Graphic Horizons

Recent decades have seen a renewed academic interest addressed to the study of centric-plan architectures covered with complex domes ‒ built during the period of the High Roman Empire ‒ thanks to new philological discoveries. In part, this trend is motivated by the dissemination of studies developed in recent years with digital documentation technologies, which have provided new information to understand the original shape, as well as the constructive and structural principles of many of these buildings. However, to understand the true novel features of these architectures, developed between the I and the II century AD, it is necessary to go beyond the simple use of new digital technologies for the documentation of architectural heritage by implementing a new method. This paper presents an interdisciplinary research approach (architecture, mathematics, archaeology, philology) that aims to understand how the three “species dispositionis”, or “dispositio” (τάξις), “ordinatio”, and “distributio” (oikonomía) were integrated to achieve a consistent and proper architecture with the required qualities (in particular, “symmetria”) in the construction of domed buildings erected in that temporal context. To that end, in the paper we compare buildings, besides Vitruvius’s one, also with the teachings by the Greek mathematician Hero of Alexandria and traces the application of his dimensional calculation formulae in the unique structures of Hadrian’s Villa, recently surveyed with advanced digital technology.

The graphic analysis of the historic centres of our cities is presented as a booming model of research, enlightened by the growing socio-economic interest in these historic heritage centres.Faced with this analysis, we are faced with various methodological difficulties from the graphic point of view, one of them being the concrete definition of the borders of the areas of study in each urban nucleus.The limits of what we now understand as a historic or pre-industrial city have been diluted and erased in the traumatic process of vertiginous and disorderly growth of contemporary cities.These marks or delimiting traces of the historical have, however, different characteristics: they can be both physical - geographical accidents, natural elements, pre-existences - and artificial - mainly walls - but, undoubtedly, they are always related to the original location adopted by the first urban settlement in each particular case.By means of a detailed study of the cartography of the historic city, this work shows a graphic approach to the definition of these limits understood as the juxtaposition of the current city and the historic centre based on the exhaustive series of maps of Spanish cities that Francisco Coello made for the minister Pascual Madoz in the second half of the 19th century.

The study carried out on the Manuscrito de Cantería entitled “Secretos de Arquitectura, tratado geométrico que comprende lo más usual y corriente de la montea y cortes de cantería”, preserved in the municipal archive of Xàtiva, numbered LB-995, AMX, is briefly presented. This manuscript contains a collection of graphic traces with accompanying texts, and is part of the Hispanic stonemasonry tradition. Although some authors, mainly in the field of art history, have studied the manuscript, there is still no complete critical study of the work. This article therefore presents the fundamental questions that put the manuscript into context: the provenance of the traces, the author’s contributions, and a state of the art on the graphic questions raised. This work brings together a total of 39 drawn cases, in which a whole range of graphic resources are used, mostly oriented towards the practice of montea and stone cutting. This analysis analyses the main graphic procedures used, and also considers the extent to which the manuscript is situated halfway between the constructive practice and the theory of the eighteenth-century enlightened world.

The Deutsche Schule Valencia is part of the group of buildings designed by the Bundesbaudirektion in Berlin to encourage the expansion of German culture abroad. In 1959 a preliminary project was drawn up in Bonn and sent to Valencia where it was finally developed. The architects Pablo Navarro and Julio Trullenque will oversee adapting the German model to the execution project. Using German materials and technology, its execution is completed with the contribution of local finishes and techniques. It is worth mentioning the participation of the Menorcan landscape architect, Nicolau María Rubió Tudurí for the design of the gardening project. From the exchange of correspondence between the intervening technicians, found in a historical archive, the project of the garden is extracted in an unprecedented way, which is designed to give continuity to the big apple occupied by the volumes that make it up. But among all the documents found, the plan of this project is not obtained. This paper shows a deductive method that analyzes the information found from this project, as well as the graphics used in the plans of other projects of the landscaper to establish graphic guidelines that could have been used for the garden project.

Representing the landscape is not only an aesthetic act, it is the fundamental condition for its design. Territorial regeneration, revived by European policies after the pandemic period, requires operational reflections, which are developed in the sphere of design, capable of addressing the challenges of complexity that are underlying in strategic planning. The contextual digital and ecological transitions then present themselves as an important lever for territorial innovation, sap that feeds the construction of the new sustainable models of development. This is the context of the “Wood 4 Green Umbria” research focused on the enhancement of the territorial compartment adjacent to a disused industrial pole in Pietrafitta (PG), in a rural landscape compromised by impactful urbanization interventions. The search for new models for the reconversion of these places finds in the landscape a real reason for development, in the idea that forests and wood, understood as renewable resources, can change the image and transform the lives of local communities. The landscape implicitly opens up the implementation of decarbonization policies. The project idea proposes as a lever for innovation research and specifically the topic of landscape and its representation, an investigation aimed at the deep knowledge so necessary to be able to look far ahead.

