RIBA Guide to Graphic Presentation

8/6/2019 RIBA Guide to Graphic Presentation

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A Guide to I Sma II P ra ctice s r a p l h J ~ ~ 0[P[f~fntat~


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Small P ra ctices

A Gu ide toGraphic P resen ta tio nsN eil Parkyn MA(C antab) D ipA rchD ipTp(D ist) R IB A M RTPI FR SA


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Neil Parkyn 1999

Published by RIBA Publications, Construction House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4LT

ISBN 1 85946 052 6

The right of Neil Parkyn to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by him inaccordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, ortransmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording orotherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner

Publisher: Mark LaneEditor: Ramona KhambattaCover Illustration: Louis HellmanDesign by Red Hot Media, SuffolkPrinted and bound by Dennis Barber Graphics E t Print, Suffolk

While every effort has been made to check the accuracy of the information given in this book,readers should always make their own checks. Neither the author nor the publisher accepts anyresponsibility for mis-statements made in it or misunderstanding arising from it

'Small Practices' Editorial Team:Louis Hellman, Mervyn Hill, Mark Lane, Owen Luder, Ian Martin, Neil ParkynAcknowledgements:Sarah Lupton, George Oldham, RIBA Practice Department, Douglas SmithFor Carol, Adam and Rosie.The author would also like to acknowledge the late lecturer and architect David Roberts ofCambridge, Colin Phipps, architect and former partner of YRM, urban designer Anthony Meats,


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Contents

Section 1 : INTRODUCT IONGraphic talesKnowing your audienceYour role in presentation 2The questions to ask 3Why presentation matters 4

Section 2 : THE R IGHT L INES 5Understanding the media 5Selecting techniques 5

Section 3 : GRAPH IC DES IGN 7What do you need? 7Briefing in brief 10The small print 11Tips and tweaks 12

Section 4 : PHOTOGRAPHY AND IMAG ING 15What do you need? 15How to find 17How photographers charge 18Briefing in brief 18The small print 19Tips and tweaks 20

Section 5 : ILLUSTRAT ION : P ICTURE PERFECT 21What do you need? 21How to find 23Briefing in brief 23The small print 24Tips and tweaks 24

S ection 6 : T HE A RC HIT EC TU RA L MO DE L 27What do you need? 27How to find 30Briefing in brief 30The small print 32Tips and tweaks 32

Section 7: F UR THER READ ING 35The big picture 35Drawing and delineation 35


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In t roduc t ion Section 1G ra ph ic ta le sGood presentation has always been vital to architecture. From the St Paul's Great Model byChristopher Wren to the perspectives of Basil Spence, or the computer montages of HayesDavidson, architects have displayed their wares in the best possible light. Sometimes thepresentations themselves were the only legacy - a small proportion of what has been drawn,modelled or sketched actually gets on to site. Presentations are for born optimists.Presentations, through drawings, models, photography or other forms of imaging serve a simplepurpose - to explain your scheme to an audience. Powerful modelling tools, in all senses of theword, are available to architects faced by a presentation problem. Presentation techniques, freelyavailable to the smallest of firms, are becoming increasingly subtle and sophisticated; electronicmontage, virtual reality and even simple desktop publishing provide an accessible armoury to thepractisi ng arch itect.This guide sets out the main themes, techniques and tips, both for conventional presentationmedia and for the newer possibilities. Anyone who has successfully negotiated a course inarchitecture will already be familiar with, and possibly skilled in, presenting their work. RecentEnd-of-Year shows confirm that the best of our Schools of Architecture are producing studentswho can draw, model and present with impressive elan. What is often missing, as with theirchartered elders, is an understanding of what audience they are trying to address. Presentationwithout an audience is a contradiction in terms.

Know in g you r au dienceAll presentations need an audience, which is not always reached directly but throughpublications, printed reports and other documents, exhibitions and scheme drawings. Mostpresentation packages will consist of a mixture of different media outputs, written, drawn andmodelled and accompanying 'software' perhaps in the person of the architect himself.Much has been already written about the need to identify your audlencels) , yet it is surprisinghow often architects power on blindly in constructing a presentation which does not take accountof the perceptions and needs of those who receive it . Stupid, at the very least. The great varietyof potential audiences becomes clearer once you consider even an apparently simple item such anarchitectural model. Obviously these come in many shapes and forms, from a home-made studymodel for the design team alone through high quality models used for fundraising a project, tothe post-completion setpiece model to grace the corporate boardroom. Each has its style, itsaesthetic characteristics and its specific purpose. They are seldom interchangeable.Or consider the range of photography your practice might commission. All of us tend to recordbuildings under construction for record purposes, largely an internal matter for office use.Then comes the time when the building nears completion and the photographic coverage is


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Introduction

However, there may be occasions when an informal approach is just the ticket. In presenting tocommunity groups or lay audiences, and even to some local authorities, a user-friendly style ofpresentation may be appropriate. 'Soft' graphics can help to build a successful rapport with theaudience. Elsewhere, such a presentation would seem scrappy, yet it will have been prepared withexactly the same amount of care as a conventional hard line display.Knowing your audience means an ability to think through at the outset the different categoriesof groups and individuals who will need to be addressed as the scheme passes from conceptthrough to an approved project moving onto site. Certain audiences, such as the local authorityplanning departments, have very specific requirements for submissions made as application forplanning permission. There is no point in being clever and ignoring these generallystraightforward requirements. On the other hand, getting approval for a major project from afast-moving and possibly irascible Chief Executive on the hoof may need some deft sketching inthe manner of Lord Foster. With some ingenuity, however, presentation materials can becombined and re-used. Your formal set of planning drawings can be rendered up to producepublished images with a high degree of finish, or the 'back-of-the envelope' sketches which soswayed the Chief Executive retained for use in the project brochure - the more vivid the better.

Your role in presentationIn simple 'Sunday School' terms, all architectural presentation needs to hit the Three D's: to Describe: a presentation needs to explain salient themes and principles behind a designproject as well as conveying functional information on its content. to Demonstrate: the presentation needs to show how your scheme has met the client'srequirements, how it has responded to the planning context and how it is an intelligent andbuildable undertaking.

to Dazzle: you want your client to want to build your building. There is absolutely nothingwrong in producing a presentation which dazzles - it is even expected of you.

Never forget the Rogue Fourth D (definitely a no-no): to Deceive: presentations are usually taken on trust, in that the drawings and images aredeemed to be accurate. Yet too many times architectural perspectives have been foundwanting, with impossible underground viewpoints, surrounding buildings incorrectly scaled and'artistic licence' used too liberally. There is simply no point in drawing things wrong becausesomeone will find out and you will lose your credibility.

Finally, a Fifth D (definitely positive): to Destroy Doubt: your presentation should make your client pleased with himself inappointing your practice as his architects. A good presentation reflects well on the client aswell as on the architect. It is often the first real proof of your true mettle.

You are the stage manager and the editor. Even when meeting seemingly straightforwardpresentation and submission requirements you need to organise, commission, control, monitorand then deliver the product. It is a serious business but not without its pleasures.


