject and the mediums by which their work will be shared. Focusing on composition and narrative, their images use buildings to tell a story. At the same time, photographers balance the need for the accurate representation of a structure and how it connects to a larger place. Showcasing the individuals shaping the image of architecture, the following photographers capture design from a range of perspectives. Together, they give a glimpse into how we discover architecture.

Roberts Pavilion, Claremont McKenna College by JFAK Architects, Images by Fotoworks/Benny Chan

Benny Chan lives in Los Angeles and works as both an art and commercial photographer. Through architecture and photography, Benny Chan makes sense of the world; he is fascinated by how things go together. His photographs may collectively be read as an assembly manual for Los Angeles. They show the city from top-down perspective, as plan-views of its infrastructures and everyday monuments. They get inside the machines that run the metropolis, from the port of Los Angeles, to utility stations, transportation terminals, warehouses, and laundromats. They all have powerful stories.

Chan’s efforts to make sense, to figure out, shapes his work. He hangs from helicopters to get the right angle. He builds his own cameras to surpass focal length limitations of off-the-shelf models. And, he finds his way behind the scenes and into highly restricted sites.

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg by Herzog & de Meuron & L’Arbre Blanc Residential Tower by Sou Fujimoto, Photographs © Iwan Baan

Iwan Baan is a Dutch photographer known primarily for his images that narrate the life and interactions within architecture. Born in 1975, Iwan grew up outside Amsterdam, studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and worked in publishing and documentary photography in New York and Europe. Iwan fell unexpectedly into the subject of architecture in 2005 when he proposed to document a project by OMA to Rem Koolhaas, leading to his first major project, the documentation of the construction of OMA’s China Central Television (CCTV) building.

Today, Iwan collaborates with some of the world’s most well-known architects, photographing institutional, public and private projects. His work is characterized by the portrayal of the context, society and environment around architecture.

Heydar Aliyev Centre and MAXXI Museum by Zaha Hadid Architects, Courtesy of ammann // projects. Photographs © Hélène Binet

Over a period of twenty-five years, Hélène Binet has photographed both contemporary and historical architecture. While following the work of contemporary architects — often from construction through completion — Hélène Binet has also photographed the works of past architects as Alvar Aalto, Geoffrey Bawa, Le Corbusier, Sverre Fehn, John Hejduk, Sigurd Lewerentz, Nicholas Hawksmoor and Dimitris Pikionis.

More recently, Hélène Binet has started to direct her attention to landscape photography, wherein she transposes key concerns of her architectural photography. Hélène Binet’s work has been published in a wide range of books and is shown in both national and international exhibitions. Hélène Binet is an advocate of analogue photography and exclusively works with film.

CopenHill by BIG & Leeza SOHO by Zaha Hadid Architects, Photography Courtesy Hufton + Crow

Hufton + Crow is a UK-based photography studio that was founded by Nick Hufton and Allan Crow. The duo work as a team and have captured contemporary interior and exterior architecture for renowned practices. Nick and Allan grew up together in Macclesfield, northern England, before moving to London. Both trained in analogue using a large format camera favored by many architectural photographers, but switched to digital as soon as the opportunity arose. The technical possibilities of digital photography mean it is now possible to stitch together several images to show wider views or to combine a series of moments into one. Harnessing these strategies has led the team to earn further commissions.

Denver Art Museum by Gio Ponti and James Sudler Associates & Anaheim Convention Center by Adrian Wilson and Associates, Photographs Courtesy Wayne Thom

Raised in Hong Kong, Thom moved to California in the mid-1960s and trained in the technical craftsmanship of photography. He is adept at harnessing natural light for both interior and exterior compositions. For more than thirty years Thom has captured the surfaces and depths, the shapes and textures, the contrasts and reflections of the objects of the built environment.

A patient reveler in the natural staging of the atmosphere, he creates compositions of materials around color and glow. Thom’s still life depictions unveil an idealized portrait of the inhabitable world, exposing the ultimate ambition of the architectural work as that which renders existence as art.

