Redraw - Another habit that helps develop Architectural design skills

People usually think that hand drawing and design skill are natural instincts of an architect. In other words, an architect was gifted without knowing that those skills need to be practiced and trained really hard.

Looking at a famous building, and redraw it make a big difference for an architect's profession. Having a collection of hand drawn favorite works from famous architects is one of the way that helps develop architectural design skill gradually. 

First obvious benefit that can get from this exercise is improving sketching skill. Making this as a habit every week or more frequently like one hour per day the improvement will be significantly seen.

Secondly, when your eyes first look at the work, you will immediately scan the whole thing. This process will start generate scale perception inside the brain. The brain then sends signals to your hands to start sketching. You will naturally know where is the starting point and your hand keeps drawing until a draft outline is shaped. The eyes then move around to pick up related smaller details. All the straight lines, horizontal and vertical elements, glazing, openings will be taken into account spontaneously with signals sent to the hands to lead the pencil where to go. The brain, the eyes, the hands all are trained at once significantly.

Thirdly, along the paths of the pencil movement, unconsciously the architect will absorb all the beautiful details, features and concept of the work that make it famous. By doing this frequently the architect will discover how all of those elements come together. There is so much meaning behind all of them. They are not there just to please the eyes, their existences are to serve also the functions that are required by occupants. This process is like a quiet lecture that is self-created by the architect. This lecture is different from other normal lectures, it requires the architects to raise all the possible questions and then explore the answers themselves without back and forth Q&A.

Another benefit gained from this exercise is that the architect will get excited about his/her career. Looking at famous works with beautifully design pieces of architecture will create joy.  This joy will effectively create motivation for the architect to keep practicing to be a better one in the field. 

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