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Introduction

contribute their own expertise to the overall effort. Their inclusion and proper briefing areimportant parts of the process). It is essential to recognise that the personal skills you may havedeveloped as an architectural student in presentation, photography, modelling (whethercardboard or computers), and in making presentations to a jury, do not necessarily enable you tocommission professional versions of these products unless you know the form. You still need tocontinue to update these personal skills. Indeed, for some jobs a resourceful architect canproduce all the graphic material him or herself, competently and confidently, as indeed many do.The difficulty comes when the presentation needs to move up several notches, to a level of finishand precision which corporate clients expect as of right. Here there is an invisible cut-off pointwhen generalist abilities cannot cope. Specialists can do it better and even represent better valuewithin the total cost of the presentation.Knowing your own strengths and weaknesses - and those of your team colleagues - is thestarting point. Most good presentations will combine images, models and other graphic elementsby a number of hands, an approach which has the virtue of breaking down and delegating thetask amongst several individuals who can work in parallel. Providing the overall graphicframework of page layout, display panel or Computer Aided Design (CAD) presentation is strongenough, these elements can then be combined successfully and indeed benefit from the contrastof styles between freehand 'idea' sketches and absolutely precise linework.Hence, a major presentation will often consist of a mixture of in- and out-house skills, whereeach is particularly appropriate. Many larger practices maintain their own in-house presentationteams including graphic designers, perspective artists and model makers, but seldomphotographers. The debate on the merits of in-house versus out-house skills continues and welater present the considerations which need to be resolved in deciding which is better in yourcase. Technically there is normally little to decide between them.The questions to askPreparing a presentation is never as orderly a process as you might wish. It is usually completedunder pressure against a background of other office projects with apparently greater claims onpeople's time. The trick is to avoid getting painted into the proverbial corner by believing thatyou can do it all yourself. Think carefully. You can delegate a great many pieces of work withinthe overall presentation and can do so with confidence and the knowledge that things are undercontrol. Among the items which you need to consider, in discussion with your colleagues, orthink over yourself, are the following: Skill levels/Finish: what is an appropriate standard of finish for this or that part of thepresentation? Do you need a 'professional' look to any perspectives, drawn images orcomputer-generated visuals? Is there someone in-house who has a 'good fist', able to produceattractive sketches quickly? What types of reproduction will the images undergo forpublication, exhibition or the client's own use?

Best use of resources: what tasks can you delegate with confidence? Many routine butimportant items can be passed to others under your management. These might include report


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Introduction

Deadline/Timetable: most deadlines are real enough, especially with presentations entered incompetitions. However, there is usually some flexibility with day-to-day submissions andpresentations under which, by prior arrangement, a master set of panels or drawings can beready by the deadline with further copies following later. This does require forward planningand discussion and cannot be abused.

Getting the best deals: check if your practice has an ongoing relationship with professionalmodel makers, perspectivists or photographers. It may be that some of them are available onan on-call basis in which case you need to book them in for your job. Elsewhere, a bit of pre-planning of commissioned specialists will help to spread their workload and balance demands,giving them breathing space to perform well for you.

Retaining control: it is very stimulating to manage, even inspire, a group of individual in-house and external specialists for a major presentation. Such a team can acquire its ownmomentum and achieve an impressive level of mutual support and trust. However, you need toremain in charge. Do not try to second guess or duplicate anyone's work for them. Byremaining decisive and supportive and, if necessary, critical of interim products, you can allmake it to the finishing line in good shape.

'Always with a little humour': in Frankenheimer's Manchurian Candidate the Russian spymaster reminded his unhappy colleague that spying, as everything else, needs a sense ofbalance. 'Always with a little humour, my dear Zilkov!'

Why presentation mattersBefore getting into the detail of graphic presentation, it is worth recalling why it all matters somuch. Put your client first. He or she will want your presentation to inspire as well as inform. Thefuture of your project may even depend on it, especially with a mixed agenda or where thecommunity at large is involved. Everything needs to be checked and cross-checked to ensure thatthe message is absolutely clear and consistent. This is not only for your client's good. He will beexposed to presentations and graphic material from a number of practices and will have ashrewd idea of what is average and what is exceptional.Clients do not tend to interfere with the presentation while you are preparing it but they needto be kept in the picture in every sense. This may frustrate you, the architect, but you forget atyour peril that clients usually have a very clear understanding of their own market and thistranslates itself down to the level of detail. It may be annoying to have your client criticise adraft perspective for showing 'the wrong type of people' in the drawing but he knows his ownaudience and what message needs to be conveyed. He is putting his own reputation on the linejust as much as yours.This Guide is meant to be well thumbed, be written upon, even interleaved and filed as a workingtool. It sets out key points and landmarks but will not do the job for you. The main move is tostart thinking about presentation from now on, looking hard at other people's efforts, enjoyingthe great wealth of opportunities and that very special feeling when a presentation really comesoff. Then the drinks are on you!


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The righ t lines Sect ion 2U nde rs tan d in g th e med iaWe can all draw, to a degree. An architectural education develops the ability to present a schemeas drawings, formal or informal, and indeed this remains the stock-in-trade of the architect. If heor she cannot communicate effectively through drawings, whether back-of-the-envelopesketches or finely rendered elevations, then the client is ill-served. Even with increasing use ofcomputer-generated images for presentation purposes, the power of a good drawing remainsundiminished. What is especially promising about recent developments is that traditional drawingmedia - ink, pencil, collage and other techniques - are now combined with powerful methods ofreproduction, such as laser copying or bubble jet printing, to produce results of the highestquality, which can be reproduced ad infinitum.New methods of reproduction have brought about an empowerment in that a small practice canachieve results of exactly the same presentation quality as the largest firm in the land. Theadvent of desktop publishing, affordable hardware and specialist software has enfranchised thesmaller practice while to some extent downgrading the role of traditional printer. The Battle ofthe Machines, with rival copiers (or what are now called image-making companies) producingmachines which offer ever-increasing equality in the output, all add to computer capabilitywhich, if used with design flair, can produce documents of the highest quality while retainingthe vividness of hand-drawn images.The first rule is 'Think about Reproduction'. Most of the presentation documents you will requirewill need to be copied and circulated. Hence, every drawing and image should be considered interms of: how it is to be reproduced; what the technical constraints are on it flowing from themeans of reproduction; and, most of all, what the strengths are of the copying method that canbe exploited to produce the most attractive outcome. This may appear a trivial consideration but,as those who make it their business to test leading office machines will confirm, these deviceshave opened up undreamt-of possibilities. They can be 'played' and fine-tuned so that the mostunpromising of small sketches can be transformed into an image of great power by enlargementor reduction, use of coloured or textured stock or a combination of all these. Knowing what ispossible and how far the reproductive process can be stretched is time very well spent. It is notso much a matter of formal training courses but of keeping one's eyes open and testing sampleson the practice's own machines or those of the local image bureau and then bringing togetherthe results over a period of time.Presentation is a creative process and we have already discussed the wide range of audienceswhom the package may need to address. Each audience can be matched by an appropriate mixof techniques, both in terms of the characteristics of the drawing medium and also the paperstock, the options on format and binding, physical framing or electronic formatting. None ofthese opportunities are cast iron or will automatically achieve the right product, yet the very factthat there are so many proven techniques available places the designer in a strong position tocommunicate effectively with his audience ls ) ,


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The right lines

generated images and those in which hand-drawn techniques predominate. For the former, theincreasing availability of powerful computer software, running on ever more compact machines,has liberated the smaller practice, especially in terms of presentations made on A3 or A4 formats,where material can be scanned in, reduced or imported as part of a pagemaking process. Large-format (A1 and AO) drawings as generated within the production information process can also beconverted into a formal presentation mode and subsequently rendered for mounting and display.While CAD techniques are liberating in terms of the quality and absolute consistency of line, theyare not always appropriate for such purposes as formal planning presentations because outputscan be leaden and unattractive to a lay committee's eyes. Any architect with confidence andexpertise can bring a degree of sensibility to computer-generated presentations through thechoice of line weights, showing or suppressing of detail, page and sheet layout, annotation andso on. Generally, the untutored CAD drawing will contain too much information presentedwithout distinction so that those elements of the building which are intended to be visuallyprominent are lost within a maze of immaculately plotted lines. It requires a trained eye toestablish a visual balance in presentation drawings such as an elevation so that it conveys therichness and spirit of the design. Much can be achieved in terms of bringing life and movementto a computer-generated drawing by working on top of a base print-off, by including hand-drawn figures, landscape and softer elements which will playoff successfully against the evenand anonymous lines from the printer. Assuming that CAD inputs have been correctly layered, itis a simple matter to test out various combinations of line weights and levels of detail to achievea more subtle gradation of visual importance than the way in which the building is presented onthe base print. All the visual techniques and tweaks which are familiar to those who haveprepared hand-drawn presentations such as the strengthening of certain lines to convey theimpression of depth can mostly be reproduced on a computer-generated drawing, but only if yougive the necessary instructions.Possible graphic techniques are well documented in several publications (see Bibliography). Theyinclude media techniques ranging from the use of soft 'cosmetic' pencils to produce almostcalligraphic vignettes of a project to fully rendered and conventional elevations using layers ofpencil, ink and, possibly, airbrush. Knowing the potential of drawing instruments, media anddrawing stock is a process that is also a pleasure. All proven techniques have their own place; thekey to the whole presentation exercise is to select the blend best suited to the final audience.The simplest way of discovering the potential of new drawing pens or markers is to try them foryourself, perhaps in combinations, to see how well they reproduce at different reductions and ondifferent machines. You can then build a library of these tests and samples.Where presentations tend to fail it is often a result of never having tried a particular drawingtechnique before, subjecting it to inappropriate enlargement or reduction that destroys orcoarsens the quality and degrades the design intent.If you carry out enough tests to make yourself familiar with the limitations, as well as thepotential, of a particular drawing instrument or colour media, then disappointment is avoidable.This is a form of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) all too often neglected. There is


