Abstract
Images are signs, which are essential for engineering and all creative disciplines. Our relation to the world is always intermediated by signs. Drawings are used in architecture and other creative disciplines in the design processes to develop and refine ideas and concepts. Finally the results of the design processes are also represented by drawings. Drawings or more general visual representations in its various characteristics have to be understood as elements of a sign system. The foundations of the drawings are the geometrical figures representing the ideas and the geometric projection methods. The role of abstraction for the drawings is expressed by the relationship between ideas and geometric figures. Geometry gives the background for various kinds and levels of abstractions. The most important evaluation criterion for the quality of representations has to be, how the object of planning and designing is represented in its essential aspects. It is necessary to isolate the various aspects and to represent each of them with an appropriate visualization. The possibilities of digital 3D-representations do not change the main characteristics. The 3D-model is also a visual representation with the difference that the recipient is able to see the model from various viewpoints and to produce his/her own images. Understanding the different geometric projection methods for receiving 2D-images of the spatial object is still necessary, even more to control the navigation process in the 3D-model and its parameters. These considerations lead to the following topics essential for the education in graphics: Geometric projection methods with their characteristics behind the various visual representations, visual representations as signs in the communication process with their different requirements and references, backgrounds and methods of a wide range of visual representations, practiced in reasonable application scenarios integrated in study projects. The relationship between spatial thinking and visual representations will be emphasized and the ideas illustrated by some students’ examples.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Bense, M.: Das Universum der Zeichen. Agis Verlag, Baden-Baden (1983)
Bernays, P.: The philosophy of mathematics and Hilbert’s proof theory. www.phil.cmu.edu/projects/bernays/Pdf/bernays09_2002-07-26.pdf (1930)
Bill, M.: Präzisierungen zur konkreten Gestaltung. Zürich (1947)
Burmester, L.: Grundzüge der Reliefperspective nebst Anwendung zur Herstellung reliefperspectivischer Modelle. Leipzig (1883)
El-Said, I., Parman, A.: Geometric concept in Islamic art (1976)
Fachbereich Architektur (ed.): rup - Rebuilding Ulm Pavilion. Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern (2012)
Fachbereich Architektur (ed.): All School Charrette Stirling Hoch3. Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern (2013)
Fonatti, F.: Elementare Gestaltungsprinzipien in der Architektur. Buch- und Kunstverlag, Wien 1982, 5th edn (1987)
Knauer, R.: Entwerfen und Darstellen. Die Zeichnung als Mittel des architektonischen Entwurfs. Ernst & Sohn, Berlin (1991)
Leopold, C.: Geometrische Grundlagen der Architekturdarstellung. Springer Vieweg, Wiesbaden. 4th edn (2012)
Leopold, C., Kretzer, A., García-Hípola, M., Lorenzo Cueva, C., Cocchiarella, L., Leoni, F., Dillenburger, B., Hao, H. (ed.): structural architecture - geometry, code and design II. A Hermit’s Cabin. Erasmus Intensive Programme in Kaiserslautern 2012. Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, Germany. http://issuu.com/architektur.uni-kl/docs/summerschool-kaiserslautern2012 (2013)
March, L., Steadman, P.: The Geometry of Environment (1971)
Malvasia, C.C.: Felsina Pittrice. Vite de pittori bolognesi, vol. 1, Bologna, p. 468. https://archive.org/stream/felsinapittricev01malv (1678)
Metzger, W.: Gesetze des Sehens. Waldemar Kramer Frankfurt 1975 (1936); engl.: Laws of Seeing. MIT Press Cambridge (2006)
Moholy-Nagy, L.: Komposition Q XX, 1923, © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. www.artmagazine.cc/ (2014)
Oechslin, W.: Geometry and line. The Vitruvian “Science” of architectural drawing. In: Daidalos 1, pp. 20–35 (1981)
Peirce, C.S.: On the foundations of mathematics. Ms. 7, §1. (1903)
Peirce, C.S.: CP 2.92 (1902)
Schneider, B.: Perspective refers to the viewer, axonometry refers to the object. In: Daidalos 1, pp. 81–95 (1981)
Stirling, J., Wilford, M. and Associates: Buildings & projects 1975–1992. Hatje Cantz, Stuttgart (1994)
Ulmer Museum/HfG-Archiv (ed.): ulmer modelle—modelle nach ulm. Hochschule Gestaltung Ulm 1952–1968. Ulm (2003)
Wittkower, R.: Allegory and the migration of symbols. Thames & Hudson, London (1987)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Leopold, C. (2015). Visual Representations for Spatial Thinking. In: Cocchiarella, L. (eds) The Visual Language of Technique. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05326-4_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05326-4_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-05325-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-05326-4
eBook Packages: Mathematics and StatisticsMathematics and Statistics (R0)