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The Evolution of Tools in Architecture

Architecture has historically been known as a fine art, one that has evolved not only in styles and techniques, but in tools as well. Architectural drawings have been considered to be works of art, especially in the pre-digital era, where architectural plans or drawings were finished off with water colors, and hung on the walls of the homes of the rich and wealthy. These drawing and rendering tools have certainly come a long way. This article lays out a rough timeline of the evolution of tools in architecture, and considers each milestone's influence on design concepts. 

Greg Lynn is a well renowned architectural theorist. He participated in Yale's 2012 Symposium "Is Drawing Dead?". During the event, Lynn presented a series of old drawings, mostly from the early 20th century. These drawings were also considered works of art in on themselves. However, as passing times demanded more construction and real estate projects, architects needed powerful tools to aid them in their creativity process. More and more tools were integrated in the drawing and design processes from simple tools like compasses, rulers and special markers to modern day software. 

In 1901 Charles H. Little invented the Universal Drafting Machine. This "contraption" as gadgets were called back in the day, had a right angle from which scales hung, allowing the drafter to slide rulers easily from one side to the other. The machine was born in the US and it later became popular in Europe in the 1920s. But not only did machines alter the way concepts were rendered, text books and teachers emphasized details such as how to properly sharpen pencils, and how to hold other tools. 

Large industries like aerospace engineering and automakers in the 1960s pushed the envelope even further, and the architecture world adopted a few of the technologies that resulted from these advancements. This decade marked the first renderings of CAD or Computer Aided Design. For example, Renault's Bézier invented a mathematical method to render automobile surfaces, today still used and known as Bézier curves and surfaces. Later in the decade, the "sketchpad" came into being. It allowed architects to draw on screens with a light-generating pen. 

It was in the 1970s that the first 3D solid modeling program was born. MAGI Sythavision, as it was called, was actually used in the making of "Tron" the movie in 1982. That same year, IBM released VM/CMS a mainframe computer that allowed for several users to interact with a single system. These were the days in which designers had to come up with a design, wait for someone in the programming department to input the information into the mainframe, wait for the results, make changes if needed, and then start the whole cycle again. 

Things got a bit more practical in 1982 with the introduction of AutoCAD, and subsequent software releases in the 1990s of similar software applications, allowing for personal computing to play a more direct and creative role in design. Designers and architects could come up with three-dimensional concepts that before were just not possible. Faster computers and more robust software allowed for futuristic designs to become real. What's more, the files could be easily shared with others. 

Today, some software applications may even allow for mobile sharing and visualization, which is incredibly useful if you are using construction management software to manage a construction project and need to take a quick look at designs. Today, hand-made drawings are still very much appreciated and regarded as art, but digital has made it possible for architects and designers to challenge gravity, physics and imagination. 

Source: Architizer

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