The dissemination of architectural heritage is a necessary action for society to understand, value and support its study and conservation. The social inclusion in the field of knowledge requires investment in resources and the involvement of the institutions in charge of said dissemination. Advances in digital production technology are facilitating the development of more accessible and cost-effective learning materials. This research paper discusses a 3D printed representative experience of heritage for the visually impaired. The Chapel of San Ildefonso at the University of Alcalá is used as a case study, where the façade, the main coffered ceiling, the altarpiece, and the sepulchre of Cardinal Cisneros all stand out. We will see that the adaptation of digital models for the use intended here requires a series of decisions to be made, from an artistic point of view, from an architectural point of view, as well as from a purely technical point of view, which will all condition the adaptation of the result. Among these we must identity the difficulty of choosing the scale, the size of the copy and the method used to convey they original to the user, as these are all determining factors for the success of these means of dissemination and knowledge.

Several Portuguese cultural elements played an important role in the colonization of Brazil, including language, religion, ethnicity, architecture, and urbanism. As for the architecture, its graphic representation has also a cultural interest. In this study, we aim to have a better understanding of the development of architectural drawings by analyzing some of the earliest graphic representations of Portuguese constructions in Brazil. The collection of research documents required for this work, part of the Manuscript Cartographic and Iconographic Collection of the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino, includes architectural drawings produced between 1618 and 1822, when Brazil was under Portuguese rule. These documents were studied based on the use of three primary architectural pictorial systems: multiview drawings, paraline drawings, and perspective drawings. This approach made possible to identify some aspects of the development of architectural drawing in Brazil, highlighted the incorporation of cartographic elements, the persistence of some graphic attributes over time, and the gradual consolidation of a typical architectural drawing language. A close examination of these surviving examples allowed for the identification of both permanence and change that still resonate in the current characteristics of architectural drawing.

Generally, the integrated application of 3D surveying and BIM modelling methodologies on complex case studies leads to a critical evaluation of the pros and cons of the applied process. Virtual 3D models can become a knowledge repository and flexible communication tools to highlight the historical evolution of the building as well as its material and technological articulation. The article, therefore, proposes to describe a complete knowledge path framed in the representation domain and applied to a stratified medieval artefact up to its new virtual reconfiguration, fixing some critical points of the process and analysing the geometric and material complexities. In detail, the integrated use of active and passive tools enabled the collection of information in a single knowledge model, evaluating the reliability of the data and comparing the different techniques. The interpretation phase of the 3D data allowed the extraction of plans, elevations and sections. These representations defined the basis for the construction of a 3D BIM model. The data interpretation and simplification of shapes in the BIM environment are subject to critical evaluation, considering the modelling tool’s constraints. The virtual representation towards knowledge and heritage promotion represents the final aim of the project.

Drawing and graphic representation is a powerful tool in any design process. As social challenges have become more complex, the drawing techniques used to address them have evolved. Therefore, digital tools such as the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) facilitate the management of complex information about landscape and society to develop a cartography able to improve decision-making processes through graphical representation. In this context, the aim of this paper is to analyze how the use of GIS tools facilitates the development of maps for the visualization of complex problems such as the demographic challenge. The study focuses on the case of Arroyomolinos de León (Huelva), a municipality affected by demographic decline where empty and abandoned housing is located. To this end, the creation of digital maps based on data from diverse sources of information is proposed in order to geolocate the empty and rehabilitated housing of the municipality. These maps allow to visualize the housing situation of the municipality through graphic diagnosis and could be used to define strategies for the activation of this vacant stock as well as the regeneration of the area.

The graphic variables figure-ground, color, texture, shadow, and transparency are important attributes of graphic techniques drawn at the ideation phase of creative processes to design both buildings and interior spaces. Drawing them in the initial sketches helps to create spaces that are beautiful and rich in sensory experiences and that are therefore more easily understandable and accessible. Interiors that include balance between figure-ground, harmony of colors, variety of textures, combination of shadow and natural light, and transparency are more welcoming and accessible for anyone, especially for those with cognitive disabilities. In addition, these variables highlight the unique and unrepeatable architectural features of interior spaces such as integration into an existing context or background, typical colors of a region, local materials, and distinctive light from a specific angle.This paper analyses five graphic variables in architectural sketches from the ideation phase drawn by renowned contemporary architects, comparing drawing and reality with the aim of extracting conclusions for better cognitive accessibility.

The main idea of this communication is to study new forms of representation of a new architecture more in line with current sustainability values. The study of the usage of three-dimensional models in the generation of current architecture is expanded, analyzing the use of large-dimensional models or full-scale prototypes.That is the reason why, some examples carried out in Central European offices of architecture are studied. The use of models and prototypes is common within them, when generating the idea and shape of the buildings. And experimentation with new construction systems and reused materials is also frequent. The final objective is to combine the values of the prototypes with the idea of sustainability, to create a more efficient and environmentally friendly architecture. And how these objectives materialize in projects that are previously defined with full-scale models.