Tessalace Commercial Office Space by Studio Ardete and Titan Integrity Campus by Mindspace, Photography Courtesy Purnesh Dev Nikhanj

Purnesh Dev Nikhanj is an architectural photographer based in Chandigarh, India. His strengths are in experimenting with illusions, patterns, and abstract perspectives for storytelling. He worked with many renowned international design practices, and his main interest lies in the area of architectural and landscape photography, and video making. He is the only photographer to have won the Trends Excellence Award for Architectural photography twice and a silver spot at PX3, Paris.

Dev draws from deep psychological interests to represent space in various contexts. In all his signature series, such as Lost in Paradox, Beyond, Child’s play, etc. he explores psychological, philosophical, and existential ideas.

Centro de Interpretação do Românico Museum by Spaceworkers & Guelmim Airport by Groupe3Architectes, Images Courtesy Fernando Guerra, FG+SG

Fernando Guerra is a photographer of architecture based in Lisbon, Portugal. He obtained a degree in Architecture from Lusíada University (Lisbon), before working as an architect in Macau for five years. Fernando has been taking photographs since he was 16 years old and, in 1999, with his brother Sérgio Guerra, founded the studio ‘FG+SG – Fotografia de Arquitectura’. Five years later, they established the publishing house ‘FG+SG – Livros de Imagem’ to publicize the various architectural works they photograph. In 2012, he assumed the role of Canon Ambassador of Europe for architectural photography.

Salt Boutique Hotel by Camille Walala & La Muralla Roja by Ricardo Bofill, Photography Courtesy Tekla Evelina Severin

Using social media to explore color and composition, Tekla is a photographer that started her journey by turning her lens to interiors. She is both a colorist and interior architect who has become famous for her strong colors and graphically playful expressions.

Tekla started her journey to find colors, lines, and shapes in every object and surroundings. She is a freelancer in Stockholm as well as an art director and set designer. Whether it’s to design a product for a collaboration, or to photograph architecture for a commission, Tekla’s work highlights the importance of color in design, not merely as decoration, but as an important element in a project.

The Broad Museum by Diller Scofidio + Renfro & Louvre Abu Dhabi by Jean Nouvel, Photography Courtesy Mike Kelley

Mike Kelley is an architectural photographer from Los Angeles, California. He grew up in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and after studying studio art and environmental science at the University of Vermont, he eventually found himself taking up an offer to photograph a few homes for a client.

What started by chance turned out to be a mix of technical challenge and creative outlet. In 2018, he founded the Architectural Photography Almanac, a resource for architecture photographers and those in the architecture industry seeking to learn about the craft and theory of architectural photography.

Kaufmann House by Richard Neutra & Stahl House by Pierre Koenig, Photography Courtesy Julius Shulman Photography Archive

No discussion of architectural photographer can be had without mentioning Julius Shulman. His career as an architectural photographer began in 1936 when he showed Richard Neutra some photographs he had made of the architect’s Kun Residence in Los Angeles. Neutra liked the images and asked Shulman to photograph more of his houses for him.

Ultimately, Shulman photographed most of Richard Neutra’s work and was introduced to other modernist architects working in Southern California. His extraordinary client list eventually included: Charles and Ray Eames, Raphael Soriano, John Lautner, Pierre Koenig, Rudolf Schindler, Frank Lloyd Wright and hundreds of others. Shulman did not merely document significant architecture, but interpreted it, becoming one of the most important and influential architectural photographers in history.

Reference

Architecture

“22 Gordon Street” Reimagines the Bartlett School as a Monstrous Manifestation of Architectural Experimentation

By Zarkon Group,16/05/2022

The 2022 One Rendering Challenge winners have been announced, concluding an incredible competition that celebrates one of the most integral processes in design: rendering. The top Student Prize went to Christian Coackley for “22 Gordon Street” — a mysterious and detailed reimagining of UCL’s famous Bartlett School of Architecture building (where the artist is currently enrolled). The building, previously known as Wates House, famously underwent massive and ambitious refurbishment over the last decade when millions of pounds were invested to open up the façade of the building and reveal new creative spaces within. The rendering, however, is not only concerned with the evolution of the building itself; it uses the architecture school building as a metonym to imagine an alternative model for architectural education and the profession as a whole.

