Synthetic Drawing
CARAT/Rackham Fellowship
Jennifer Maigret, Fellow
Craig Borum, Assistant Professor of Architecture
2002—2003

The work funded by the CARAT/Rackham Fellowship for the 2002—2003 academic year explored digital representation of dynamic relationships in architecture. Specifically, creating a prototype for a model of synthetic drawing that establishes a spatial and temporal framework that graphically organizes complex sets of information. Such a model has broad applications relative the graphic communication of disparate modes of spatial understanding. This is applicable to the presentation of design work as well as an analytical teaching tool in architectural education.

A foundational methodology was developed for creating synthetic drawing models serving as a point of departure for future endeavors. Our synthetic drawing process establishes a method of working that successfully merges many drawing types with qualitative video and audio documentation. It provides a framework for coordinating numerous graphics-based, 3D modeling and image editing software programs. By utilizing the synthetic drawing model, conventional two-dimensional drawing types can be seen concurrently with their three-dimensional outcome. In addition, qualitative information can be layered into the model in the form of photographs, digital video and text. This thereby produces a seamless, information-rich, web-based interface.

Finally, the funding from this grant has enabled us to produce an initial case-study model of the Kingswood School located on the Cranbrook Academy campus. This school has a rich architectural and social heritage that contributes to many of the lecture discussions within the Architectural Design Fundamentals course taught at the University of Michigan. The Kingswood School synthetic drawing model that has resulted from our work will be introduced and utilized as a new teaching tool in the summer term (2003) session. As a teaching tool, a synthetic drawing model provides students with an opportunity to interactively navigate an example building being presented in the course. Through a dynamic learning process, students will be better able to understand the inter-relatedness of physical, material and socio-cultural conditions in architecture.