0004 Architecture School Essential Everyday Carry

Mar 9

The Brief

Welcome back Ladies and Gentlemen to the Architecture Student Diaries where it is my mission to help you kill it in Architecture school whilst making you, the best you in the process. The following class is the first in a series of new classes called ‘Architecture School Essentials’ centered around essential items that will assist in making your life as a student much easier. In this post, I will be providing you with a list of every day essential carry (EDC). This is not a generic list, each item on this list should be with you everyday in order to get the most out of your studies. Remember that you don’t need to have the most expensive of everything to be successful, architecture is very much about how you use your tools rather than what company your tools came from. Obviously in some instances, the higher the quality you pay for, the more you will get out of it, but typically as a student, most of the time you can get away with the cheaper option.

The essential items I will be discussing today consists of the following:

A4 & A2 Carrying Folder
A5 Sketchbook
Grey Lead Pencils
Fine Liners
Black Point Marker
Scale Ruler & Metal Ruler
Tracing Paper
Self Healing Cutting Mat
Utility Knife
Hot Glue Gun
Miscellaneous Items

Now, let’s get into it. Class is now in session.

A4 & A2 Carrying Folder

From day one of architecture school you are most likely going to be carrying several pieces of paper and documents that are really important and really easy to lose, if you aren’t careful with them. As you get older in life, organisation becomes more integral and being able to keep track of significant items is a must; so having carrying folders for your paper is important. You will have sketches, class handouts and presentation pages that you will be carrying around most days, so do yourself a favor and get a carrying folder. This is the cheapest option as you can find them for as low as a dollar and made from recyclable card. They are also quite sturdy and will last a long time if you take care of them. Other carrying systems such as plan tubes are a terrific solution to the same problem, however they can edge on the pricier side of things; this is why I recommend to start out with the cardboard carrying folder/ folio.

A5 Sketchbook

If you see an architect, the chances are that he or she will be holding an A5 sketchbook. It will become your new best friend and you will take it with you everywhere you go, you will take it to class, on holiday, to the park, you will sleep holding it and take it into the shower with you. Okay, maybe not that last one but you get the idea, an A5 sketchbook is an architects go to. The convenience of the size alone is a winning quality and they cost less than a bag of chips. I personally have several A5 sketchbooks going at all times, I have one that I take with me all day each day for general notes, sketches or ideas that come to me, I have a second that I use in the mornings for scheduling my day and for journaling and another by my bedside to be able to write down all of my thoughts at night so I can sleep with an empty mind that isn’t keeping me awake.

Life in the 21st century is very fast paced and our lives seem to be filled with a million things per day, which leads to our brains filling up with things we will inevitably forget, having a notepad to write down what comes to your mind straight away alleviates that issue. Sir Richard Branson may not be an architect, but he is a man that knows a thing or two about being successful and he is one to carry a notepad with him at all times for the reason stated above. Branson once stated that “if you don’t write things down it’s really easy to forget what has been said – and often in business it’s the little things that make a big difference to your customer”. This statement holds direct correlation to that of a conversation with your lecturers or once you are working with an employer or a client. Carry an A5, it will make your life easier.

Grey Lead Pencil

Sketching is an integral part of being an architect and of course as an architecture student. Yes, with the further introduction of technology and CAD software in architecture, sketching has become less common, though it is still the simplest, fasted and most efficient means to get an idea realised. Sketching with pencil is one of the safest ways to work as it allows for manipulation as you can erase lines without having to get a scalpel and scratch out the lines (this isn’t a joke by the way, permanent lines are sometimes removed with blades in drafting practice).

The cheapest options are just regular grey lead pencils, however, a better option is a mechanical pencil as it avoids the need for sharpening of pencil leads constantly as a sharp lead it just a button click away. If you want to step up to the next level though, (and the most expensive option) the true pencil of a drafter is a clutch pencil. The clutch pencil works similarly to a mechanical pencil with a long lead that you eventually replace, however, there is no mechanism to automatically release more lead and it does require you to use a sharpener. This type of pencil though means that you will not only be doing the job correctly but you will really look the part whilst doing so, they are quite unique looking tools and you will have people asking you about it all of the time.

Fine Liner

There is something about sketching with a fine liner that is extremely satisfying. Fine liners create some beautiful line work that is perfect for both sketching artistically and for doing technical detail drawing, and with fine liners being readily available in several widths this is made even simpler. Generally, with my A5 sketchbook, I carry with me a 0.4 fine liner which is perfect for quick sketches and for note taking. Fine liners can vary greatly in price from quite affordable to very expensive, I would recommend a middle range product as the cheaper fine liners can be difficult to draw neatly with.

Image d: Copic Multiliner, Iain Colliver

Black Point Marker

A black marker with a point profile is a very handy tool for quickly adding form or depth to a sketch and for those times when you need a strong thick line, such as for a cut through a section or a wall line in a floor plan. Some markers struggle to keep traction on tracing paper however, due to a slightly oily surface and can lead to bleeding. The best brand that I, along with others in the architecture profession have found that is quite affordable is Sharpie; these markers generally will not bleed and create clean lines that are permanent. For a fast way to shade a drawing or to add colour, always make sure that you carry a black point marker in your bag.