“In light of enduring issues we are facing globally, such as a climate and ecological emergency, schools of architecture must nurture a culture of collaboration in architectural education to meaningfully address them. Therefore the drawing speculates on the third iteration of The Bartlett School of Architecture. In contrast to the building’s previous 2 iterations, Wates House (1975) and The Bartlett (2016), this next installment of the school will be constructed over the course of 1000 years by the students and tutors themselves,” Christian stated. Using Photoshop and ZBrush, the winning rendering meditates on the impermanence of design and the inherently evolutionary nature of building, as structures must adapt with evolving human needs.

22 Gordon Street: In its first iteration as Wates House (1975), and later as The Bartlett (2016).

“The future generations of the building’s inhabitants will recover a lost material culture of hand-crafted ceramics,” imagines Christian. “This interchangeable orchestra of students and tutors will weave themselves together through the poetic symphony of a shared material culture, ushering in a new era in architectural education: The Age of Belonging.”

Architizer’s Editor-in-Chief Paul Keskeys discusses the creative process behind the winning rendering, which included a community engagement process in addition to the more technical considerations. Christian also shares images of his other work.

Paul Keskeys: Congratulations on your success! What does winning the 2022 One Rendering Challenge mean to you?

Christian Coackley: I feel extremely lucky and grateful for the outcome of the competition as it is a product of the endless support from my family, friends, and tutors who are at the core of why I do what I do. It is truly awesome to be recognized in such a competitive field, however, I also appreciate that ideal outcomes and perfect results are not a true reflection of what this discipline is about.

What were the primary challenges of conceiving your work, from forming the idea to the actual physical process of rendering?

The idea was formed around my interest in experimenting with a socially engaged method of research to inform architectural design. Through the act of creating a ‘Dining Room’ outside of 22 Gordon Street, I was able to host conversations with students, tutors, and passers-by that allowed me to learn more about others’ experiences at the school, and their thoughts on the culture of architectural education. The guests of this occasion were encouraged to add to one of five clay sculptures that had been worked on by a previous guest. The result of the 3-day event was 5 co-created sculptures and a better understanding of what The Bartlett meant to its users.

The physical process of creating the render derived from the approach of taking more time to do one thing, rather than doing many things that take less time. This approach to drawing is one that I have struggled with as it requires placing a level of patience and belief in the design process that I hadn’t done previously.

Did you use your usual techniques and software for creating this rendering? If you tried something different, how did that go?

Since I wanted the architecture to reflect the very human conversations that took place at ‘The Occasion’, I turned towards the ZBursh software that is used for making character models in games. Within the software I was able to develop a language that allowed for me to abstract the human form into architectural prototypes that could be deployed within the render. One can notice that the render is split between two distinctly different architectural languages. On the right is a skeletal structure that is taken from images of physical clay sculptures created by the guests and I, and on the left is the organic skin that was created using ZBrush. These two contrasting languages eventually begin to weave themselves together over the course of the project. This is shown in one of the projects final interior renders, which depicts the head of school giving Britain’s immortal Queen Elizabeth a tour of the new Bartlett.

Detail of the One Rendering competition winner.

What connection does this image have to you and your personal feelings about architecture?

The image reminds me that architectural education, practices and The Bartlett itself, are all made up of human beings. They represent the potential for skilled and passionate individuals to come together as a collective and create something that could not be achieved in isolation. However, it unfortunately feels that we are still a long way off from establishing a culture of collaboration rather than competition in architectural education.

When first joining The Bartlett, I felt that the only thing that could separate yourself from the rest was by working harder and longer than others. This mindset was not wrong, but it was not disciplined, and I was one of many students unwittingly participating in one of the profession’s systemic issues; long hours culture. This issue stems from the competitive culture that is established through the act of valuing product over process, an aspect that was critiqued by David Nicol in his text ‘Changing Architectural Education’. He proposes that this is ‘most clearly reflected in the conduct and focus of assessment’, where students are often not rewarded directly for their efforts in analyzing the needs of a client or community. Rather this process is seen as an additional aspect that may be included alongside the main conceptual design proposal. Furthermore, the students’ projects are boiled down to a collection of portfolio pages that become a ’tangible product’ for employers to consume.

