112 Anna Wojtas-Harań
Architectural projects, which presented a set of character-
istic features for the times in which they were carried out,
were selected for the research. The obtained data allowed
us to draw certain conclusions.
The state of research
Drawing has accompanied the architects’ work for cen-
turies. Thus, it became the subject of research by outstand-
ing creators of architecture and art. In ancient times, the
most remarkable success was achieved by Vitruvian trea-
tise De architectura libri decem which explained the laws
governing architecture. In chapter two, Vitruvius specied
components of architecture, mentioning dispositio among
them (skilful arrangement of building elements). The au-
thor of the work explained that there were the following
types of disposito, i.e., ichnography (drawing of the base
of a planned building, made in the scale with the help
of a compass and line, from which dimensions are later
transferred to the area of the construction site), orthog-
raphy (vertical image of the façade made in the scale
corresponding to a future building), scenography (this is
a sketch of the façade and side walls whose all lines con-
verge at the central point) [1, p. 15]. Everything is the re-
sult of thoughts and ingenuity [1, p. 15].
The Renaissance architect Filippo Brunelleschi con-
tributed to the constitution of the principles of a linear
perspective. Leon Battista Alberti, who also became fa-
mous as an architect, edited the Renaissance compendium
of knowledge entitled De pictura which was dedicated,
among other things, to drawing [2], [3]. There, we can nd
tips on the methods of reecting products of the mind with
a line. Another artist of the Renaissance, i.e., Piero del-
la Francesca developed his interest in the perspective and
searched for the rules determining the concept of beauty.
In theoretical tractates, he presented […] mathematical
analyses of perspective and proportion – two issues which
fascinated the humanistic world of the Renaissance era [4,
p. 59]. Genius Leonardo da Vinci explored art and archi-
tecture by developing predecessors’ systems for presenting
objects on the plane and perfected his visual awareness.
It is worth mentioning that Leonardo aired his views on
scientic, philosophical, and technical issues simultane-
ously in writing and in drawings. Discursive thought and
artistic statement permeated and complemented each other
[5, p. vi]. His sculptural and architectural works are known
through drawing and notes. Leonardo da Vinci’s Treatise
on painting [5], which presents numerous observations of
the drawing master, is a compilation which was made of
Leonardo’s manuscripts by Maria Rzepińska.
The subject of architectural drawing has been taken up
by architects, historians, and artists also today. A compre-
hensive analytical material, which was devoted to the re-
cord of architectural space, i.e., the records of architect’s
thoughts, images noticed by the architect, theory of archi-
tecture, as well as perspective drawings, drawings being
autonomous works of art, photographic images, visualiza-
tions, and construction documentation, was collected in
the study entitled Dening architectural space. The record
of architectural space and edited by Maria Misiągiewicz
and Dariusz Kozłowski. The editors even put forward the
thesis that […] the record of architectural space might be
– architecture [6, p. 4].
Many authors discuss the issues of architectural draw-
ing on the occasion of exploring other research problems.
Władysław Czarnecki, in his multi-volume work entitled
Planning cities and estates, wrote about the importance of
sketches for landscape studies and argued that The draw-
ing should be characterized by accuracy, i.e., precise re-
production of the shape, expressiveness of the image and
should emphasise characteristic features with the greatest
possible simplication of details [7, p. 223].
Amélie Luquain presented the diagnosis of modern
times in the article entitled Freehand drawing: useless
skill? by asking a question whether freehand drawing is an
essential skill of the architect in the face of the onslaught
of digital technology [8].
The issue of modern forms of architectural recording is
discussed in magazines and on Internet portals on a reg-
ular basis, which often results in a stir. The author of the
article entitled Słynne studio architektoniczne przyznaje:
u nas projektuje sztuczna inteligencja [The famous archi-
tectural studio admits: here, articial intelligence designs]
[9] wonders whether articial intelligence can become an
architect of the future because currently – as he reports
– articial intelligence (AI) is used to generate eective
realistic images of architecture (e.g., DALL – E2, Stable
Diusion, Midjourney) by Zaha Hadid Architects Studio.
Architect’s workshop
– from a handwritten line to a digital code
For architects, drawings constitute an opportunity to
show eects of their work. For centuries, the ability to use
architectural drawing has been a practice necessary in pur-
suing the art of construction, architectural art or aspiring to
the title of an architect.
In France, for example, according to “L’exposition
Dessiner pour bâtir: le métier d’architecte au XVII
e
siè-
cle”, the origins of teaching architectural drawing and at-
tempts at unifying codes of architectural concepts presen-
tations date back to the 17
th
century [8]. Freehand drawing
was a useful skill from the beginning to the end of the
construction process. Designs were drawn with various
tools. Apart from a pencil, crayon, feather, charcoal, brush
and paint, also ruling pens, technical pens, markers, and
felt-tip pens were used later. At present, digital mapping
techniques or copying technologies are applied. By par-
ticipating in this evolution of visual techniques, architects
modernized their work. Innovative tools allowed them to
adapt to the growing requirements of customers, oce
procedures or competition with other companies. Archi-
tects who value their profession have always sought the
reliability of drawing analyses and the artistic eect of
their projects, regardless of the stage of activity. An eec-
tive drawing was usually used, depending on the needs,
i.e., making the rst sketches of the location, landscape,
and then ideograms, shapes of the architectural vision, as
well as drawing precise plans which were in accordance
with the provisions regulated by standards and specif-
