Understanding House Elevations And How Architects Draw Them

House elevations are scaled drawings that give you an idea of how your house will look like once complete. A good elevation should show the following:

  • Height and width of roof
  • Length and height of each wall
  • Visible part of foundation
  • Exterior features such as stairs, porches and decks
  • Window and door trim
  • Exterior wall and roof finishing
  • Eaves troughs
  • Complete ground level

How an architect draws an elevation

For the architect to draw a good elevation he/she undertakes a number of steps. Some of these steps include:

Drawing the main floor wall baseline: the professional starts drawing the floor plan from the extreme left end of the wall. The professional measures the horizontal distance of the wall putting into consideration the thickness of the sliding material.

The professional marks all the right areas and draws lines that represent the building. The architect continues until he/she has covered all the relevant areas and included all the walls of the house.

Determination of wall height: after drawing the floor plan the architect now determines the height of the walls. To determine the height of the wall the professional considers the height of the ceiling. If you are constructing a story building, the professional has to also consider the height of the sub-flooring.

Window and door outlines: with the height of the walls in place, the professional now makes outlines of door and windows. To make the outline the architect uses his/her accuracy scale and draws the door and windows in relation to the walls, roof and floor.

Roof: the roof is represented by lines which are usually of many styles including: shed, gambrel, gable and hip. Each style has its unique way of drawing. For example, a shed or gamble roof must drop lower than the area where it connects with the wall.

Basement: the architect has to show the basement areas that are visible above the ground. If the professional wants to show more details he/she uses cross-section drawings that tend to give more details.

Porch: this is the last information in the drawing. To ensure that the drawings are accurate, the professional makes use of his/her scale.

Conclusion

This is a guide on how an architect draws an elevation. You should note that not all professionals are able to produce accurate and high quality elevation drawings. To get a great drawing you need to research and find a professional with the right experience.