The buildings and facilities of the University of Burgos are located in different areas of the city. The most important building is placed around the Hospital del Rey, which takes its name from the old pilgrim hospital founded in 1195 by King Alfonso VIII of Castile next to Las Huelgas monastery. The architecture of this area of the campus is linked to its architectural heritage, historical development, the environmental environment of the parks that surround it, and the cultural environment of the Camino de Santiago that crosses this part of the city. In this study, a graphic analysis of the evolutionary process of creation of the university campus is carried out in its urban, cultural and environmental context to discover its shortcomings, its strengths and propose the keys to a renaturalization project that, in addition to highlighting all that context, acts as a connector of the campus architecture and gives it its own identity. The renaturalization project is not only proposed with an aesthetic criterion, but it is also based on the institutional objective of moving towards a more sustainable architecture.

This study focuses on the cartographic representation of water fronts, in particular coastal, intertidal landscapes.The case study is Cabedelo do Douro, a semi-permanent sand formation at the mouth of the river, in the city of Porto, on the border with the sea. Methodologically, it uses the compilation and comparative analysis of maps and aerial photographs of this territory, over a period of 232 years, to then test the drawing of new representation strategies.It is argued that drawing is a way of understanding reality, and the representation of invisible phenomena interferes with decisions that lead to change. Put simply: “If you want to change the world, start with maps”, as Nikolas Schiller says.Examples of invisible phenomena include movement, transparency, reflection, paths, currents and winds, which are crucial to the formation of these territories. In this article, we question the use of lines as a graphic code to represent the dynamic separation between land and water, exploring alternative methods of representing and other forms of visual expression.

Over the course of history stairs have been represented in very different manners. The representation codes for stairs may not be the same, depending on the country we are in, the school we pertain to or the personal criterion of the designer or draftsman. Non-compulsory international representation standards establish criteria not generically complied with by architects in their graphic work. This accordingly hampers the task of instructors who in their teaching must show didactic examples with clear representation codes in 2D, without overlooking the new context of representation using BIM modelling software with broader and more complex options. This article analyzes chosen examples of stairs in plan over the course of history and attempts to clarify the existence or not of universal codification for drawing stairs in floor plans.

The research stemmed from the desire to experiment with innovative services that integrate and complement traditional architectural survey practices at different scales: territorial, urban and architectural. The different results of the survey campaigns that can be obtained according to the methodologies and software used will be highlighted. The data uploaded will be compared on platforms such as Agisoft Metashape, 4DF Zephyr and Autdesk ReCap. The use of innovative tools during the survey and data processing phases has, in fact, a positive impact not only on the final restitutive graphic work, but also in the understanding and analysis of the object of study. The research that is being carried out in this sense also gives scope for development with reference to the guidelines drawn up by European programmes, the UN and in the achievement of the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The comparison between the surveys obtained by laser scanning and those carried out by photogrammetry will serve to show and new sustainable methods of visualisation and management of the interventions that should be implemented.

Cartography stands as a fundamental tool for comprehending territories and the places we inhabit. The integration of novel affective values into the analysis of architecture and urban spaces aids in understanding the relationships established within them. Consequently, contemporary urban transformation must be accompanied by these affective values, thereby revealing the synergy between human and non-human species in the city. Mapping affective urban landscapes would articulate the significance of these relationships within the city. The aim is to capture not only the physical surroundings but also the connections and experiences occurring within, perceived by a multitude of beings. This paper advocates the importance of these new affective values and the necessity to map them for consideration in future urban developments and transformations. To achieve this, a review of past methods of mapping urban space, trajectories, and perception is conducted, analyzing their graphical representation characteristics, with the aspiration to establish a methodology of affective cartography that combines some of these approaches.

When we play a video game, we immerse ourselves in enticing virtual worlds without considering relevant but less obvious aspects, such as the content arranged in their maps or the time it would take to explore each of them. There is a whole world of non-obvious design scenarios that will determine whether the player experiences a more complete, more real, more tangible sensory journey. We are talking about fictional worlds based on non-physical distances, but ones that can be quantified in metric and temporal units when we accurately graph these realities. The article presents an analysis through data visualization, studying these connections and the optimization possibilities in the distribution of game content, potentially enhancing the credibility of its maps and facilitating rapid player interaction, using the video game “The Witcher 3” as a case study.

The Church of Nuestra Señora de Consolación, located in Cazalla de la Sierra (Seville), was originally built under a Mudejar church configuration in the 14th century. It was transformed during the first half of the 16th century by replacing part of it with Renaissance vaulted ceilings, while preserving the polygonal apse, some sections of the series of arches and the tower, built on one of the towers of the Islamic castle.This research analyses the geometry of the Renaissance vaulted ceilings which, in previous research, have often been described as spherical surfaces. Carrying out a photogrammetry of the church allowed a more detailed analysis of the geometry, discovering the existence of a differentiated geometry for the vaulted ceilings of the Renaissance intervention. None of these ceilings approached a spherical surface, as is often indicated in much of the consulted bibliography.The geometric analysis of the vaulted ceilings serves to provide various hypotheses on the possible authorship of their designs, relating them to various stonemasons of the time, among whom are two great Masters: Martín de Gainza and Diego de Riaño. Although it is possible that the designs of the Renaissance work could be attributed to Riaño, upon his death, it was Gainza who took charge of the completion of the works, so the vaulted ceilings were completed under his supervision.

