Introduction
Architectural drawings are the language architects use to think, design, and communicate. They capture the ideas that will one day become your home.
But if you’ve never seen a floor plan or section before, it can feel like we’re speaking in code.
We’re not here to confuse you. We’re here to collaborate—and good collaboration means speaking the same language.
This guide will help you get comfortable with architectural drawings, so we can talk clearly, work confidently, and bring your vision to life together.
1. What Are Architectural Drawings (and Why Do They Matter?)
Architectural drawings are technical documents that describe your future home. They guide builders, shape budgets, and communicate design intent at every stage.
Different drawings show different things. Some explain how rooms connect. Others reveal how light enters a space, how the house sits on its site, or how materials meet at a junction.
The challenge? These drawings are two-dimensional. That’s ideal for construction—but not always for imagining how a space feels.
So, we pair 2D drawings with 3D models. These let you:
Walk through the space (without the steel-toe caped boots)
See how daylight moves through your rooms
Understand proportions—heights, volumes, openness
Preview how materials work in context
That said, getting to grips with the 2D side helps you ask sharper questions and make more informed choices. So let’s get started.
2. The 4 Drawings You’ll See Most Often
Floor Plans
A floor plan is a view from above of your home, as if the roof were lifted off and you’re looking straight down. It shows:
Room layouts and functions
Door and window positions
Built-in furniture and fittings
Circulation and flow
Relationships between spaces
How to read it: Start at the entrance and walk it through in your mind. Do the spaces connect naturally? Is there a logical route from cooking to dining to relaxing?
Sections
A section slices through the building vertically. It reveals what’s happening inside—from floor to ceiling, room to room. It shows:
Ceiling heights
Staircases and level changes
Roof shapes and structure
Double-height spaces, voids or mezzanines
What to look for: Do taller ceilings enhance social spaces? Are quiet zones more enclosed? Sections help you judge the scale and character of the rooms.
Elevations
Elevations are straight-on views of each external face of the building—front, rear and sides. They illustrate:
Window sizes and arrangement
External materials and finishes
Rooflines and proportions
Architectural character
Why they matter: Elevations show how your home will look to the outside world—its visual balance, presence and street appeal.
Details
Details zoom in on specific construction elements—how different parts of the building come together. These include:
Dimensions and fixings
Junctions and transitions
Layers of materials
Technical assemblies
Why they’re important: Details turn good into exceptional. They ensure your home is built to last, with precision, quality, and care where it matters most.
3. How to Read a Drawing Without Getting Lost
You don’t need to memorise every symbol—but being able to read across multiple drawings and understand how they relate will make everything clearer.
Here are a few things to focus on:
Scale (e.g. 1:100 or 1:50): Shows how drawing sizes relate to real-world dimensions
North Arrow: Helps you understand orientation and how light will move through the home
Text Annotations and Labels: Identify materials, finishes and key features
Dimensions: Check room sizes, ceiling heights and how furniture fits
We always talk you through the drawings—whether in person or over video—so you’re never left to interpret things alone.
For a quick reference to annotations and symbols, download our interactive drawing guide [here].
4. How Drawings Evolve Over Time
Drawings develop as the project progresses—from big ideas to fine-grained detail.
Concept stage: Loose sketches and diagrams to explore space and intent
Planning stage: Resolved drawings for submission—plans, sections, elevations
Technical stage: Fully detailed drawings for construction, including specifications and schedules
At each phase, we include whatever helps bring clarity—whether that’s a digital model, a lighting study, or a material board. The goal is to keep you confident, informed, and always in the loop.
5. From 2D Lines to 3D Life
Drawings are the backbone of the design process. They define intent, test ideas, and guide the build. But they don’t show everything.
That’s where 3D modelling comes in.
We use digital models throughout your project to help you:
Understand how spaces feel in real terms
See light, volume, and proportion at work
Explore how materials and finishes interact
Make confident, informed decisions—without second-guessing
Used together, drawings and models create clarity. One shows the structure. The other shows the story.
Conclusion
Reading architectural drawings takes a bit of practice which architects can sometimes take for granted—but you don’t have to do it alone. With the right guidance, they become less like code and more like a conversation.
You’ll start to see more, understand more, and feel empowered to shape the design of your home with confidence.
If you’re planning a project and want the design experience to feel clear, collaborative, and well-crafted—we’d love to talk.