Making a case for architectural illustration as a storytelling tool
London design studio dMFK understand the important of the image - and Beedier speaks to their in-house architectural illustrator Maxim Tooker about the ongoing relevance of the human hand and eye
In recent years, artificial intelligence has emerged as the latest in a long string of image-making technological advancements that have revolutionised the ways that architects both develop and visualise ideas. This revolution has come with a plethora of benefits, enabling even relatively inexperienced designers and students to quickly generate a wide range of concepts.
However, the model of ‘artificial’ intelligence provokes a question – can AI communicate the essence of an idea as successfully as the human hand? In the same way that hand drawings have retained their relevance amidst significant CGI technology innovations, I believe there remains a compelling case for architectural illustrations as a storytelling tool.
Sketches have been used by architects to communicate their design proposals to clients, collaborators and the public for hundreds of years, from Villard’s flying buttresses at Reims Cathedral in the fourteenth century, to Utzon’s iconic Platforms and Plateaus diagram that inspired the Sydney Opera House from 1962.
AI-generated and other computer-generated imagery have a certain finiteness to them, and in many respects suggest an inflexibility in their resolution. In contrast, hand drawings give architects the opportunity to explore design in a more fluid, open-ended way as proposals develop. I believe their roles are distinct – illustrations provide a window to an evolving story, whilst CGIs provide a more literal, static picture.
When putting proposals forward to the public, enabling as wide an audience as possible to understand and engage with them is important. This is vital to ensure everyone can picture themselves in the completed development and communicate what they think does or doesn’t work.
The built environment should be accessible, functional and welcoming for all; I think visualisations have a significant role in encouraging people to voice their opinions.
I’ve found that proposals communicated through architectural illustrations prompt more distinct, personal responses; their implied sense of flexibility enable people to interpret scenes through their own unique lens and encourage them to use their imagination. Regardless of their knowledge of architecture, people feel more empowered to consider whether proposals would have a positive impact on their quality of life – and, if not, what changes could make that happen.
Maxim Tooker is an architectural illustrator at dMFK Architects. Along with extensive experience in architectural design, he specialises in illustration both professionally and through personal art practice, and is an elected member of the Society of Architectural Illustrators.