Scale Ruler & Metal Ruler

Rulers are something that an architect cannot really do their job without as straight lines and measurements are crucial to correct and high quality work. There are two types of rulers that you should always have in your bag and ready to be used, these are a scale ruler and a metal ruler. A scale ruler allows you to draw and measure at specified scales without having to do math for each individual line, I recommend buying one of these as soon as you start university because it is going to make your life so much easier. You can buy scale rulers in different profiles and lengths, I recommend getting the 15cm and 30cm scale rulers in an oval profile as opposed to the triangular profile. My reasoning behind this is based on experience as the oval profile allows you to not smudge line work, due to being designed with a curve that allows you to roll away from your lines removing the wet edge from the page. I recommend getting the two sizes as it allows the smaller one to be used for travel convenience and comes in handy quite often, I recommend the full size as your regular ruler.

A metal ruler is also a terrific investment as they do not cost very much and make the process of model making far simpler. Cutting model parts and paper with the strong straight edge of a metal ruler is a far superior method to that of a plastic ruler. It is common that with a blade running along a plastic ruler that the blade will cut into the ruler, thus making the edge now unable to produce straight lines. A metal ruler will still be able to perform the same job from year one through to your working life, as long as you don’t lose it...

Tracing Paper

Tracing paper is always on hand in an architecture practice and it should be to you also. Tracing paper allows architects to quickly make several iterations and adjustments to designs without having to redraw everything in a time consuming manor. Tracing paper can be expensive though and you will most likely be going to go through a lot, so, I have a quick tip for you that some people will turn their noses up at, but, for someone on a university student budget, it just might be the difference between instant noodles and a fresh meal for dinner. Go to your local supermarket and buy a roll of baking paper. Baking paper, to the best part, does the exact same job as real tracing paper, you cannot see through quite as many layers with baking paper as opposed to tracing paper, but for what you’re doing, it will work just fine. This tip will save you a lot of money over the years.

Image f: Trace Paper, Newtown Art Supplies

Self Healing Cutting Mat

When you’re making models, and you will be, you need something to cut on so you don’t destroy your table; this is where the cutting mat comes to the rescue. Made from PVC, cutting mats self heal when sliced and allow for a steady surface to cut objects. These mats come in several sizes, my personal recommendation is an A3 which is big enough to cut whatever you want, yet also smaller enough to travel with if really necessary. You can pick up cutting mats for not very much at all and I definitely recommend you do. Typically, cutting mats will come with guide lines and a grid pattern on their surface to assist you in always making precision cuts.

Utility Knife

A utility knife is an important weapon to add to your arsenal, that should of course, never be used as an actual weapon, other than a weapon to make a killer model… yes I read it, not my best work… Utility knives are far better to use than scissors when cutting for an architect as they allow for far cleaner and more precise cuts. There are several types of utility knifes, however it is hard to say that one is the best as each person may have a preference for the feeling of a certain profile, brand or size. Prices can range greatly though starting from very low and affordable prices. Generally, with a higher price the quality increase is significant, though a cheap one will still do the job most of the time. Please though, remember that these can be very sharp and dangerous so ensure that you are careful and take your time.

Hot Glue Gun

I would make another weapon joke, but, after the last one I think I will give it a miss. Hot glue guns are one of the most efficient tools to assist in model making and you can find them for very low prices if you look in the right places. Like utility knifes above, hot glue guns can be dangerous as the glue and the metal nozzle can get very hot, so do ensure you be careful with them. You can also find replacement glue sticks quite cheaply as well which you will need, because they run out faster than you would think. The more you pay for them, generally the longer they will last, but typically buying many more for far less will still put you in a better position financially.

Miscellaneous Items

This is the part where I talk about the things that aren’t important enough to get their own section but are still integral elements of your EDC. These items include an eraser for obvious reasons, pins or tacks for hanging up work for review, lead refills that fit your mechanical pencils or clutch pencils and a sharpener. For a clutch pencil, you will require a barrel sharpener (pictured above under ‘Grey Lead Pencil’) specifically designed for a clutch pencil, these much like the clutch pencil themselves are quite interesting looking items and will spark questions and conversations in and out of class.

Final Notes:

Hopefully you have enjoyed this first installment in my Architecture School Essentials series, and this list will assist you in making your studies simpler, whilst providing you some clarity on what items you may need to study architecture. Upcoming in the series I will speak to you about essentials such as advanced essentials (a step above today’s list), general university student EDC, as well as the best locations to buy your essentials. Stay tuned for more helpful tips and tricks to make your life easier in architecture school.

Ladies and Gentlemen, class dismissed.

Iain Colliver, SONA, YBA, GKIHS

References:

Kraft Folio: https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/jasart-a3-kraft-folio-ja0245460

Visual Art Diary: https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/derwent-academy-visual-art-diary-110gsm-120-pages-a5-black-acr31070

Sharpie: https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/sharpie-fine-permanent-marker-black-sa20083066

Scale Rule: https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/kent-scale-rule-no-63m-double-sided-ja0010639

Trace Paper: https://www.newtownartsupplies.com.au/modulor-transparent-tracing-paper-rolls-110g-m-0-66x20m/

Cutting Mat: https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/a3-cutting-mat-ow9357

Xacto Knife: https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/x-acto-no-2-precision-cutting-knife-ja0221790

Hot Glue Gun: https://www.ryobi.com.au/products/details/18v-one-hot-glue-gun-r18glu-0

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Iain Colliver