This proposal aims to provide a comparative analysis exercise between the work of the artist Carmen Laffón and the architect José Ramón Sierra. The text explores the relationships between objects and landscapes, as well as their boundaries. Both artists develop a multifocal understanding of the territory, which they approach by transcending scales. Intending to evoke memories or estrangements, they work with the place of objects into spaces. These objects anchor their roots in the popular and, from there, are placed in paintings, sculptures and architecture spaces. They grabbed the memory and the passage of time in inhabited spaces, considering them as elements that add value to the built environment. The diverse range of art mediums that Laffón and Sierra create: oil paintings, charcoals, painted bronze sculptures, plasters, collages, ready-mades and architectural spaces, offers a kaleidoscope of opportunities. Starting from similar premises, an endless range of graphic and material possibilities become available. In these works, the boundaries that normally separate spatial limits and different artistic disciplines have been intentionally blurred. They broke the limits of spaces through objects and mixed painting, action, installation, drawing and architecture.

The archives of architectural drawings represent an invaluable testimony of the teaching practices and methods used in the academic sphere throughout the history of architecture teaching. A heritage whose protection and valorisation has as its first step the digitisation of the physical documents; this digitisation cannot, however, be limited to mere reproduction, on pain of inheriting from the physical support the limitations that characterise it in terms of limited comprehension for the layman. The creation of digital reproductions must therefore be accompanied by tools for the informative enrichment of drawings, with cultural-historical data often dispersed in multiple archives, and with new drawings and models that help their critical reading.The following contribution presents the development of a prototype of a web-based consultation portal to protect and narrate the final results of the theses of the students of Gaetano Cima, the main protagonist of the architectural and urban scene in 19th-century Cagliari.

In 1248 the Castilian-Leonese king Ferdinand III conquered the city of Seville from the Almohads. After the Christian establishment of the city, it was subdivided into twenty-five parishes. According to tradition, these churches were initially built in the city’s old mosques, which were only minimally converted for Christian use due to a lack of resources and personnel.However, the earthquake of 1356, which violently shook the city, marked a turning point. It was necessary to carry out the renovation or complete reconstruction of several parishes. Castilian architecture, which was already going Gothic, was then imposed, although the shortage of craftsmen from the north of Castile meant that Andalusian (Mudejar) art was incorporated into these churches.This is by no means a radical mutation, but rather the incorporation of a series of elements that reflect the union of two initially opposing styles. It is perhaps in the doorways of the churches that this mixture is most enriching.By means of point cloud surveys and subsequent photogrammetric restitution, this work aims to analyse the doorways of several of the parishes, and the degree of affinity between them, in order to draw conclusions about their construction.

Starting from the fortuitous encounter of a drawing made by the architect Josep Maria Jujol, as a serendipity, this writing explains, little by little, the discovery of this singular drawing, until now uncatalogued. Even though the drawing does not allow perspective restitution through photometric methods, the object of study is observed from different points of view. Through various tests, such as the search for photographs of the time, the proportions of the parts of the drawing and various plans or aerial views, it is demonstrated that, indeed, the drawing in question is a quick sketch made by Jujol from the vicinity of the Sansalvador villa. The importance of this proof lies in the discovery of the first drawing of this project, thus initiating the process of recognition of the genius loci, as the first factor of elaboration of a project through drawing.

The objective of this article is to emphasise the keys of territory construction phase which complements that of its exploration. Both of them give rise to the appearance of the first signs, a fact that constitutes a first step towards its graphic representation. From the very beginning of time, human being necessities has urged men to push forward and discover territories provoking alterations in the territory itself, and loading it with new contents (Fig. 1). To carry out this construction, they were helped by their technical and communicative capacities which, evolved with the passage of time, allowed them to face most of the activities they had decided to undertake. The paper addresses concepts and advances affecting directly to the territory and that deal with the information contained and its less natural characteristics. Terms such as: artificiality, complexity and others are used to try to understand the impulses that lead mankind to intervene their habitat and transform it. Some authors such as Soria, Menéndez de Luarca and Capel dealt with some of the keys to this construction process. Armies, always at the vanguard of technology, proactively become main actors in this phase of the detailed knowledge of the territory.

