It wasn’t until I started teaching it, that I realized how many were interested in the field of architectural drafting. But having an interest and actually being committed enough to complete the education are two distinctly different things all together. There has to be a certain amount of ambition that goes into learning such a skill that seems to be limited to those who can imagine geometry in their head and then put it to paper.
On the other hand a drafting student can overcome an inability to visualize a house layout by training their minds to think in real life. You accomplish this by remembering the shapes and spaces they have already experienced in the homes and buildings you’ve been in throughout your life.
For instance, when confronted with laying out a room that is not only functional but also comfortable, I close my eyes and try to imagine walking through that room with furnishings included. We all have the ability because we all have experienced it, we just haven’t trained our minds to accomplish it. I use that same visualization method to draw the outside of a house too.
A good understanding of mathematics doesn’t hurt. As a matter of fact it’s necessary in order to dimension your plan and calculate what is what. We aren’t talking trigonometry and calculus here folks. Simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, & division are all that’s really needed.
You will also need to be able to communicate because communication skills are a big factor in being a good house drafter. If we don’t have good communication skills, how can we relate in the notes on your drawings how to do whatever it is we are wanting the builder to do?
Tim Davis is a trained Architectural Designer and Drafter who has created a complete no nonsense course in drawing House Plans at http://houseplandrafting.us/.
