Looking At How Many Art And How Many Technology In A Architectural Rendering

How many art and how many technology in a architectural rendering is a question that no doubt has many answers. Choosing between art-based techniques and the possibilities technology offers will depend on who the client is, whether there is a deadline, architectural goals, aesthetic aims, and other factors.

By definition, an architectural rendering is a means of creating a two-dimensional image of a proposed space that will occupy three dimensions. Traditional approaches to rendering this kind of representation have included pen and ink drawings, watercolors, and hand drawn sketches. Now computer graphics offer yet another path to convey the architects’ vision.

While all the media listed above are all technologies, how the hand based approaches are utilized and mixed with one another is quite different from how a digital program is handled. Moreover, comparing the new media of today with the older, more traditional tools brings to mind how the design and drawing aspects of architecture have always combined art and science.

At its best, aesthetics and creative design are a part of drawing. Hand drawing also is more likely to include notations that point to the architect's style (and flair).

Work done within a digital framework has less room for a personal touch. Many architects supplement these tools with hand sketches, claiming that architectural visualization has more creative space in a pencil-driven environment.

Balancing the perspectives brings to mind that Brunelleschi dome design for the Cathedral of Florence (1419-1436) drew upon his talents as both an artist and engineer. His success, often attributed to his technical and mathematical genius, brought more status to the role of the architect. Yet, many see him more as an artist because he is also credited with making the first paintings that incorporate linear perspective.

As Brunelleschi's achievements remind us today, how many art and how many technology in a architectural rendering is not a problem with a specific answer. Possibly, as architects pursue their creative work they reckon with balancing the sides intuitively.