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G rap hic d es ign Sect ion 3What do you need?Graphic design and graphic designers are seldom appreciated for what they can offer - avaluable channel for communicating your ideas and schemes to clients, colleagues and the worldat large. Architects with an eye for laying out a page or an exhibition panel may think they cando it untutored; others are understandably deterred by graphic designers whose work on behalfof architects seems to have run away with the message that needed to be got across. Graphicdesign considerations shape every aspect of architectural presentation, from the choice of fontsfor office stationery or the most economic drawing formats for reproduction through to the'house style' for a forthcoming public exhibition.Recently qualified architects will have already encountered some aspects of graphic design in thecourse of their training or in their practice experience since it is the younger staff members whotend to be assigned presentation tasks. A s students, we all operated as graphic designers,preparing our own presentations, laying out the pages of our dissertations and planning an eye-catching Diploma drawing set.Where the crucial divide occurs between a qualified architect and a qualified graphic designer (ora designer with a speciality in this field) is in the latter's comprehensive knowledge of both thevisual and the technical possibilities currently on offer. It really is a case of getting more andbetter results than you could ever imagine.

Even if you regard yourself as something of a genius at desktop publishing there is always thatpiece of extra magic to be gleaned from the professional graphic designer whether in-house orexternal. Yet you can remain in command - the graphic input is only there to serve the aims ofyour presentation and is never an end in itself.The larger architectural practices can usually justify the overhead expense of an in-house graphicdesign team, especially when its services can be marketed to external clients, so that the group'sworkload develops alongside that of the host architects. While this is fine in theory, managementskill as well as creative ability is needed to balance the often conflicting demands made on agraphics team, certainly once its value has become obvious to the firm as a whole.Independent graphic designers are the familiar choice for practices when they contemplate anew house style, promotional brochures, newsletters and one-off client presentation documentswhere 'something special' may be needed. The in-house versus out-house choice for graphicdesign input can be a confusing one.In favour of the in-house team: there is an understanding of the style, ethos, aspirations and track record of the practice; it is best placed to implement and police graphic consistency in all documents issued fromthe practice;

there is the ready availability for advice, testing of graphic options, last-minute presentations


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Gra ph ic d es ig n

it is good value for money/has attractive cross-charging costs, especially if the graphic designteam can be partially underwritten by an external workload.

In favour of external graphic designers or practices: they can offer wide experience from a range of clients, hence a useful knowledge of currentbest practice;

they are used to working to fixed budgets and deadlines, giving good value for money; they have the ability to distance themselves from practice politics and provide a fresh andobjective approach; they have access to a range of technologies, suppliers and reproduction specialists as well as towider sources than the typical in-house graphics team;

they are 'only as good as the last job'; longer-term relationships can grow with a practice, creating a shorter learning curve on eachsubsequent job.

Both of these routes to procuring first-rate graphic design work well. Using external designersmay make better sense to a busy architect because they can be employed as specialistsubcontractors under your management. On the other hand, in-house teams can oftensecond-guess your graphic preferences on the basis of earlier jobs and the established practicehouse style.

In- or out-house, the arguments for your calling upon professional graphic design input remainstrong. They include: Something special: graphic designers can offer a visually sophisticated and more client-friendly approach to document preparation than a typical architect. They are able to rise tothe special occasion with a range of graphic and presentation techniques which will deliver ahigher quality of product, 'smooth' or 'rough' as appropriate.

Quality control: dealing successfully with printers, reprographic firms or image bureaux ispart and parcel of professional graphic design. Architects are not as familiar with the briefingprocess and follow up needed to obtain quality outputs from print houses. This is aresponsibility best left to your graphic designer - you will have enough on your plate in thecomplex area of building design.

Longstop and face saver: because graphic designers deal in all kinds of raw inputs - architects'drawings, sketches, photographs, samples, text and CAD material - they are fully sensitised tothe technical demands of reproduction in all its forms. How many times have your drawingsbeen returned from the copyshop only for you to find that lines or certain colour tones did notcome out as well as you had hoped or that your captions were out of scale with theillustrations they supported? Graphic designers, especially the in-house variety, can help you toprepare your images for reproduction by the most appropriate medium so that both theirgraphic potential and their power to communicate are exploited to the full. They also play aninvaluable role in stage managing the preparation of images within a printed offering such as


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Gra ph ic d es ig n

By entrusting graphic decisions and production issues to a professional specialist, the wholepackage can be detached from the mainstream design process with complete confidence.

Whether your practice boasts an in-house graphic design team or a subconsultant, it is worthwatching out for a few trip wires: All graphic design assignments need to be properly pre-planned and booked in. Everyoneprefers a balanced workload and it pays to plan ahead, so that your job gets the attention itdeserves when it matters. Giving sufficient warning of your requirements is a simple courtesywhich also makes sense in terms of a successful long-term partnership with yourgraphic designer.

A genuine enthusiasm for matters graphic can put you at the head of the queue when hardchoices have to be made, for example 'Whose job do I do first?'

Knowing what the opposition (other competing practices) is up to graphically does no harm asa prompt for higher quality in-house service from your graphic designer. A few brochures orletterheads from 'down the road' will usually generate a lively discussion.

So even if your graphic designer is sitting right beside you, do not take it for granted that theright product will be delivered. After all, his team may ultimately report to someone else. Theyprobably need to perform in financial as well as in graphic design terms. Interesting or not, yourjob is one of the many on Monday's list.Your practice may already enjoy a settled relationship with a particular external design firm.Such an arrangement can often represent the best of both worlds, offering the combination of awider view and settled continuity. This is especially useful in the case of series items such as thepractice newsletter, topic brochures or standard project information sheets when the rawmaterial can be fed through to the retained designer who will then evolve it within his tried andtested format and graphic style. Once the design and production system has been runsuccessfully a couple of times there is only a minimum amount of professional time needed fromyour office in assembling the material. The emerging document can be reviewed - and tweaked -at proof stage, a process made simpler by the graphic designer's own CAD facility.However, there are occasions when a practice does not have an established relationship with anysingle graphic design firm. Or, even if it does, certain jobs may benefit from a totally fresh'outsider's' view. This is often the case when a major presentation or marketing brochure is to becommissioned on behalf of your client. The trawl for graphics talent is then on and you mustlook widely amongst material to aid your quest: Collect all the professional brochures, newsletters and project reports you can (legally) lay yourhands on - but only those you admire. These days they will generally include the name andcontact details of the graphics firm who designed them, as well as the printer, often sidewayson the back cover. In any case, a graphic designer of worth would insist on this credit. Collectseveral contrasting project examples by the same firm as a clue to their flexibility andgraphic range.


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Graphic design

showcased in technical brochures, corporate project reports or, if you are in the market forexhibition design, public consultation material. Look for an approach, an attitude rather than'for examples' which exactly match your own requirements as you understand them to be. Oneof the great benefits of involving a professional graphic designer is his/her ability to take afresh and innovative look at your presentation needs.