This study introduces a methodology grounded in Architectural Graphic Expression for analyzing relationships within heritage elements and spaces. Supported by the Recommendation on Historic Urban Landscape and its 2023 application report, it intends to move forward in contemporary architectural heritage management. Aiming to go beyond the conventional building-centered focus on heritage management, the study proposes an approach that explores intricate relationships between historic constructions and urban spaces. This shift aims to offer a more holistic and systemic understanding of urban heritage. The proposed methodology leverages graphic expression as a powerful tool to identify, analyze, and represent connections among heritage elements forming a historical narrative. It unfolds in two phases: (1) firstly, quantifying relationships through graphical representations to visualize the balance within the heritage system; (2) secondly, transferring this information to a Geographic Information System, creating georeferenced maps that accurately position the data in their real-world locations. The case study delves into the intricate relationships between the Royal Alcázar of Seville and the Port of the Indies, serving as a practical application of the proposed methodology. This exploration underscores the methodology’s potential in comprehending and effectively managing the complex relational networks inherent in urban heritage, demonstrating its relevance for contemporary conservation efforts. Lastly, the work proposes potential applications of this methodology, such as creating urban experiences like multiscale cultural routes.

The integration of all individuals into architectural and urban environments constitutes as one of the central concepts regarding the sustainable development of the European countries. Hospitals stand out, as they can present several inequalities as locations that receive significant number of visitors who suffer from some kind of physical difficulty. Our research focuses on the study and appraisal of areas surrounding hospitals from the perspective of those who suffer from some kind of disability, as they are important when considering the routes that must be taken to access the building. Through our own graphic and analytical methodology, which uses these routes as a basis, we can determine the degree of difficulty that people face and identify those areas which are more complicated. To illustrate this, we chose the Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias (Alcalá de Henares) as our case study, a leading hospital in the northeast of Madrid. The process begins with rigorous field work and an analysis of the areas that are subject to the study and which are interpreted in accordance with the different disabilities in question. The results are then showcased through the production of different types of drawings with the aim of making them easy to interpret. This methodology can be applied to the study of other hospital environments for the purpose of assessing the degree of integration that vulnerable people experience. It can also be used as an initial phase for architectural improvement, or as the foundation for the design of new healthcare facilities.

Three nearby towers of the total of twenty-five preserved are documented, some of them exclusively ruined remains, on the Atlantic coast. Constituent elements of the first line of the defensive system of a territorial area.Through graphic analysis, the aim is to systematically classify it, create a documentary and graphic archive, and understand the keys to its implementation on the coast. Understood not as isolated towers but as elements interrelated with each other (viewsheds) and with other nearby defensive constructions.The historical context, the methodology used, the historical evolution of its typologies and the construction systems are described, detailing the description and graphic survey in the three examples referred to.This research work focuses on the architectural analysis of this heritage complex, through four complementary graphic processes: measurement and data collection “in situ”, architectural survey, comparative table and location in a territorial framework.According to the analysis carried out on the existing towers (in good condition or dilapidated), many of them have sufficient presence or representativeness to become symbolic elements of the system to which they belong, being susceptible to being integrated into routes along different cultural and environmental resources.This research work focuses on the architectural analysis of this heritage complex, through three complementary strategies: Historical context, graphic catalog and architectural survey.In the conclusions the parameters of twenty-five towers are set out.

Research into the fortified masías of the Maestrazgo region of Teruel using different graphic techniques has made it possible to corroborate that they form a valuable and varied heritage group, but at high risk, due to their abandonment and lack of knowledge. This contribution aims to show the results relating to one of the most interesting examples of the group, the Torre de la Fuente del Salz, located in the municipality of Castellote, obtained through a methodology that has combined the analysis of historical cartography and data taken from the building in a Geographic Information System, with the architectural analysis based on its survey using the traditional method, in combination with terrestrial photogrammetry.

The Church of Santa María Micaela is a work by Ricardo Velázquez Bosco built by order of Mrs. Diega Desmaisières y Sevillano within the complex built for charitable purposes in Guadalajara, which also includes the Asylums and its Family Pantheon. It is an eclectic work in which elements from different styles are masterfully combined.After pointing out the basic characteristics of eclectic architecture and the importance of Ricardo Velázquez Bosco within it, a work that is not excessively large in size but extremely interesting is studied and analyzed, although insufficiently known for being next to the most important building of those made by this architect for the Duchess of Sevillano, her magnificent Pantheon.The influences of the different architectural styles used and the differences between the exterior and interior of the temple are studied, and special emphasis is placed on the spatial model followed, which does not correspond to that of the Mudejar Christian temples of Guadalajara, a city in which This can be considered its most characteristic style, but rather to compositions of other types of temples, buildings with other needs for worship, in this case the synagogues that in Spain were frequently built using the Mudejar style. For this, suggestive architectural resources were used.

To contribute to the knowledge of historical contexts that have radically changed over the centuries, information and communication techniques and technologies today can help reveal their distinctive features. In particular, by exploiting the potential offered by parametric-informative BIM modelling, the contribution illustrates the research conducted on the complex of S. Maria della Ferraria at Vairano Patenora in the province of Caserta (Italy), the first Cistercian Abbey in the Kingdom of Naples, visible in its original configurations only through the survey of metric and historiographical data and the typological-proportional analysis of the remaining parts. In fact, starting from an integrated digital survey project, the contribution highlights the potential offered by the digital domain for the analysis and reconstruction of the parametric model in the evolutionary phases of the building, in a virtual asset that looks at the correlation of geometric and informative data to meet the demand for cultural transmission, between real and virtual, of one of the major centres of religious and cultural life of the late medieval period.

