Sophomore Seminars

Accessing Architecture Through Drawing

CEE 31Q

Drawing is the essential tool of the architect and designer. Learning to draw for exploration, idea development and communication are crucial skills and involve different approaches. Drawing architecture is also a way to obtain a deeper understanding of the intricacies and subtleties that characterize the built environment around us. In this seminar, you will learn how to draw for exploration, develop a design approach and construct conventional architectural drawings such as plans, elevations, and sections to communicate your ideas. You will draw with a variety of analog and digital tools. Once basic skills in drawing are acquired, you will have the opportunity to apply what you have learned to increasingly complex, but still manageable, architectural design projects. This course assumes no prior experience in drawing. However it does assume a desire to learn to draw, explore the ambiguity of the design process, and see how the two are related.

This course will be offered in Autumn and Spring quarters.

Meet the Instructor(s)

John Barton

John Barton is the director of Stanford's Architectural Design Program. His practice spanned nearly 30 years, and he has received numerous design awards, including an AIACC Honor Award in Urban Design for collaborative work on high-speed rail options in Palo Alto. He also combines teaching and professional practice with significant community service, including one term on the Palo Alto City Council and two terms on the Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education. He earned his B.A. and M.A in architecture from UC Berkeley and hopes to finish a doctoral degree at Carnegie Mellon this year.
Learn more about John Barton