Do you have any other work that compares to this in terms of lighting, atmosphere and composition?

Instead of responding words, Christian lets his other images speak for themselves:

What one tip would you give students and architects looking to win next year’s One Rendering Challenge?

I would suggest trying a technique or approach to design that you want to develop further or have never tried before. I feel it is best to never be 100% comfortable in what you’re doing otherwise it can prevent you from discovering things you never previously envisioned. But most importantly… Keep Drawing!

Reference

Architecture

Architectural Improvisation: Justo Gallego Martínez’s Makeshift Masterpiece

By Zarkon Group,06/05/2022

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Towering over a nondescript suburb approximately 20 kilometers East of Madrid, the Cathedral of Justo Gallego provides a testament to faith in the town of Mejorada Del Campo. As the sprawling entrance steps guide you up to the entrance from the aptly named Calle de Antonio Gaudi, it is immediately clear that you are about to enter a unique architectural project. The building, nicknamed the “Cathedral of Faith”, dominates the surrounding landscape, with a 125-foot tall cupola that is visible throughout the region.

The Cathedral of Justo Gallego is a vision of recycled materials that straddles the line between a medieval ruin, salvage yard and architectural masterpiece. Its creator and sole occupant, Justo Gallego, recently passed away at the age of 96, leaving behind an ongoing project that has animated the local community, turned the area into a tourist attraction and garnered International attention over the course of the last half-century.

Justo Gallego Martínez was born into an agricultural family in Mejorada del Campo on Sept. 20, 1925. At age 27, he joined a Trappist monastery in the Northern province of Soria, but was ordered to leave eight years later after he contracted tuberculosis and risked contaminating the other monks. Fellow acquaintances from this period in his life, including one monk in particular who studied with Justo, recall him as someone who “fasted and worked too hard,” adding that the other brothers “were worried about his health—above all, his mental health.”

After recovering from tuberculosis in a Madrid hospital, Justo returned to his hometown and decided to turn his family’s agricultural plot into a place of worship. Catalyzed by his desire to thank God for helping him survive his illness, Justo began to lay the first stones in 1961. He viewed his work as an act of faith to help return religious architecture to a classicist style based on the spiritual harmony and proportion. People in the village thought he was crazy: How could a man with so little education and so few means construct an entire cathedral from scratch by himself? “El loco de la catedral,” they called him, thoroughly convinced that he’d fail.

In defiance of public opinion, Justo toiled tirelessly and mostly alone to construct a cathedral complex without any architectural drawings or overall design over the course of the next 60 years. What slowly rose from the building site surprised everyone in the community. Constructed from mostly salvaged materials, the 50,590 square foot (4700 square meter) complex grew over time to contain a crypt, two cloisters, 12 towers and 28 cupolas. Decorative elements throughout the spaces utilized old tires, ceramic shards and empty metal cans. Cracked bricks and exposed metal rebar were re-interpreted as makeshift design details, giving the interior environment a precarious, raw aesthetic that creates a visual link to the materials donated over time from surrounding factories and building sites.

Justo believed in using recycled materials to build his vision, incidentally engaging in a very organic process of makeshift architectural design. As certain materials would arrive on site, his vision of each particular element of the construction would evolve. Using old car tires, bicycle wheels, unwanted materials and bricks, he effectively acted as a one man salvage yard, giving otherwise unused materials a new lease on life. In stark contrast to the architectural profession’s propensity for planning, which can constrict the spontaneous creativity of the design process, Justo’s reactive design methodology stimulated a circular economy within the region.

Justo argued that his religious faith and determination made up for his lack of architectural training or engineering skills — his only machinery was a winch to raise stone blocks and planks — and he was unfazed by those who criticized his project as that of an eccentric monk. “The only plan is made in my head, drawn day by day,” he said. While initially widely critiqued on the grounds that the project was dangerous and being executed without proper planning permission, the local Spanish authorities ignored its existence, with neither the town council of Mejorada del Campo nor the Catholic Church wanting to take responsibility. Over time, Justo grew to become an inspirational figure within the community, recalling the history of another unfinished religious structure in Spain that has long split opinion among its residents.