It is perfectly acceptable for you to contact a manageable number of graphic design practicesthat have emerged from your search process and to request recent work examples, generalmaterial and client listings. Be open and straightforward, explaining what you are in the marketfor and that the selection will be a two-stage process, based on a specific, detailed brief to besent to a shortlist of firms. At this stage only such samples as they wish to submit are neededtogether with a covering letter and contact details, much in the same way as your own practicemight respond to an invitation to pre-qualify.A healthy (and heavy) pile of samples will soon build up. Lay these out on the conference tableand share their review with appropriate colleagues, remembering that while it will remain yourshow, others can often, bring a useful 'client' perspective to the shortlisting.The purpose of this exercise is simple: to settle upon a pair or trio of firms which you can theninvite to prepare a cost estimate for the specific joblsl, based on the project brief which you willissue to the shortlisted firms.There is no need to over-complicate the selection process, especially when time is short, but careand clarity at this stage will payoff later in helping you to identify a graphic design practicewith which a successful long-term rapport can be forged.

Briefing in briefWhether an in- or an out-house commission, you will need to brief your designer carefully,defining the job in its main aspects (as below) without pre-empting the outcome or ruling outoptions. If issuing a brief to shortlisted firms, the need for a full but concise brief is obviousenough but even if the work is commissioned in-house, precision on the essentials will berespected. Letting things drift could allow another (better briefed?) job to take its place ahead ofyours in the queue.Your brief should specify:

Timetable: To include dates when your material will be made available to the designer,when a review draft is needed, whether all copies are required as a single batch and otherkey milestones.

Quantities: To cover the basic print run, plus any anticipated 'run-on' quantities (estimatedadditional cost per further 500/1000/5000, etc in the case of typical brochures or newsletters)based on your mock-up or dummy to determine pagination, if known.


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G ra ph ic de sig n

Stock and process: Choice of stock (paper, card, foil etc) as well as use of colour are best leftto the designer's proposal, but it is usual to specify broad requirements, such as 'full-colour','two-colour', 'black plus one colour' as an aid to job costing.

Also, be clear about the following issues: Originals: Type, mix of original images (drawings, photographs, scanner material, disc outputs).Who will supply/scan/re-touch or re-photograph if unacceptable in reproduction or graphicdesign terms?

House style/Comparables: Samples of existing practice publications and documentsshould indicate graphic standards, style and fixed elements (a pp lic ab le to o ut-h ou sec omm is sio ns o nly ).

Text copy: Who will supply spellchecked and approved text and captions? When will thisbe available?

Contacts/Responsibilities: Who will be the named individual to sign off/approve drafts andfinal proofs? Scope for Options/Alternatives: Where is the designer free to propose his own alternatives tothe present format, colour/print specification or timetable in the interests of graphic quality,value for money or production schedule?

In practice, this briefing data can take the form of a pro-forma letter with each of the topicsabove covered in a single line. You will always obtain the best results by defining the productyou require as fully as possible, allowing for simple cost comparisons to be made between offersbut then making it clear that there is scope for innovation where it might add extra quality.Graphic design fees are insignificant compared to building design costs, yet a distinctive and wellproduced project or practice document can do so much good work in presenting to others thebenchmark of quality to which the whole practice aspires.

The small printIt is essential to obtain a formal written quotation or estimate from each of your shortlisteddesign firms. Even with an in-house graphics team a draft production budget should be discussedand agreed - if you fail to do this your graphic designer ought to insist upon one for his ownbenefit to avoid any subsequent misunderstanding.The appointment does not need to be made on price alone. The usual assumption made by theshortlisted firms is that since they have been selected as being technically equal, price will be akey consideration, yet because printing can account for a large proportion of the final bill, anyminor differences in the graphic design element of the total price can be safely set aside. It ismore important to find a graphic design practice you are comfortable to work with and which


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G ra ph ic de sign

consistently indecisive, have not handed over key raw material such as drawings andphotographs in a usable form or cannot offer a final sign-off to drafts or printer's proofs.All this aggrevation costs time, money, goodwill and credibility, quite apart from any last-minutefavours your tight timetable may require. There is no more sobering - or impressive - a sightthan boxes of practice brochures sitting in the office lobby, all containing 500 copies of thesingle glaring typo that you carelessly signed off, most likely on the outside back cover for thewhole world to notice!A designer's costings can rapidly increase if the quality of images you supply is simply not goodenough for the role assigned to them in the publication. Specific points to watch include: Poor line quality: Drawings deemed unsuitable for scanning or other forms of image-makingwill need to be reprinted as originals or redrafted to meet the graphic designer's specification.Such costs will not have been allowed for in his project budget.

Unsuitable photographs: Surprisingly for a profession rumoured to be visually aware,architects often appear ignorant as to which photographs show their projects to bestadvantage or which are graphically strong - not synonymous, of course. In some instances,where the importance of the assignment justifies it, additional photography may be called for,briefed jointly by the graphic designer and you. Experienced designers can often work wonderswith mediocre photographs but there are definite limits. It is a false economy to rely on thesiftings of some dusty drawer as an acceptable image source.

Third party material: Aside from the potential of ignoring probable copyright problems, theuse of 'other people's' diagrams, logos, tables or other graphic figures is a minefield. They areall too often difficult to scan or reproduce as they stand without unacceptable loss ofdefinition. If used, they need to be clearly treated as independent elements within the overallgraphic framework.

Getting your raw material together in an orderly manner that will not place an unreasonable (orcostly) burden on the graphic designer applies equally to all text to be included in the document.The designer will take your text as read, literally. It is not his role to review its style or even itscontent. He needs to understand the purpose and status of each piece of text, whether it is to bea featured introduction or a supporting picture caption.Since any successful piece of graphic design needs to balance pictures and words but is primarilyjudged on its visual qualities, there is always value in allowing your designer to progress an initialdraft layout showing illustrations and blocks of key text without defining each and every textdetail. Often the right graphic emphasis will only emerge at the draft stage: certain illustrationsyou proposed may not prove graphically appropriate; others may need to be found to replacethem. The secret is to remain flexible and responsive in your role as proxy client, yet decisive and(ultimately) demanding.


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already on your databases that your designer can then tailor to fit his chosen graphic style forthe document.

Keep a note of key data defining the practice's graphic 'fixes' such as artwork for its logo,colour references for the house style or layout templates for standard documents, the DNA ofthe firm. If the practice already has a well-established house style, then this ought to beenshrined in a Design Control Manual or something similar, kept where everyone can access it.

Assemble a file of useful cost information from recent graphic design and reproduction workcarried out for the practice. It will prove surprisingly helpful as a budget guide when estimatingpresentation costs or comparing quotations from your short-listed graphic design firms.

Ask for samples. How might a proposed graphic treatment actually work? What other optionsare available? How will it all fit together? These (and many others) are all valid questions foryour graphic designer at the concept/draft stage.

Be both the judge and the jury. It is unreasonable to expect your graphic designer to arbitratebetween the various claims from within your practice for this or that project to be featured ina brochure. A firm steer and briefing needs to be given, even if a small working group has tobe set up to help you sort out priorities.

Above all, be decisive. Respond promptly to draft layouts as well as to final proofs for approval.If changes are needed, communicate them all at once rather than drip feed them to yourdesigner. Ask for further proofs if you are uncertain how the revisions will turn out.

Retain firm control of the whole project while keeping an open mind as to how the graphicscould evolve.

Make your designer believe that yours is the most important and promising project he hasever undertaken. Never be afraid to ask. Listen, look and learn.


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P hoto graphy and imaging Sect ion 4What do you need?When it comes to photographic matters, many architects are their own worst enemies, believingthat being a dab hand in recording the Great Monuments of Modern Architecture, snatching avignette of vineyards and local vernacular en route or even collaging up a few telling images ofa site's context to produce a presentation run of slides or Powerpoint images somehow equipsthem to carry out the vigorous demands of architectural photography.Any such illusions should be rapidly dispelled. While leading professionals would acknowledgethat an experienced amateur can produce attractive, if idiosyncratic, images of buildings andplaces, there are very good reasons why the best of this bunch remain more in demand than ever.These reasons stand examination. Key arguments for architects to commission architecturalphotographers appear to be: Almost no amateur-friendly equipment can produce the quality of image (sharpness,resolution, tonal balance, depth of field) which is needed to satisfy the demands ofreproduction in the professional press. Even a state-of-the-art 3Smm SLR camera will notyield negatives which can be enlarged to full printed page format without an unacceptableloss of definition.

Few amateurs have enough experience of the larger negative format cameras that are thestock-in-trade of the professional photographer.