We propose research about the graphic essence of landscape. Drawing to see and seeing to project. Thus, we will use a comparative method along three complementary ways of looking related to space. The student will looks for the graphic soul of the space, the geographer will try understanding the “geo-graphy” of the visibility in public spaces and the architect will try to perceive the essence of the place in order to use the correct tools for intervening on it. In the three cases, we have chosen the Cultural Landscape as the study case. Thus, lot of topics, from heritage till nature, should have been drawn in order to understand the territory. The student of architecture will learn to underline the space characteristics, the geographer will add the graphic tool to his analysis of the public spaces, and the architect would try drawing the invisible characteristics of the space in order to formalize the architectural project. In this article we will show that the dialogue between the three graphic languages is an interesting tool for seeing the soul of a cultural landscape in order to intervene on it.

The paper examines the issues surrounding the graphical representation of intermediate spaces as singular places in contemporary collective housing, situated at the boundary between public and private. It addresses architectural solutions and their representation from the purely abstract to the iconic. The aim is twofold: to highlight the importance that these spaces have gradually acquired in collective housing and their significance as contemporary identity symbols; and to demonstrate the potential of drawing in their communication and expression. Referencing study cases, we explore and categorise different forms of representation, explaining the resources used to underline their importance. Our analysis proposes a new perspective from which to assess their modes of representation.

This article delves into the graphic representation of panoramic sketches created by the various armies involved in the Spanish Civil War. It underscores the ability of the draftsmen on both sides to interpret the terrain where the conflict took place, translating, through drawing, only the military pertinent information while omitting irrelevant geographical data to facilitate decision-making and on-site action planning. The article explores the graphic techniques employed in creating these sketches, the available methods for duplicating the drawings, and the significance their use may have had in shaping the course of events. It conducts an in-depth analysis of the graphic aspects of panoramic sketches to demonstrate that, in military strategy, just as in architecture and spatial planning, the potential of drawing has been harnessed as a tool for understanding initial conditions and as a thinking instrument for devising appropriate solutions.

Accurate documentation is essential to be able to carry out the processes of restoration and enhancement of protected heritage contexts. Data collection has increasingly been refined to the point of being able to carry out virtual recreations of complex historical sites, in order to make in-depth studies and analyses. An example of this is Carcabuey Castle (Cordoba, Andalusia), a large fortress with important structures emerging from the medieval period. It is a monumental complex of the so-called “Frontier Castles” which were located between the Kingdom of Aragon and the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada. With the aims of restoration and enhancement, an in-depth study was carried out for its conservation and subsequent intervention. Data collection consisted of scanning and vectorization of all structures, as well as a complex and complete photogrammetric survey. From these previous data, and, carrying out a deductive analytical methodology, 3D printed models were made at different scales of detail that would allow the study of the volumes, materials and textures which make up the Castle.

Geometry: real space delimitation, classification, scanning and analysis tool. It can be expressed through the proposition of more or less complex organisms, sinuous or extremely rectified lines, instruments of communication of the real and unreal world.The recognisability of the volumes is the essential condition through which to understand the architectural message propagated by the form. The knowledge-form relationship becomes a binary with a single and proportional axis: the more the forms are comprehensible -therefore simple and regular- the more they will be recognisable, internalized and internalizable by the observer. In the context of recognisability, it is in fact the pure forms that are capable of arousing shock, amazement and understanding, making the construction immediate, pervaded by an instinctive symbolism.Fiumara d’arte represents the perfect synthesis of all this, founded on geometries and colors imbued with individual meaning and symbolism, connected to each other by a material and immaterial plot. The Piramide al 38° Parallelo, the Labirinto di Arianna and the Monumento per un Poeta Morto-la finestra sul mare, appear to be structures requiring a detailed analysis, to be considered in parallel in a unitary path of knowledge and geometry. Defined by three primordial geometries -the triangle, the square and the circle- they stand out in their surroundings thanks to their colors and profound spiritual meanings, through which to learn about the landscape, history and myths of a place.

The Cathedral of Jaca is one of the most representative buildings of Spanish Romanesque art and its geometrical and metrological study contributes to the knowledge of its constructive origins. Based on the compilation of historical documentation from different authors, together with the updated digital survey of the interior and exterior of the temple, it is proposed to update the existing planimetry. In addition, by comparing the historical drawings and the cad planimetry produced after redrawing the graphic information obtained from the digital survey, it is possible to corroborate the proportions used in the design of the church. Consequently, the metrological information will favour the understanding of the different construction phases thanks to the analysis of the different elements that make up the temple through the study of the geometry, the proportions and the modulation to which the architects who participated in its construction subjected the space.

