Within the Space of Drawing: Lines and the Locus of Creation in Architectural Design

Abstract

This paper considers the practice of drawing lines in the context of architectural design. The core argument is that drawing lines generates the conditions for creative thought. Moreover, this initial claim is discussed in the context of the creative process in architectural design, as lines play an indispensable role in the locus of creation. First, the so-called “representational paradigm” about hand drawing is critically discussed, leading to the exposition of a new philosophical account regarding drawing. This new position consists of three theses: (I) it regards the drawing surface as a topos or “space of drawing”; (II) it regards drawings as situated figurations; (III) and it regards lines as processes. Jointly, these three theses form the “performative paradigm”, casting each aspect of the drawing process in terms of an unfolding dynamic in which inhabitative imagination and aesthetic sensibility play decisive roles. Lastly, these conclusions are formalized in a design model.