Those who commission professional photographers are buying not only a wealth of experiencebut also an indirect access to a whole arsenal of high quality picture-making equipment whichrepresents a major capital investment in itself.

While certain experienced amateurs or students of photography can occasionally produceimages of the necessary quality, they cannot do so day-in and day-out in variable weatherconditions, off-season and to the specific brief, as can a professional photographer. You simplycannot risk it. Professional photographers know from experience the precise technicalrequirements for images to be reproduced in publications, thus removing any problems ofquality or compatibility of material you submit to editors. Supplying high definition, qualityprofessional images will certainly endear you to the designers and art editors laying themout for publication. These may even win your practice preferential treatment, especially forthose general news/events pages where sub-editors favour attractive images supported byshort captions.

Limit your own photographic efforts to the type of pictures an architect can take best - informalshots of the building in use, building details, context views, favourite corners and so on.

Photography and other forms of picture-making and imaging perform several importantfunctions within an architectural practice and will continue to do so whatever innovations arriveto supplement the familiar techniques of picture-making. The main categories of architecturalphotography include: Record keeping: 'chronicling' the progress of a job on site and 'as built' for reference andrecord purposes is generally undertaken by members of the project team themselves, using


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and record keeping. Professional photographers may be involved, however, if the practicerequires a 'time lapse' sequence of site photographs from fixed locations to documentconstruction progress, ending with the completed building. Such sequences continue toexercise a certain fascination with the general public and even with some clients.

Documenting context: photographs are always taken in the course of scheme development torecord both contextual information and detailed aspects of the site itself and of surroundingbuildings. These are also best left to the design team, using the equipment already noted, butagain a professional involvement can be worthwhile if you intend to promote the completedbuilding through before/after montages or perspectives needing high-quality streetphotography. In recording facades and streetscapes, the 'panorama' and 'HOW' formatsavailable with current APS cameras are particularly useful. The downside is that since theseformats are obtained by using only part of the negative they can suffer in image quality atanything larger than the standard print size. A multi-mode metering system on an APScamera is also useful in obtaining well-balanced exposures and reducing harsh contrasts andloss of detail.

All these categories of architectural photography fall within the technical competence and usualequipment of a typical practice. Most architects developed a reasonable level of skill and oftenan enthusiasm for picture-taking as students. The picture quality and ease of use of moderncameras have removed many of the arcane rituals of photography but not without some regretson their passing from the true camera buffs.

Yet amateur competence and kit cannot cope with the important categories of architecturalphotography which need to remain the province of the professional. These include: Formal presentation: those images of your building will form its public, publishable face, withthe architecture looking its best. recording the completed building before its users stamp theirown personalities on it. Such is the conventional, standard remit for architectural photography.It makes for fine presentations in brochures, monographs and press packs by providing acomprehensive visual summary of your project. The professional reputations of our leadingarchitectural photographers have been built upon this genre of image-making and the resultshave merited books in themselves, to the extent that certain professionals offer a distinct 'look'that parallels the work of particular architects. Think of such enduring partnerships asAmerican photographer, Heinrich Blessing with Mies van der Rohe, or Henk Snoek with Powelland Moya. Today there are fewer 'king-makers' among the lensmen, fewer distinct styles inarchitectural photography to select from and less enthusiasm on the part of architectsthemselves for the grand set of formal images per se. However, many clients continue towelcome high quality 'art' photographs of their buildings, as do the participating contractorsand consultants.

Specialised Requirements: besides the mainstream images commissioned above, thereare several rather specific instances when a professional architectural photographer canprove invaluable.

These include:


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radio-controlled, balloon-carried cameras where the coverage available from the usualcommercially flown database is not suitable);

- that brand of 'one-off' shot sequence which may feature key members of the projectteam on-site for use in promotional material.

One question is always asked of the professional photographer: 'Why aren't there any people inyour buildings?'. Apparently the extended depth-of-field required in photographs intended forpublication tends to mean small apertures and long, tripod-sustained exposures which rule outpeople, apart from as tantalising, if distracting, blurs.How to findThe work of our leading architectural photographers is, by definition, visible and self-evident,published regularly in the professional magazines and broadsheets, in the many reviews andcompilations of recent architecture and, of course, in the practice profiles and monographs - oreven the CD-ROMS that continue to appear.Some photographers are linked with particular practices so as to reinforce the brand images ofboth architect and photographer. Buying a piece of that style may not be easy or worthwhile foranother practice.In selecting the right firm or individual - mostly individuals - a baseline of technical proficiencycan be assumed. These are all respected professionals, after all. It is more a question of attitude,availability and, naturally, of economics, since the core budget, including legitimate expensesneeds to be realistic in terms of current charge rates, as panel.Professional photographers usually ask for named credits on all published images, often in theform of their name on the picture but otherwise as a footnote or as within a photographiccredits listing elsewhere - the least popular option with the professionals.

Look out, especially, for the work of the younger, rising architectural photographers who may bewilling to go that extra mile to bring back the best possible images of your building. However, doensure that any prospects in this group have a varied body of work behind them, in commissionsfor the selfsame publications that your practice needs to be seen in. They should also offer thefull range of photographic media and back-up facilities.Better to sign up a professional who will give your practice his full attention rather than havingyour job wedged into an already overfull diary. If you have your heart set on a particular look,the 'Famous Name' who purveys it may ask you to wait your turn, but you will be safe in theknowledge that in the end you will get a quality product.


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H ow p ho to gra ph ers chargeDo not be discouraged by heresay about the likely cost of hiring a professionalphotographer. It helps to understand the way they run their business and also whatexpenses they incur on the way. Remember that you are gaining the use, by proxy, of thebest professional photographic equipment that money can buy.Architectural photography requires large format, high-resolution cameras, able to accept afull range of quality lenses and several types of film stock. Some are equipped with arising front facility to correct the effects of parallax; most will offer a Polaroid previewfacility, as is commonly used is fashion photography, so that several potential viewpointscan be tested in draft. Without exception, this is expensive kit but essential to reach thequality threshold for publication.As in architectural practice, the major element of cost is time itself - time to be briefed,time to visit the building, time to plan the shoot and then the shoot itself, followed byprocessing of the results. Assignments are usually estimated on a 'days needed' basis,assuming an inevitable 'buggeration' factor. In preparing his internal job costing, thephotographer is gambling upon having a clear run of the building, and a deadline whichallows him some flexibility to select his visit day in terms of favourable weather, a decisiveclient (you i) , some scope for ingenuity and appropriate short cutting.You also need to consider the cost of reproduction. Photographers usually offer astandard 'menu' of finished prints, to be selected from their proof set or in combinationwith the standard contact sheets printed direct from the negatives. Your photographerwill normally insist on holding the negatives and arrange for the commissioned set to beprinted off in his own studio, or externally, in which case he will remain responsible forquality control in exchange for a mark-up on cost or a handling charge.Other legitimate expenses, such as travel and subsistence, are usually reimbursable at cost.The final bill is therefore a combination of a time charge (fixed number of days) pluslegitimate expenses, an agreed 'menu' of prints and slides as well as any additional copiesyou require. Typically, a professional photographer will charge his time out at between[400 and [500 per day, comparable to a principal level in architecture. Hence, it makesgood financial sense to ensure that the subject building is completely ready for his lensesto record.

Briefing in briefTo obtain a realistic price, while allowing your intended photographer reasonable freedom of


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Helping your photographer to understand the thinking and ambitions behind the building is timewell spent. Leave the archi-jargon on the shelf for once and focus on what factors have shapedits design and detail. At the very least, this process will help to focus your own ideas.Aside from the project philosophy, it is well worth doing a recce with the lens man to identifykey viewpoints that bring out the best aspects of the building. Explain the key ideas whichinformed its design but never forget that he is the one who knows what will work on cameraand what will not. That is how he stays in business.Never stint on the practicalities: how/when do you control the artificial lighting? Who is goingto clean up the interiors after the contractor has made his exit, since 'contractor clean' and'photographic clean' are poles apart? While some of our most renowned architecturalphotographers have been seen on their distinguished knees polishing skid marks off a perspexfloor (since the camera cannot lie) it is surely discourteous or just plain unprofessional to bringyour photographer to an unfinished and messy building. Everything will show on camera!Flexibility is most definitely a virtue when briefing photographers: you gain nothing but ill willby insisting on a shoot on this or that day - and no other. Sunlight, shadows or the right kind ofsky simply will not perform to order. The real professionals will tell you that you can have yourpictures shot on a particular day but that they cannot guarantee the results. Instead, give them aperiod to shoot within and they will come back with the best of all possible results instead of acompromise that satisfies no one.