I was lucky enough to visit the Cathedral back in 2018 when Justo was still alive and at work. As we wandered through the vast spaces taking care to watch our step, I caught glimpses of Justo moving through areas of varied completion in a contemplative manner. We were aware of one another’s presence and he welcomed us to look around upon our arrival, but we treaded lightly as visitors, careful not to disturb his work.

As our tour wore on, Justo suddenly appeared and motioned us to follow him down a flight of stairs. We entered a poorly lit subterranean room, with dark plastered walls adorned with odd, spherical paper mâché ornamentation on the walls. Beyond a sea of cement bags, scattered tools and paint buckets, there was a long, deep rectangular hole cut into the earth. A modest wooden crucifix hung above it and a shovel lay on the ground. This is where Justo hoped to be laid, his self-made crypt, once he could no longer continue to build. Following his death in late 2021, town officials said they could not respect that wish after finding that the crypt did not meet Spanish sanitary rules. They buried him instead in Mejorada del Campo’s cemetery.

The lack of proper documentation, including architectural drawings, safety certifications and other necessary licenses, prohibited the intended function of this building to be realized in both life and death. But to criticize the project on this front may be missing the point altogether. While Justo’s creation may never operate as an active place of communal worship, one cannot help but marvel at the singular drive of one man, whose faith emphasizes the notion that we are all works in progress, constantly striving to improve ourselves and the spaces we wish to be in.

One person in particular was taken with Justo’s mission. Upon his death, the cathedral was donated to Father Ángel, president of Mensajeros de la Paz, who intends to finish the project in order to pay homage to Justo’s life. In a recent turn of fate, a structural engineering firm that Father Angel hired deemed the building safe and structurally sound, bolstering its chances of completion. The City Council of Mejorada is also processing the application for the building to be declared a BIC (Well of Cultural Interest) by the Community of Madrid with the aim of protecting the cathedral long into the future.

While the fate of this cathedral still somewhat hangs in the balance, we can all learn something from Justo. The Cathedral of Justo Gallego raises important questions surrounding what it means to complete a project, and reinforces the importance of the journey over the destination. It took a single man’s singular, determined focus to block out the noise of the architecture and religious communities in pursuit of his truth. Whether or not it eventually becomes a recognized place of worship, Justo’s perseverance serves as a lesson to us all – that we are all works in progress, striving to do the best with what we have.

Reference

Architecture

Live Talk: Join Ema Peter for a Masterclass in Architectural Photography

By Zarkon Group,29/04/2022

With the birth of the smartphone, millions of people around the world gained access to incredibly advanced cameras, opening up the world of architectural photography to the global public. But while anyone can snap a photo, it takes more to create a truly compelling image. What kind of photograph captures the essence of a place? What can it tell us about the people that live, work and play within it? Can a photograph tell us a larger story about the cultural context of a home, city or country?

With the 3rd Annual One Photo Challenge set to launch, we invite award-winning photographer and competition juror Ema Peter to explore answers to some of these questions. Hit the button below to register for this free live talk, set to take May 10th, 2022 at 1pm ET:

During the talk, we’ll look back at some of the best images from last season, examining the photography rules they follow — and which they break — to tell powerful stories about architecture.

By attending this talk, you’ll learn:

How to harness unexpected lighting and composition to create a compelling architectural photograph
How to spot opportunities for a great photograph in different places and moments in time
What it’s like to be a professional architectural photographer and what it takes to succeed in the business

About Ema

Ema is the principle of Ema Peter Photography. In the past 10 years she has works with some of the largest architectural, interior design and engineering firms in North America. Ema’s photography has helped many of these firms reach award winning status. Her images have been published in Architectural Digest, Objekt International, Dwell, Wired, New York Times and many more. Ema holds a masters degree in art and applied photography from the national academy of theatre and film arts in Sofia Bulgaria as well as a PHD in Photojournalism.

