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FACS 241 Architectural Drafting

The Palmer Home

The focal project of this course centers around the Palmer family. Mr. and Mrs. Palmer live in a one-bedroom New York apartment and would like to remodel their home. Specifically, they plan to convert the study into a second bedroom and create an open-plan living area. The section bedroom conversation permitted the addition of a hall closet. The kitchen renovation (depicted in the demolition and floor plan sheets), features removal of walls, modest repositioning of appliances, and the incorporation of a peninsula sink area with bar-style countertop for additional seating and to achieve the open-plan living they desired.

In addition to these layout changes, the Palmers are replacing the lighting and would like to add architectural features to the ceilings. I determined ideal light switch placement and location for lights in each room, as laid out in the reflected ceiling plan. Some key features include pendant lighting over the peninsula and countertop area and a chandelier with a dimmer switch in the dining room. As they both enjoy the aesthetic of exposed beams, I sought to incorporate that in the living room of my reflected ceiling plan, along with a stepped ceiling in their bedroom.This project possesses many phases and as the course is still in progress, the penultimate vision for the Palmer Home has not yet been realized.

Demolition Plan, hand-drafted

Floor Plan, hand-drafted

Refleted Ceiling Plan, hand-drafted

An initial, larger project for this course was the creation of a stair section. Given the floor plan layout and a section view (not to scale), I recreated the stairs to scale, utilizing hatching methods and labels to define the details of the structure.

Stair Section, hand-drafted

This assignment was a quick freehand drawing, in which I was given a section view of a building and recreated it freehand, trying to adhere to the natural proportions and accuracy using pen and ink.

Building Section Freehand, pen and ink

ADA Restroom Floor plan, hand-drafted

The images to the left are the end product of the ADA restroom assignment, featuring a public bathroom with a women's bathroom of two toilet stalls, one ADA-compliant toilet stall, a baby changing station, and three sinks. The men's restroom includes two urinals, one ADA-compliant toilet stall, a baby changing station, and three sinks. Given a maximum dimensional footprint, I constructed a layout that prioritized ADA guidelines and accessibility. My experience with disabled older adults assisted me in prioritizing an ADA stall that minimized sharp turns and angles to acess/exit the stall and the broader restroom facility. Another aspect of this assignment included the creation of an elevation view of the toilets, again to show ADA compliancy and provide additional work with detailing and neatness. 

ADA Restroom Elevation, hand-drafted

Doors & Windows Details, hand-drafted

Wall Detail, hand-drafted

Progressing into more specific project construction, I created a sheet that displayed two door types and one window type, complete with dimensions and labels of the components. The wall detail (right) is a section view of the many components that comprise the structure of a wall, also completed with specific labels.

This introductory course to architectural drafting began with the basics--the alphabet! Focusing on making lines straight and neat, I formed a baseline for my lettering style.

Lettering Practice, hand-drafted

The next component of this course explored working through line weights. Lineweights are vital to conveying design elements and highlighting the significant details. In this assignment, I used three different lead types to draw straight and dashed lines, then to replicate slightly more detailed patterns.

Line Weights Practice, hand-drafted

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