The small printWe have already mentioned the understandable reluctance of top-class photo professionals tospring-clean your building before they take their pictures. Proper planning and preparation willensure that as much of the precious time your practice is paying for is actually spent devising,taking and processing. Confirm your own professionalism in making the arrangements.The key is to anticipate and discuss the whole range of photographic images you need thephotographer to produce. There are obvious matters that need to be resolved in discussion.Will the pictures be primarily for publication and PR purposes? Is there a specific document inprospect? Are the large format colour shots also worth backing up as 3Smm standard slides?What are the cost benefits in ordering a larger number of copy prints at this stage ratherthan later?No review of professional photography for architects should avoid the vexed issue of copyright.There is a convenient confusion reigning as to whom is deemed to retain copyright ofphotographic images - the photographer who took them or the client who paid for them. Ifpressed, the majority of professional architectural photographers would not insist on pushingtheir copyright claims on photography commissioned by a major practice. It could be bad forbusiness. Only a very few images stand any chance of achieving profitable cult status anywayand most have only a limited market outside the practice that commissioned them.


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The secret of maintaining a stress-free relationship with your photographer on such matters asthe reproduction rights is to maintain a direct, straightforward approach throughout the project.Never try and sneak his pictures uncredited for publication. You know very well how yourpractice would react to a missing or incorrect attribution of one of its favourite projects.

T ip s and tweaksArchitectural photographers as a breed tend to be strong-minded individuals, highly motivated,intelligent and open to professional challenges. However, they do expect a complementaryprofessional approach from you. In practice this means that they rely on you to commission themas clearly as possible - while allowing for the oft-quoted degree of artistic licence. Clarity equalsformal approval (or rejection, if appropriate) of their work at agreed stages, via a single point ofcontact - yourself.To lighten this enjoyable but quite onerous task, the following are useful pointers: Spreading the load: there are many instances when a professional photography shoot can bepartly underwritten by other members of the project team - co-consultants, main contractor,lead suppliers, not forgetting your client.

Ready or not: seriously, it could well come down to personal floor swabbing sessions with aclose friend, if only to remove the tell-tale smears that the lens will light upon. Preparation ofyour building for the photographer may take time.

Share the problem: you simply cannot be fully aware of all the current best practice inphotographic techniques - just getting buildings onto site is hard enough. Talking around theavailable options never did any harm - you can then commission the best of them!


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Illu stra tio n: p ic tu re p erfe ct Section 5W hat do you need?Perspectives, 'artist's impressions' and the like often attract an hostile audience, even from thearchitects who commission them. Some practitioners have been guilty of snobbery in that theseuser-friendly products have not been given the credit they deserve in easing schemes over themany hurdles they must face from drawing board to site. Examples of successful partnershipsbetween great architects and talented perspective artists are many. Who would wish to separateEdwin Lutyens from his favoured perspective artist. William Walcott, Colonel Seifert from PeterSainsbury or Milton Keynes Development Corporation from Helmut Jacoby?In the past, several of our leading architects were themselves highly accomplished perspectivists.Revisit Sir Basil Spence's atmospheric and highly-charged visions of Coventry Cathedral, theUniversity of Sussex or his Embassy in Rome. Look back at the precocious talent of Paul Rudolphin America, whose Art and Architecture Building at Yale always looks as if it ought to havebronze vanishing points marked out there in the street, so faithfully does it reproduce the drawnvision of its architect.These classic examples succeed because they offer an enhanced vision of the completed building.Whether drawn by specialist perspective artists or by the architect himself, they serve to inspire,to convince and to act as a proxy for the project when nothing has been built. Like models, theystand for the completed building and can help to steady the client's resolve before he confrontsthe development process.Nor are we talking only of the conventional framed perspective. Such illustrations can beenormous in scale, as in downtown Beirut, where painted perspective views of the completedbuildings and public spaces have risen eight stories high on screens in front of the cleared site.Despite the all-pervasive availability of CAD technology, with its 3D walkthroughs, fully-renderedcolour perspectives, light ray traced views and layering options, the traditional perspective is farfrom dead. It has proved remarkably resilient, perhaps because clients still need a 'picture book'view of their building in a form that is non-threatening, attractive and sits easily in thecorporate boardroom or, for that matter, on the front page of the local paper.It bears remembering that. even at the peak of the perspective's heyday, few architects preparedtheir own presentation drawings, preferring to select from a stable of well-establishedperspective artists such as William Walcott. There has recently been something of a revival inperspective drawing in our Schools of Architecture, as is visible in End-of-Year exhibitions andprize shows. Graphic skills are certainly more in evidence, but they are not generally of the typewhich are familiar to conventional clients who require, quite reasonably, perspectives whichconvey a life-like impression, suitably flattering, of their building. Few architects are able to drawin this life-like style, even if they had the time to do so.Perspectives, in all their various incarnations remain a valuable promotional tool. Clients value


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Illustration: picture perfect

exaggerate - or reduce - the impact of a particular project through wishful drawing. It takes anexperienced professional to unravel a perspective for its accuracy and truth, or otherwise.The perspective drawing always enjoys the benefit of doubt. It is a very flexible medium forcommunicating how the building will look in the street. It can be readily reproduced inpromotional or sales brochures, company reports, public exhibitions, at Public Inquiries andletting promotions even in the architectural press.

Perspective artists continue to flourish because they have the experience, technical skill andwealth of visual references to respond to a wide range of commissions with equal success. This isnot to rule out or belittle that style of informal perspective sketch or illustration that will alwaystake its place in scheme development and, indeed, can often produce an image of great graphiccharm. What we are dealing with here is the fully rendered conventional colour perspective,mounted and framed for your client. Professional perspective artists - at least the best of them -are fully familiar with the various drawing styles, colour palettes, graphic conventions ormounting and framing options as well as the more basic matters of viewpoint selection, field ofvision, drawing of context buildings, streets, people and the usual foreground of expensiveautomobiles.The shear range of such graphic elements to be combined into a fully rendered picture are simplynot within the day-to-day competence of an architect, however talented and proficient adesigner. This is definitely a specialis t skill.Firstly, it is useful to review the various types of perspective being commissioned, each ofwhich has its own visual language, graphic conventions and style of presentation. The mostcommon are: Fully rendered colour perspectives: these are the most common outputs of perspective artists,being what the client would conventionally expect as an 'artist's impression'. They are typicallyprepared with mixed media - ink pen, watercolour, gouache, pencils, airbrush and other formsof rendering. They are constructed as accurate scale perspectives usually with ruled lines, castshadows and precise detail, giving a life-like, if enhanced, view of the completed building in itssetting. Often landscape format, they are usually mounted and framed as 'pictures' andpresented to the client. However, copies are often taken before final framing so that the imagecan be reproduced for promotional purposes.

Vignette/Group views: a variation on the above in which a number of small but accuratelyconstructed views of the building are combined as a sequence of pictures. Such a collectioncan prove invaluable in presenting a building in its context, indicating its impact - and quality- from a number of known viewpoints. Again, this material is often siphoned off forpromotional purposes before the drawings are mounted as a framed set. In some cases theseviews, constructed accurately along perspective principles, are overdrawn freehand to producea more informal effect, making the buildings seem more 'friendly' in their context.

Artist's renderings: these are highly stylised and personal illustrations prepared by a known


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Such visions are personal ones and do not replace conventional perspectives which seek toconvey an accurate impression of the completed building.