She started her career as a TV anchor on Bulgarian National TV and then as an intern at Magnum Photo Agency in Paris. She then led one of the largest photography teams in North America at VRX Studios Inc. She was also the lead photographer for ad campaigns at Hilton, Hyatt and Fairmont and was responsible for creating photography standards for some of the top hotel brands around the world.

About Paul

Paul Keskeys is Editor in Chief at Architizer. An architect-trained editor, writer and content creator, Paul graduated from UCL and the University of Edinburgh, gaining an MArch in Architectural Design with distinction. Paul has spoken about the art of architecture and storytelling at many national industry events, including AIANY, NeoCon, KBIS, the Future NOW Symposium, the Young Architect Conference and NYCxDesign. As well as hundreds of editorial publications on Architizer, Paul has also had features published in Architectural Digest, PIN—UP Magazine, Archinect, Aesthetica Magazine and PUBLIC Journal.

Reference

Architecture

Enscape 3.3 Takes Real-Time Architectural Visualization to the Next Level

By Zarkon Group,14/04/2022

Enscape, one of architecture’s most popular real-time visualization, 3D rendering and virtual reality applications, just got even better. Its latest iteration, version 3.3, brings a plethora of enhancements for its existing features as well as a host of new functions, each designed to make real-time rendering more intuitive to use at every stage of the design process.

Enscape brings the disciplines of design and visualization together, creating a unified experience that enables designers to collaborate on their projects in a dynamic fashion, as well as communicating their ideas to clients in an easy-to-understand way.

“We’re always looking for new ways to support our customers’ design workflows,” said Petr Mitev, VP Visualization Product Group at Enscape. “With our latest release, we’ve automated some processes so designers can spend more time making the right decisions and less time gathering the data needed to do it. We will also continue to improve our core visualization and sharing platforms based on community feedback.”

So, what can users expect from the new and improved Enscape application? Here are some key new features to look out for:

Site Context

It’s now possible to import a project’s existing surroundings directly into renderings, using data from global geographic database OpenStreetMap. Users can enter a specific address or coordinates to immediately locate and import the surroundings, or select and import key landmarks, streets, or topography.

Alpha Channel Export

With the Alpha Channel Export, you can now render an image with a transparent background. This means your project can now be quickly and easily combined with any style of sky, clouds, and horizon line in post production, lending Enscape a new layer of flexibility for still renderings.

Education Assets and Materials

Enscape’s popular 3D asset library has been radically expanded to include an extensive collection of educational assets, including classroom furniture, toys, musical instruments, playground equipment, acoustic panels, and more. The Enscape Material Library, which was introduced in Enscape 3.1, has also been expanded with materials such as new wallpapers and various carpets.

While they will be categorized under Education and are perfectly suited for kindergarten, school and college projects, these assets and materials are also useful for a wide variety of other typologies, including corporate, hospitality and residential projects.

Besides these headline new features, numerous other refinements have been introduced to Enscape 3.3, each with the goal of improving ease-of-use and an improved end product for users.

Additional Features

In terms of rendering, visualizations including glass and water are now more accurate thanks to improved graphic capabilities; transparent materials now appear in reflections, providing a more realistic appearance. The use of a graphics card that supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing, such as NVIDIA RTX series and AMD RX6xxx series, is required. Further to this, the new “Material Overwrite” function enables users to replace Enscape material files within the Enscape Material Editor without the need to manually import and export them.

In terms of user experience, it’s now possible to ‘pin’ the Enscape rendering window and associated menus to the top of your modeling window, allowing for easy access to view real-time changes even if you’re not using two screens. New upload migration capabilities have also been introduced, enabling users to manage uploads, such as web standalones and uploaded panoramas, online efficiently.

Finally, Enscape 3.3 works seamlessly with the latest version of SketchUp, providing key compatibility with one of the industry’s most used 3D modeling applications. Throw in full Japanese language support, and the latest edition of Enscape is inarguably the most comprehensive release to date when it comes to usability across platforms and geographies.

