Architectural project

An architectural project is the architect’s complete description of a building, from first idea to construction, set out in drawings and documents. How the building sits on its site, how its spaces are arranged, how its facades look and what it is built from are all fixed here. The structural, mechanical, electrical and landscape projects all build on it.

Stages of an architectural project

• Sketch and concept: first ideas, shaped by the brief and site analysis
• Preliminary design: the main decisions in scaled plans, sections and elevations
• Permit drawings: the code-compliant set submitted for municipal approval
• Construction documents and details: every dimension and material the site needs

The drawings it contains

A site plan, floor plans, a roof plan, sections, elevations, wall and junction details, window and stair details and room schedules form the core. Area calculations, a specification and, where useful, 3D views go alongside them.

A well-drawn architectural project speaks to the client as well as the builder. Renders prepared alongside plans and sections help decisions get understood early, so changes happen on paper rather than on site. Our article on the architectural project design process takes you through it step by step.