H ow to findChoosing your perspective artist is simple enough. The task is made easier by the existence ofarguably the leading grouping of professionals in the field, the Society of ArchitecturalIllustrators (SAl). This association represents a wide variety of individual styles of perspective andincludes most of the leading practitioners. The SAl produces a directory that includes examplesand contact details of its members, making to straightforward to select two or threeperspectivists whose work seems to fit your particular bill. Also included are details ofcommissioning procedures, model contracts and other practical matters. Copies are availablefrom the SAl, PO Box 22, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 3DH. (Tel: 01453882563).Keeping your eyes open and looking around is a less organised way to choose a perspectivist, butit is nevertheless a useful one. A quick trawl of relevant promotional brochures, property lettingdocuments and other sales material will help to clarify the styles of perspective that are currentlyused to present buildings to potential clients or purchasers. Such images are unlikely to win youany architectural awards. They tend to present a building in terms which will appeal to the user,with a heavy emphasis on prestige, prominence and other features such as finishing materialswhich are thought to appeal to potential clients. By contacting the graphic design/marketingcompanies who produced the documents from the credits on the back page, it is usually possibleto find out more about the perspectivist in question. Companies can prove surprisingly helpful inresponding to such enquiries.Architectural magazines, monographs and other publications are a less reliable source ofpotential perspectivists. It may prove harder to find out who actually prepared the drawing inquestion since credits can be slightly patchy in such publications, but again your enquiries couldbear fruit. Illustrations from these sources, however, tend to be more esoteric, stylised andnarrow in their appeal, being aimed primarily at an internal professional audience.Once the field has been narrowed you should contact your shortlist to request copies of recentexamples and possibly a meeting, at which your requirements can be discussed and outlined. Atthis point it is worth considering whether there is value in working towards a relationship with asingle perspective artist that can run across several contracts, especially if the collaborationproves successful, since the artist will get to know the nature of the architecture produced byyour practice, the style of presentation which suits its intentions and the form in whichinformation will be passed to him as a basis for his work. Such a relationship need not bemutually exclusive. Even with the great William Walcott on call, Edwin Lutyens sometimescommissioned other perspectivists to present on his behalf.

B rie fing in brie f


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When reviewing your commission with a shortlisted perspectivist, he or she will obviously wantto know more about such factors as deadlinels], and the availability and nature of the projectinformation (if any) you will prepare for him. You will also need to brief him on anypredetermined drawing format, the number of views of the building and their preferredlocations, the nature of the client or end-user of the perspective, whether it needs to bephotographed or reproduced by other means such as computer scanning and finally, of course,budget issues. It pays to be open and frank on the money available but most professionals will behappy to discuss the relative costs of different types of perspectives, sizes and levels of finish tohelp narrow your choice.There are a number of secondary issues that need to be sorted before, or at an early stage in, theappointment. For example, who retains the copyright to the perspective or image (usually theclient), whether the drawing is to be supplied fully framed in a mount or unmounted, whetheryou wish the perspectivist to arrange for photography of the picture and so on.It is difficult to be categoric about costs but as a rough guide a conventional, fully renderedperspective will cost in the range of [3000 to [8000 based on a typical day rate of about [500.Framing alone could account for an additional [250. Penny-pinching on perspectives is seldomworthwhile, especially if the cost can be passed justifiably directly to your client ascommissioning agent. As with architectural models, the actual cost of a professional perspectiveis miniscule compared to the capital cost of a building that might not even get onto site withoutthe aid of the perspective.

The sma ll p rin tThere is no need to define exactly what you require at the time of negotiation with yourperspective artist since, in the course of working up sketch viewpoints and options, he will oftenpropose alternative approaches which might serve your building better. From his standpoint, yourjob becomes a problem to him for any (or all) of the following reasons: information not being available or complete enough; lack of decisiveness on your part; changes of mind (or indeed of a building design); insufficient background information on surrounding buildings, streetscape, landscape,people or vehicles;

materials or context details which the perspectivist is unwilling to make up by himself.Matters are simplest if you require a single, conventional perspective, but if a number ofpresentation viewpoints are required, the briefing information may swell in proportion. You needto be available, in person within reason, as the perspectivist works up the drawing(s), so that anyqueries can be resolved promptly.In fairness, you need to protect your commissioned perspectivist from the financial consequencesof cancellation of the project during his work.


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professionals will cost out their time at about 400 per day - sometimes higher for rush jobs.Hence, a minimum budget would be in the order of 2000 to 2500 for a rendered perspective,with an average of about 3500 to 5000 for a complex set-up. The SIA can offer advice on prices.Perspectivists, as model makers, can prove extremely persistent and demanding in seekinginformation of you - and rightly so. They need to find out as much relevant information aboutthe project as possible in a short space of time from someone as busy as you. The perspectivistwill be literal-minded, preferring certainty to vagueness as far as building details and 'setdressing' are concerned. Architects may be used to producing impressionistic sketches of aproject with blob-like androids in the foreground to give 'human scale', while the perspectiveartist needs to know what style of overcoats you prefer them to wear. Such precision, althoughsometimes irritating, will serve your building well because your client will look to see a certainlevel of prestige and standing coming through the drawing.As well as matters of detail, you do need to convey to the perspectivist the thrust and conceptunderpinning the building so that he can select appropriate viewpoints, angles of view and theamount of context to be shown to best effect. He will also want to produce several test set-ups- pencil plottings from selected viewpoints - to confirm the correct presentation of the building- what should be excluded and what should remain visible. A real professional will be able tocome up with such material very quickly, even free-hand, much as a professional photographermight do, so exploring the best way to present the project in hand.There is one way in which you can speed the work of the perspectivist and probably save moneyat the same time. Some practices can draw upon their own CAD facilities in preparing wireframeset-ups from viewpoints jointly selected with the perspectivist, which he can then use as thebasis for a fully rendered drawing. Not all perspective artists are comfortable with this facilitybecause they can often visualise alternatives from their wide experience faster than the timeneeded to input the building and site data from which to generate wireframes. If the project isalready modelled this way in the course of development, then setting up and running off a seriesof perspective bases can be rapid.Some perspectivists prefer to start the project by occupying space in your office and sketchingout initial ideas for discussion with you before returning to their studio. Having yourperspectivist close at hand in the beginning can prove highly efficient in that his many requestsfor information can be promptly met. However, there is really no way of avoiding the momentwhen he takes his sketches back to the studio and emerges later with his version of yourbuilding. A useful halfway house is for you to visit him at the pencil set-up stage of theperspective to clarify outstanding details and also to confirm that you are happy with everyaspect of the drawing thus far. Such visits are not unwelcome and can further reduce the levelsof uncertainty and risk.What you cannot do, except in the most desperate case, is to ask him to start again once youhave seen the finished product. Nor can you make anything but a mess by attempting to doctor


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What you need to aim for throughout is to bridge the chasm between the perspective as you lastsaw it in pencil set-out form and the final product, so that there are no unwelcome surprises.This you can do to some extent by bringing in colleagues at the right point to advise. Yourgraphic designer, or the P R company responsible for, say, writing the brochure, will often have agood eye for anomalies or elements in the drawing which convey the wrong message. Oftenarchitects can be blind to clashes of style in terms of the 'set dressing'. Finally, do make sure thatthe finished perspective is professionally photographed before framing and delivery to the client.You certainly cannot go back and borrow it off the boardroom wall later on.


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The a rch itec tu ra l mode l Sect ion 6What do you need?Architectural models continue to fascinate. Perhaps it is the small child within all of us (includingour clients) but a more probable reason for the buoyant market in high quality, professionallybuilt architectural models is that they still do a very effective job of conveying the form anddetail of a scheme, even when it is still only a glint in the client's eye. Despite the seductions ofall-singing, all-dancing computer-based presentations, the hand-built model, lovingly assembledfrom craft materials, is very hard to beat as a living proxy for the building itself. A good modelcan be walked around, looked down upon, squinted at on the level, pointed out, photographedand even scanned into a multi-media show. At the end of the day the model stands firm amidstthe vagaries of design development. Indeed it may become the strong centre to which theproject team returns.As architects, most of us have made sketch or study models throughout our career and this formof three-dimensional testing will continue wherever buildings are designed. It is, or ought to be,part and parcel of the evolution of a design, a direct and flexible aid to visualising how designdecisions will work out in the round. Some breeds of model have become an art form intheir own right and continue to grace the Architecture Room of each Royal AcademySummer Exhibition.The standard professional model is something entirely different. Typically, it displays a level ofprecision, finish, detailing and sheer style which is simply unavailable to the amateur modelbuilder. Only a well-equipped professional model studio can offer the sharp-edged eleganceachieved these days through use of a computer-guided cutting rig, fed by CAD information fromthe client-architect, as well as the trained eye for scale effects (the ways in which colours, andsometimes levels of detail need to be manipulated to obtain a more natural effect) of anexperienced model maker. Calling in a professional has the additional benefit of bringing anotherpair of eyes to the project, able to pick out unworkable relationships between elements whichwere simply not obvious in the two-dimensional presentation drawings.

