Discover how architectural drawings use symbols to denote building sections, keynotes, and interior elevations, providing vital information about the structure's design. Learn how to decipher these symbols to understand the layout, materials, and special features of a building.
Key Insights
- The information within the symbols on an architectural drawing directs the viewer to relevant building sections and provides specific details about the structure's design.
- Specific symbols, known as callouts for interior elevations, guide viewers to sheets containing more detailed views of certain interior walls. For example, a symbol may direct a viewer to "sheet A5.3, image 2" for a particular interior elevation.
- Dash lines in drawings can denote specific structural elements, such as heavy timber framework in the ceiling of a room. Meanwhile, different wall poche on the floors can indicate different materials used in the structure.
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So again, we have our building, we have our references right here for our different building sections, and again, the information that's contained within the symbol right here tells us where to go to look for the information that's contained in the building section that is cut up here. So again, we had the garage down here, we came in the mudroom, we walked up the stairs coming here, going over, and then we're up on the first floor. When I'm on the first floor, again, what's happened is I've come up these steps, I'm in the butler's pantry, there's a little powder room, I have the elevator shaft.
Again, this information right here is saying if you want to see the enlarged plan, then go look at the symbol on page 7.2. What you'll notice over here though, between the living room and the kitchen, is this symbol right here. This symbol is a callout for interior elevations, and so what it's saying, and we'll be getting into this later on, is I would look at sheet A5.3 to see the different interior elevations. And the interior elevations will be labeled on sheet A5.3 as interior elevations 2,3, up here 4, and down here 6. So what would happen is that when I am on sheet A5.3, if I want to see the interior elevation of this wall over here, I would look on sheet A5.3 at image 2. If I wanted to see the interior elevation looking from here down towards this wall that I've highlighted, I would look at image 3 on sheet A5.3. If I wanted to see the interior elevation that would be looking from down here up to this area in blue, I would look on sheet A5.3 at image 4. And again, if I'd like to go in and look at the interior elevation looking this way, I would go to sheet A5.3 and look at image 6. You can see that we have many keynotes in the drawing, and again the keynotes are all referenced over here on the right in this area right over here.
We have the keynotes, we have dimensions, we have the building sections. Now, one thing you'll also notice too is that in the music room, we're showing dashed lines up here. These dashed lines are showing the fact that we have some heavy timber framework going on the upper part of the ceiling.
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And then if I look over here in the little gardening area, you can see that I have a different wall poche on the floors, and so this is simply saying I have a different material.
