Guide to the Course Elements of Drawing and CAD P.
INTRODUCTION
The course Elements of Drawing and CAD P. is structured around two thematic areas regarded as priorities and directly relevant to professional practice. The first concerns the foundations and operative procedures of descriptive geometry; the second focuses on the modes of representation associated with the codified conventions of architectural and construction drawing, including the progressive use of numerical scale ratios. The course aims to elucidate the representational codes of engineering drawing through descriptive geometry, while simultaneously providing—via a conceptual transposition—the fundamental principles of CAD (Computer‑Aided Design) in conjunction with traditional drawing.
Elements of Drawing and CAD P. addresses the study and application of representational methods essential for communicating constructive thought. It examines the relationships between architectural drawing and design, particularly in relation to the search for form and the morphological development of a building. For instance, in the treatment of orthographic projections, emphasis is placed on the distinctive role of projective geometry within construction drawing, clarifying the extent to which geometric and technical drawing constitute a scientific discipline and an indispensable cognitive instrument in the education of the engineer.
The section devoted to descriptive geometry considers theoretical aspects applied to pragmatic issues arising from construction practice, while the part concerning architectural representation explores the connections between graphic and geometric domains and the rules of construction that govern design drawing. The CAD foundations guide students through a conceptual and subsequently practical pathway in automated drawing using AutoCAD software. The following chapters of this guide outline the learning objectives, teaching methods, and notes that form part of the established scientific, ontological, and deontological framework of the discipline, informed by the experience of the Degree Programme in Building and Territorial Techniques.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
The primary aim of the course is to provide an initial body of knowledge and a shared technical language enabling access to construction‑related themes, particularly those concerning the reciprocal disciplinary and technical dimensions of building practice. Structured in two phases descriptive geometry and technical drawing the course examines the relationship between the generative productivity of thought in forming spatial configurations and the means of control that such productivity requires.
Fundamental issues of architectural representation will therefore be addressed, guiding students towards a conscious use of the material and conceptual instruments of drawing, enabling formal, graphic‑geometric, and material control of the drawing‑project and, subsequently, the morphological, constructive, and historical analysis of the drawn and completed work. Particular attention is devoted to the epistemological aspects of statics and the science and technology of construction, with specific reflection on conservation and the recovery of buildings. Through the redrawing of the architectural organism (EA), students undertake the objective description of the compositional and constructive qualities of the artefact.
The sequential use of numerical scale ratios—necessary for differentiating representation across various levels and stages addresses intrinsic dimensional relationships, enabling technical drawings to be organised within the established culture of architectural representation.
The course content is centred on geometric drawing as a technical‑scientific mode of project prefiguration and spatial elaboration. Architectural drawing must address both the methods required for adequate spatial representation and the knowledge of codes and norms necessary for depicting what is “to be built”, ensuring correct project documentation and the communicability of graphic outputs.
The teaching pathway integrates diverse representational systems that describe the image, spatiality, and multiple qualities of the object: thought and structure, models and modelling related to morphological experience, introspective modes of representation, codified drawings, projective geometry, built form, and digital drawing procedures.
A significant part of the course concerns the theoretical and methodological tools that allow the three‑dimensionality of real or designed objects to be communicated through a two‑dimensional language. Students learn how spatial configurations may be translated into the planarity of the graphic medium, through drawings grounded in projective and descriptive geometry. Students undertake a first series of individual exercises (short tasks, prefixed with E…), developing reflective and analytical capacities in graphic‑geometric terms and applying theoretical indications provided during lectures. The annual exercise (EA) focuses on a concrete theme (construction heritage) and concerns technical architectural drawing carried out digitally using AutoCAD.
TEACHING METHODS
Attendance is essential due to the predominantly “experimental” nature of the course. Teaching consists of lectures, technical communications, and exercises, and develops three closely interrelated areas: theoretical reflection, technical instruction, and practical application.
Theory (Thought)
Disciplinary foundations; visual perception and projective space; geometric structures of space.
Technique (Structure)
Plane geometry; projective and descriptive geometry; drawing codes and norms; CAD: construction details and technical components.
Practice (Application)
Exercises, introduced by specific explanatory sessions, constitute essential moments of applied verification of theoretical and technical topics. They aim to develop the necessary executive skills and to give meaning to graphic‑geometric and constructive production as a site of critical mediation between theoretical propositions and building practice. Each exercise is assigned a period for completion and assisted correction; beyond this, discussion is concluded and deferred to examination procedures.
Outcomes (Results)
Upon completion of Elements of Drawing and CAD P., students will be able to control the digital representation of a building according to current professional standards.
COURSE ASSESSMENT / EXERCISES
Several short exercises (E), including CAD‑based tasks, are assigned during the module. All exercises are compulsory and constitute the basis for admission to the examination. They must be completed and submitted for evaluation on the dates specified in the course calendar. These assessments attest to active participation and contribute to the final semester grade. All exercise briefs will be made available to students.
The annual exercise (EA) consists of a collection of drawings forming a repertoire of experiences in architectural representation, based on principles, components, systems, and constructive elements that constitute a unit effectively a technical manual. This work, initiated during the semester, is carried out partly by hand using drawing instruments and partly through digital modelling with AutoCAD.
Note: All exercises are individual. A single overall judgement is formulated on the student’s preparation and work, and a minimum pass level must be achieved. Admission to the examination is conditional upon prior evaluation of all required exercises (repertoire drawings). Files in dwg, ctb, stb, pdf, and any jpg or tif formats must be submitted on the dates set for examination sessions, following the naming conventions provided.
EXAMINATION METHODS
The examination is oral and requires the student to present a reasoned discussion of the themes addressed during the semester and developed through the exercises. The written examination applies to non‑attending students and to those whose short exercises have been assessed as insufficient.
For identification purposes during the examination, the Student shall present his/her institutional University badge.
