I prefer drawing to talking. Drawing is faster, and leaves less room for lies. (Le Corbusier)

I prefer drawing to talking. Drawing is faster, and leaves less room for lies. (Le Corbusier) Even with the evolution of technology and the popularization of advanced computer programs, most architecture projects still begin with a blank sheet of paper and the casual strokes of a pen. Rather than simply representing a project, the sketch allows us to examine the project, understand the landscape or topography, or communicate an idea to another team member or even the client. Its main purpose, however, is to stimulate the creative process and overcome the fear of blank paper. Sketches are usually made with imprecise, overlapping, ambiguous strokes, accompanied by annotations, arrows, and lack great technical accuracy and graphic refinement. Doodling is nothing, the stroke of the pen?tracing?is everything. The stroke has a goal, it's a drawing with a specific intention?it is the design. (Lucio Costa)
Church of the Administrative Center of Bahia. Image © João Filgueiras Lima

Pedestrian Bridge. Image © Miro Rivera Architects

The main issue in a sketch is the act of recording an idea through a rapid drawing technique mastered by the designer. There are sketches that approximate children's drawings; some employ simplicity as a virtue, while others show a complexity and mastery of technique that makes them works of art.

Abedian School of...