Architect Drawings : A Selection of Sketches by World Famous Architects Through History

CHAPTER 8
CONTEMPORARY (1980–)
In a different approach from the previous chapters, selected prominent designers who are currently
practicing were asked to submit a sketch of their choice for inclusion in this book. They were also
requested to send a brief biography and a short description of their thoughts while completing the
sketch. In most cases, the architects sent biographical materials and a paragraph or two describing the
architecture or the impetus for its design. Very few replied with discussion of their thoughts concerning
the sketch during the design process. It may have been difficult to remember specific processes; or,
perhaps this activity was hard to translate into words, and thus the process remains elusive even to
those who constantly use sketches.
It is always challenging to distance oneself to assess a current condition; this is the case with architectural
sketches and likewise with architectural style. Viewing contemporary conditions echo this
concern. Without the advantage of historical perspective, there are several trends and movements at
the turn of the twenty-first century that elucidate a discussion of architectural sketches.
Contemporary architecture is as diverse as the architects practicing. Architects such as Frank Gehry
have been building signature buildings around the world, while Daniel Libeskind was recently awarded
the re-construction of the World Trade Center site. Japanese architects, such as Kazuyo Sejima, have
been designing minimalist architecture with ephemeral and illusionary materials. Elizabeth Diller and
Ricardo Scofidio question the built environment with their thought-provoking and theoretical installations.
Many architects have been exploring newly developed building materials to be more energy efficient,
create diverse visual expression, and lighting effects. Still other practitioners have been exploring
the design and fabrication of buildings through use of digital media. One development common to all
these contemporary architects concerns the question of how digital technology influences their practice
and the buildings they construct.
SKETCHES; DIGITAL MEDIA
Computers are a vital component of contemporary architectural practice, and very few firms can
successfully build without their use. Digital representations are employed in all phases of architectural
production, from early conceptual ideas to construction management. They are particularly
effective for contract documents, as details can easily be carried between drawings. They are vital to
structural analysis, tracking the performance and integration of building systems, and presentation
renderings, to name a few. For many years the contribution of the computer was limited to CAD
documents, but the digital world has expanded to infiltrate every aspect of the building process.
One of the last areas to embrace the computer has been the conceptual stages of the project – the
initial sketches. Hand sketches, so representative of the intent and personality of architects, have
long been considered sacred. Recently, new digital programs have become available to facilitate this
intimate thinking process. Digital sketching programs such as Sketch-Up have attempted to imitate
conceptual thinking. If a sketch is defined as being preparatory to something else, and also consists
of simple forms similar to an outline, then these digital images may indeed be viewed as architectural
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