Especially if commissioned directly by the client, an architectural model represents excellentvalue for money. Models may seem expensive, but as a proportion of the capital cost of abuilding their price tag is miniscule, hardly a blip on the balance sheet. They work for the client(and for you) during the uncertain months of design development and also, when the buildinggoes on site. They can be readily understood by clients and the general public in a way that nodrawings or even professional perspectives can ever be.

The term 'model' embraces a very wide spectrum of products from a home-made study model toa large and fully detailed presentation of a building in its setting. Levels of complexity and detailcan also diverge. A small model, made of precious hardwoods and tooled with great precision canactually cost more than a far larger, simpler, block model which has been shaped using CADinformation from your computer.


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The architectural model

or even a full-size mock-up of a panel junction or knuckle joint. These have their ownattractiveness and distinct character but are generally unsuitable for public viewing. They arebuilt to be cut up, modified and abandoned on the journey towards your final scheme. Thecost of producing them in terms of staff time is hardly ever calculated; they are an officeoverhead but a justifiable one, usually seen as a perfectly valid stage of project development.How many study models are built and by whom will vary according to the working style of theparticular practice. The late, great American designer, Eero Saarinen's studio was full ofdiscarded models, as was Sir Denys Lasdun's in London. Model making within a practice is a signof confidence, in that it is not seen as time wasting but rather a shortcut to testing out 3Dideas in a way that no computer-modelling can ever really do. Sketch models can easily bephotographed as a record of the thinking process. Recording each of them, at least those whichhave shown some promise, is an essential operation, since design development seldom proceedsin a straight line and early, discarded ideas may come back into favour within the design team.

The art model: these have become familiar in such settings as the Architecture Room of theRoyal Academy Summer Exhibition. As the title implies, they are produced as art objects intheir own right, built for their aesthetic and sensuous qualities and not primarily to conveytechnical information. They are sometimes commissioned specifically for fund-raising purposes,using expensive materials such as hardwoods or metals, assembled with exquisite care andsophisticated detailing within the single material chosen. As a jewel-like artefact they canprove very effective in attracting funding and raising the status of the project. Not allprofessional model makers are comfortable with the narrow aesthetic of the Art Model; otherscan make the necessary taste decisions which require a real sensibility and sympathy with theproject as well as with the materials chosen.

WYSIWYG model: the conventional realistic display model which most of the public wouldregard as their idea of an architectural model, typically at 1:500 scale or 1:200 scale, isdesigned to display the scheme in its context, with colour, realistic accessories, planting, abaseboard and case, together forming a type of 'model railway' aesthetic. Central to this styleis that everything is made to look as realistic as possible, although model makers have tricks oftheir own to adjust the colour range away from the actual project colours towards somethingwhich looks more realistic when scaled down. As an alternative, some practices commissionsingle-colour models which are again fully detailed presentations but rendered in a singlecolour, typically white, giving an appearance halfway between the Art Model and the fullyrealistic version. This strand of model making is particularly fashionable in Scandinavia; thesingle colour serves to unify the various elements of the building and its surroundings in muchthe same way as architectural competitions in Northern Europe insist upon a standard set ofdrawings from all competitors to form an easily comparable baseline .

Prototype models: these are the professionally-built versions of the study models alreadyreferred to. Like the pre-production prototypes built by industrial design studios to test thefinished form of a product, the architectural versions can be used to explain the key elements ofthe design. Typically, these include full-size mock-ups of a facade panel and its junctions, a keystructural node, an office furniture system or a custom-designed cable tray .

The Corporate model: these are the equivalent of those finely detailed ship models which used


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The architectural model

All of these model types - and there are other variations and combinations - are built for aparticular purpose. It is important to develop a clear understanding of each and to agree withyour client which are the most appropriate for the particular stage in design development orpromotional effort. Since professionally-built models are usually paid for by your client, hisagreement needs to be bolted down early on. Professional model makers interpret these categoriesin terms of several factors, particularly with the WYSIWYG type, one of the most commoncommissions they receive. Typical subdivisions of model types are given in the box below:

The model'Block'Plain massing, main shape only, no surface detail, single colour.'B lock p lus 'As above, but with main projections shown (i.e. dormers, porches, small ancillary buildingsetc). One or two colours.'Semi-block/detail 'As above, but with textured roofs with overhangs. Windows shown in relief or by proud sills.Possible showing of window by transfers. Two/three colours.'Detail'As above, with windows shown in reveals. Ruled mullions on perspex windows with a back-sprayed voiding colour or by specialised transfers. Most major surfaces detailed and possiblyspecialised photo-etchings. Full colour range.'H igh de ta il'As above. Possible 'see-through' windows with floors. Etching if required. Full colourrange and details.The techniquesBacksprayingThe use of a voiding colour, usually dark blue/grey, sprayed on to the back of perspexwindows to represent space within.Textured roofsAn engraved plastic material simulating roof tiles or slates.TransfersSpecialised artwork producing windows of very fine definition on waterslide transfers,ideally suited to smaller-scale models, say 1:250 or smaller.Two/three co lou rsMeans one roof and two wall colours in this context.

Likewise, the type of baseboard for the model can be categorised as:'Block'Roads and paved areas shown. Two colours.'B lock p lus 'Roads and raised paving. Grass and trees. Two colours.'Semi-block/detail '


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The a rch itec tu ra l m ode l

These categories are well understood by professional model makers and serve as a usefulshorthand in discussions. Professional model makers ask you specific questions along the lines of'How do you want us to do this bit?' or 'Do you want the baseboard to include this part of thestreet and finish there?' A series of relatively minor decisions need to be made to allow themodel maker to get on with the model, but an experienced professional will second guess orkeep open options if you are not able to tell him yet about certain details.H ow to fin dOnce you start to look more carefully at architectural models in the knowledge that yourpractice will continue to commission them, you learn to separate categories and understand theaesthetic consequences and functional value of each. On every baseboard or perspex case therewill be a discreetly placed label with contact details of the model maker. This credit is alwaysbuilt into the presentation case and the model spotter will soon be able to distinguish betweenthe leading professional model makers from the style of the model, or even a pair of modelswithin the same category.The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition is an obvious showcase of the best of this country'sprofessional model making, but there are other occasions when models can be viewed and theirbuilders noted. Most architectural publications will add credits to model photographs or list themodel makers in their overall project roll call. In London itself there are five or six long-established, high-quality model making companies that can comfortably tackle the full range ofmodel types but it may pay to look further afield since, once out of London, overheads will besubstantially lower and a lower price quoted by provincial firms will reflect this. Yet quality ofproduct can be just as high. The only snag may be the less convenient briefing for the modelmaker and the need to travel while work is in progress. These can be useful diversions inthemselves, outside the usual interruptions of office life.Apart from the usual issues of cost, availability and technical competence, there will always bethe question of what can only be called style. Even with a single category of model, certainmodel makers will produce results which are easier on the eye and have a sense of elegance andstyle which others do not. Such differences are hard to define but very easy to recognise.Ask around your colleagues for their first-hand experiences of working with particular firms. Notonly do you need to confirm the technical quality of their typical products but also theirflexibility in working with a hard-pressed office, their cast-iron commitment to meet deadlinesat whatever cost and the known professionalism of the firm.All leading model makers are pleased to offer brochures, project sheets, photographs and evensuggest their models that you can visit. Track record is important here because the bestprofessional firms will be able to think through the implications of your brief: whether the modelwould be too large as a single unit to be air-freighted overseas; whether the level of detail

8/6/2019 RIBA

Documents

RIBA Guide to Graphic Presentation