To get a first-hand look at Enscape’s full suite of real-time capabilities, click here to download a 14-day free trial. You can find out more about every feature over at Enscape.com.

Reference

Architecture

Architectural Building Blocks: 5 AutoCAD Tips and Tricks

By Zarkon Group,13/03/2022

ArchiHacks is an online resource for architects dedicated to architecture visualization, portfolio, and design tips and tricks for students and professionals. This article was written by team member Tommy Minh Nguyen.

Not everyone may have the chance to use AutoCAD, but sooner or later, you will probably end up using some form of computer-aided drafting (CAD), which will have a similar workflow. AutoCAD was developed and marketed by Autodesk for architects, engineers, and construction professionals to create precise 2D and 3D drawings. The strides in architecture technologies in recent years catapulted the design and construction of amazing projects. For many emerging professionals, AutoCAD isn’t on the radar anymore (even if they are entering the workforce with extensive knowledge of new software). Yet, even if everyone talks about Revit, Grasshopper, Rhino, and all the sorts of BIM or 3D modeling software, AutoCAD is still utilized in firms all across the world.

If you aren’t familiar with or used AutoCAD much, it’s okay — we will be sharing five tips that will facilitate a quicker workflow of the industry’s staple that is still around! Besides, being familiar with AutoCAD can establish a good foundation for other programs. It’s important to note that the images below are stitched to illustrate the process better, so it will not look the same when attempting this.

Shortcuts + Customization

One of the greatest hacks for any software is learning the shortcuts. This may not be news, but what if I said you could customize the shortcuts in AutoCAD even further? I recently learned this trick and thought, ‘Had I known this sooner, I would have saved so much time.’

How do you set up your own shortcuts? When you open up AutoCAD, you’ll want to click on the “Manage” tab, then click on “Edit Aliases,” and this window should pop up.

From here, you can customize all the shortcuts you need to one or a few keys to do multiple tasks. It’s important to make sure there are no duplicates in this notepad, or AutoCAD will be confused about what you are attempting to achieve.

Interface Customization

Just like shortcut customization, interface customization is the next best thing to get situated with. When I’m opening a new software, the first thing I always ask is “How do I switch this to black or dark scheme?” Luckily, it’s effortless. Type “Settings” in the command bar, and a window will pop up, which will give you multiple options to adjust the display, drafting, or user preferences settings. Take the time to explore those options and adjust to your liking! In addition, there are other ways to customize your interface, and I’ll break down some things in the image below,

This button controls the ribbon area, and you can cycle through multiple settings depending on how you like it. I normally go with the ribbon option shown in the image because it’s easier to navigate than the others.
This option is available for most pop-up tabs that occur in AutoCAD. This symbol essentially asks if you’d like this window to be added to your sidebar. It also toggles whether you want the tool window to stay locked or hidden when not used.
The sidebar is where you’d find any anchored tool window you’d like. I usually keep my properties tab locked but place my “Layer Properties” and “External References” anchored and automatically withdrawn if not used to the side for quick access.

Utilizing Blocks

Looking back, I realized how much time I wasted without using blocks. Instead of repeatedly deleting and copying objects, I could have made changes to one block and it will change all of them in AutoCAD! Blocks essentially allow you to edit multiple instances of the same block at once.

There are two effortless ways to access it: option 1 is found under the “Home” ribbon, where you can go over to the block tab to create or insert any blocks. Option 2 is housed under the “Insert” ribbon — there’s a bigger block tab that can help you learn what the image stands for, but either option will get you to the same result. Ideally, you’d want to create the object first using any tools under the option and modify tab. Once you’ve done that, select the lines, then click the “Create Block” button and this window should pop up.

You can choose to select the object after, but I find it easier and quicker to select the lines or objects first before creating the block.

Click this button for the “Block Definition” window to pop up after selecting the lines and/or objects for the block.
This is where you should name the block so it will save you time finding it!
These are some settings you’d want to adjust eventually; for your sake, the settings shown will be ideal before adjustments.
It’s ideal to uncheck this box because it’s unnecessary to edit the block right away if you’ve drawn it correctly beforehand. Don’t worry, you can always edit the block by right-clicking the object and finding the “Edit Block” option.
Make sure to select this option to set the base point of the block. Otherwise, it may cause complications later on!