In this article, we present a critical analysis of the Baptismal Chapel of the Church of San Nicolás de Bari in Úbeda, as well as its relationship with other more significant Renaissance creations. Among these, we include the octagonal chapel of Santo Domingo Convent in La Guardia and the Junterón Chapel in the Cathedral of Murcia.We propose a morphological revision through graphic analysis to, from a technical and rigorous standpoint, study the solution presented in relation to the descriptions of the vault typologies generated by translation found in Alonso de Vandelvira's manuscript. Therefore, the goal of this study is to investigate the connections within this work in relation to those previously mentioned, as previously stated, by establishing equivalences through a comparison with Vandelvira's son's treatise on masonry.Our intention is to highlight the heritage value of this piece and, to the best of our ability, increase its visibility and transfer its knowledge, both to the scientific community and to other individuals interested in these matters.

The autograph drawing by the architect Francesco Borromini for the Oratorio dei Filippini project (Rome, 1637–50), housed in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London (E.510–1937), could be regarded as the graphic expression of the accidental in the architectural project on account of both the reasons that drove the architect to make it and the desire to capture reality without concealments or idealisation. But a comparison of the sketch and the engravings published in Opus architectonicum could also cast light on the project process typical of Borromini: a procedure not without contradictions because, despite being applicable to the world of details and particularities, it would not forgo a certain aspiration to the ideal. The attention the architect pays, in each instance, to the specific nature of the problem likewise poses the question of legitimacy outside the realms of the absolute rules of classicism and, in a way, anticipates the immanent legality that typifies the modern project.

Raili and Reima Pietilä's architecture burst onto the architectural scene in the mid-twentieth century with a new approach to the genesis of the architectural project. Their interest focused on the multiple forms of relationship between architecture and the territory, which led them to take a specific look at the Finnish landscape. The couple found their main source of inspiration in nature. This exploration of the natural components was not limited to the current condition of the landscape, but was approached in its full magnitude, making imaginary journeys to past natures, especially those of the Arctic glacial period. His reinterpretation and its application in the architectural process defined mostly his first joint period of the 1960s, although it was present throughout his career. Most of the projects and the theoretical reflections developed shared the same starting point, the metamorphosis of the ancient natural forms that characterised the Finnish landscape into unique architectural expressions. This research aims to recover and analyse the process of graphic creation, illustrating this reinterpretation of the Finnish Arctic landscape through cartographies and abstract compositions, and how these in turn became the genesis of the architectural project, based on the analysis of the drawings preserved in the archive of the Museum of Finnish Architecture. A process that starts from an imaginary journey made by Reima to past times, in which the power of nature defined the landscape and that, on her way back, these forms transmuted into architecture, which was documented through the drawing.

The life and work of Andrea Palladio (1508–1580) and Carlo Scarpa (1906–1978) are separated by 400 years. Architects of the Veneto, despite the passage of time, they share issues such as their training, the link with the place and the way of interpreting the architecture of the past. They conceived their work through drawing, from the initial sketches to their studies of the fragment.This essay connects Palladio and Scarpa's way of designing the villa (understood as a country retreat or casa di villa) through a selection of their sketches and plans. The process of ideation is analyzed through their drawings with the aim of understanding the similarities between them and locating Palladian themes in the work of the Venetian master.Palladio and Scarpa intertwine through their approach to drawing, the way they connect the villa with its surroundings and their revisiting of classical themes, reinterpreting the past and bringing it up to date to the present by drawing in two different periods.

Underground built spaces, hidden beneath cities, are difficult to relate to the city surface. This paper reflects on different concepts that influence the relationship between hidden spaces and the apparent city, using section drawings as a medium. Based on several case studies and strategies, it reflects on the perception of the underground through drawing, analysing its role in the revitalization and communication of this heritage and the design strategies for the creation of new underground architecture.

In an increasingly digitalized society, it is very complex to adequately carry out the graphic learning process of students. These premises are especially noticeable in the teaching of industrial design and product development schools. This communication will test these issues and their practical application to the Design Workshop subject of the second year of this degree. The study work consists of the creation of a stand for a food company, so that it can be installed ephemerally at a prestigious trade fair. The aim is to combine graphic design with interior design to achieve a corporate image.An aspect in which special attention was paid by the teachers was the connection that the work in its process and result had to maintain with the professional reality of future designers. For this reason, the company that was the object of the stand design was involved so that its marketing managers could attend the presentations of the work. From here it was decided to hold a contest to reward the best proposals and the conditions were agreed with the students so that their works could be exhibited physically, on digital and dissemination networks, with the condition that their authorship appeared.