Utilizing xRefs or xReferences

Another great hack in AutoCAD is learning how to operate xRefs; they are essentially any viable file that can be placed into the drawing to use as a reference, like PDFs, JPGs, or other AutoCAD files (DWGs). This could be extremely helpful if you were making an addition to other projects, or your project has specific site conditions you’d want to display.

This is also great practice in professional settings for several reasons. First, it allows multiple people to work on different files and still reference each others’ work. Second, it keeps each file clutter-free, lightweight, and focused on the relevant parts of the project. Third, it allows you to swap out versions or iterations by replacing xRefs quickly. Here’s how you can bring one in:

Click on the “Insert” ribbon.
After that, go ahead and click on “Attach.”
This window will pop up for you to select what file you want to use as a reference.
After making your selection, a second window will pop up, and I have already set general settings for your convenience. You could make more adjustments to these settings once you have learned the process!

Sheet Layout + Viewport Control

Let’s say you want to export a drawing without certain features but don’t want to waste time to recreate it or copy multiple views causing your file to slow down. What do you do? Sheets and viewport control are your best friend! Now, I never really used this feature until I began working, but still, I’m sure it will save you some time too! Assuming that you have a drawing in AutoCAD and it’s situated near the origin (0,0) in the model space, here are the steps you can do to maximize your efficiency in exporting views.

In AutoCAD, the space you work in is called the “Model” space, so if you want to control your sheets for drawings and views, you will want to click on the tabs below to set that up. You can add sheets by hitting the “+” sign or right-click on a tab to add a sheet.
You should confirm the sheet size or settings you will want to export the drawing in by right-clicking the sheet tabs and clicking the “Page Setup Manager” option. From there, another window will open and a few more adjustments based on your needs.
Select this tab to create a viewport or view on the sheet. Viewports is another way to see your drawing, imagine it’s a camera snapshot of the model space, which you can control certain settings that won’t affect the model space!
To create a viewport, click on this item. Now, you can have organic-shaped viewports, but in this scenario, let’s keep it simple. Once you click on it, all you have to do is draw a rectangle that fits your sheet, and you can always adjust if needed.
This is the rectangular viewport.
You can double-click into the viewport and use the mouse wheel to locate what you want visible in the box. If you want to exit the viewport space, double-click on the sheet or the colored edge surrounding the drawing.
After selecting the frame of the viewport, you can control the scale of the drawing by clicking on the scale symbol at the bottom right corner. Make sure to lock the view by clicking the lock symbol next to the scale symbol. This makes your viewport fixed on what you are showing.
You can turn off layers in specific viewports by opening your “Layer Properties,” finding the tab that says “VP Freeze,” and clicking on the symbol with the sun. This is similar to freezing a layer, but instead of turning it off for the entire file, it will only turn it off for that view.

This is a rather advanced technique in AutoCAD, so there’s a lot of playing around with this last one. However, if you learn this sooner, especially with the iterative process of school and work, it can save you a lot of time and headaches.

These tips vary in levels of understanding of AutoCAD; nonetheless, these should help you learn the software even faster. That’s all we got for today! I hope you found this article helpful, and if you have any tips for future students, please let us know in the comments below. Make sure to follow Archi Hacks’ YouTube and Instagram for more content.

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Reference

Architectural

Superhero by Giorgio Marafioti

Habitat by Manolo Langis

1. Let There Be Light

2. Color Me Stunning

3. The Rule Of Thirds

4. Rhyme and Rhythm

5. Clean vs. Chaotic

6. The Human Touch

7. All the Gear, No Idea

Natural Light

Ambient Light

Task Lighting

Accent Lights

Decorative and Mood Lighting

About Ema

About Paul

Site Context

Alpha Channel Export

Education Assets and Materials

Additional Features

Shortcuts + Customization

Interface Customization

Utilizing Blocks

Utilizing xRefs or xReferences

Sheet Layout + Viewport Control

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