When navigating the boundaries of the discipline, it is possible to discover how far architecture can unfold without losing its essence. Mansilla and Tuñón belong to a generation interested in blurring these boundaries and expanding the spaces for idea generation. They engage in an uninterrupted conversation with other disciplines in the realms of art, science, and culture, sharing concerns, working methods, and production tools. The concept of play constitutes one of these border territories used to experiment, test, and formulate alternative questions. By introducing a set of voluntary and arbitrary rules into the design process, these rules are accepted by all participants in the project-game. However, there is the freedom to change them if their infertility is discovered during the process. These game rules, or self-imposed constraints, provide an opportunity to negotiate with real constraints under a certain order, capable of triggering unexpected results while avoiding given or preconceived solutions. This allows the author to face decision-making and judgment. A dialogue between play and architecture is proposed through the analysis of their systems or sets of rules, emphasizing their social significance. The diagram and model are employed as mediation tools within the design process.

The Garden of Earthly Delights (1490–1500) is a triptych consisting of three frontal panels depicting paradise and hell. These panels require the viewer to collapse and close them to obtain a new perspective: the creation of the world. In this work, Bosch portrays small air pockets that suggest encapsulated architectures and introspective spaces, where conventional laws seem to have vanished.This essay explores the approach to small spaces incorporated into different triptychs at Casa Ugalde (Coderch, 1953), the Soane Museum (Soane, 1820), and Casa Vicens (Gaudí, 1885). It’s an architectural immersion in three projects that enables us to compile catalogs of micrographs showcasing “architectural drops”: bubbles trapped within the stained glass mass, revealing cartographies of an intangible and undiscovered space.Micrographs of this intangible space suggest a change in our scale, immersing us in a micro-world in search of new expressions that enable us to conceive a more vivid and creative form of architecture.

Gio Ponti’s graphic ability led him to represent the domestic space on the floor plan with a particularly personal language. He was able to apply and transmit ideas that brought about the development of new ways of living, expressed in 1928 in the first Domus editorial ‘La Casa all’italiana’. These are expressive drawings, which show the union between architecture, environment and inhabitant, through the detail of furniture, flooring, natural elements and the human figure or signs of its location, as well as direction lines of the visuals and orientations of the spatial field. The graphic definition of pre-1940 Mediterranean holiday home projects, interpreted as a spatial field linked to nature, and the 1955 villa Planchart project in Caracas, configured with a sequential orientation of the space in relation to other adjacent spaces and to the exterior, are analysed. The articulation of rooms and enclosures, the crossing of gazes, and their escapes towards the landscape, give rise to the definition of complex and changing spaces, designed with sobriety and comfort. The floor plan is revealed as a matrix of relationships, views and orientations of the domestic space.

The architect Clorindo Testa is known for his reflections on issues such as the relationship between large cities and living conditions in urban spaces. His artistic work and the art of systems are inseparable from architecture for him. This text reflects on the imprint that drawings have on his work, particularly his windows and perforated walls, which are the filters or intermediate spaces between architecture and territory, inside and outside. The drawings are then categorized. The drawing of the window is a sign of visual communication, and we could understand them as perforations. We examine in-depth formal drawings that establish a new architectural order. The following is a review of atmospheric drawings that evoke the city as a significant environment, where the exterior that surrounds the window moulds the interior landscapes that acquire a new meaning. The environment can be a language that captures, orders, and makes visible urban situations and the relationship of its architecture with them. The communication goes through drawings from different phases of Clorindo Testa’s work, trying to verify the correspondence with the resulting architecture.

The text delves into the exploration of two ostensibly contrasting approaches to graphically depicting the identical reality—the French Route of the Saint James Way, which winds through the northern region of Spain. This involves a nuanced comparison of two distinct perspectives embodied by two pilgrims who immortalize their impressions on paper: the Japanese sculptor Munehiro Ikeda (Tokyo, 1939) and the Spanish architect Luis Bergés (Jaén, 1925). Both frequently employ drawing as their graphic language of choice to convey their creative pursuits. Their documented drawings reside within separate travel sketchbooks: Dibujando en el Camino de Santiago [1] and El Camino de Santiago en España [2] respectively. This analysis of their graphic works delves into parallels, intentions, and techniques, exploring their viewpoints on the natural or artificial landscape as a backdrop, occasionally dramatically transformed by human intervention. The study affirms the intriguing possibility of representing the same journey in myriad ways, utilizing as many graphic methods as there are travelers navigating its path.

The Danish collective Vandkunsten adopts graphic resources capable of expressing their deep social convictions. The pioneering low-rise, high-density residential communities in Tinggården, Herfølge (1971–1978), Trudeslund in Birkerød (1979–1981), Hedelyngen in Herlev (1981) or Jystrup Savværk (1983–1984) promote the participation of residents in the design process and in community life. Through the models, Vandkunsten architect’s dialogues with the future residents and incorporates the users in the design process. The simultaneity of scales represented in their drawings reflects the scope of the social ideals of these industrial and vernacular residential communities. Their continuous experimentation in different registers of graphic language is analyzed, from their initial drawings and sketches that illustrate the shared design process to the expressiveness of the soft pencil that emphasizes the technical documentation of the projects. For Vandkunsten, drawing is a way of understanding architecture and sharing it.