AutoCAD Training | Guide to AutoCAD for Architectural Design
Having graduated, many budding architects quickly realize that mastering architectural drafting is not just about knowing how to draw; it's about understanding best practices for detailing, annotation, and presentation. This is especially critical in the modern architectural landscape where precision, speed, and clarity are paramount.
- 4+ hours of premium content
- 10 step-by-step video lessons
- Future updates included
About this course
Having graduated, many budding architects quickly realize that mastering architectural drafting is not just about knowing how to draw; it's about understanding best practices for detailing, annotation, and presentation. This comprehensive AutoCAD training covers real-world architectural applications using the iconic Farnsworth House as our project.
This comprehensive AutoCAD course establishes you as a precision drafting specialist through the iconic Farnsworth House project, teaching you industry-standard architectural drafting techniques that ensure clear communication with clients, consultants, and contractors. You'll master line weight conventions, annotation systems, and layer organization that form the foundation of professional architectural documentation.
The Farnsworth House serves as the perfect learning vehicle for understanding modernist architectural principles within a drafting context, from spatial clarity to material expression. You'll develop expertise in creating comprehensive construction drawings including plans, elevations, sections, and details that meet professional architectural standards.
Advanced workflow techniques include workspace optimization, tool customization, and drawing management strategies that accelerate the drafting process while maintaining accuracy. The course covers keyboard shortcuts, template creation, and file organization that maximize productivity in professional practice.
These foundational skills position you to excel in contemporary architectural practice where precision drafting and clear technical communication remain essential regardless of technological advances in BIM and 3D modeling.
What will you learn?
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This course will turn you into:
A precision drafting specialist
Master AutoCAD's architectural tools through the iconic Farnsworth House project. Learn industry-standard drafting techniques, line weight conventions, and annotation systems that ensure your drawings communicate clearly to clients, consultants, and contractors.
A technical documentation expert
Develop expertise in creating comprehensive construction drawings including plans, elevations, sections, and details. Learn proper layer organization, plotting techniques, and sheet setup that meet professional architectural documentation standards.
An efficient workflow professional
Gain skills in workspace optimization, tool customization, and drawing management that accelerate the drafting process. Learn keyboard shortcuts, template creation, and file organization strategies that maximize productivity in professional practice.
Syllabus
The first lesson explains some best practices for setting up your workspace and identifies some key tools you need to bank on your interface for an efficient workflow.
Here, we move into an explanation of all relevant tools for an architect so you understand what to use and when, when it comes to your drawings. Using the right drawing tool can save hours!
Drawing basics and making the most of tools such as snaps is explored in this lesson so you're ready to start drawing in lesson 4!
This course is based on the iconic Farnsworth House and this lesson starts us off with importing the drawings of this property and we show you how to scale and trace over the imports so you can draw up the project as if you were Mies van der Rohe himself.
Important topics like hatching, dashed linework, furniture, door swings, labelling and so on are covered in this lesson to make sure your drawings are spot on.
With the floor plans developed we move into showing you how to produce perfect elevations that line through with the floor plans, an important principle to understand for all your projects.
In this lesson we show you how to add depth and relief to your elevations with the use of shadows and hatching.
Your drawings are useless if they don't go on a sheet! This lesson shows you how to bring what you've drawn in model space into sheets, setting the right scale and working with title blocks.
Plotting refers to two results, printing a hard copy or a digital copy to PDF. This lesson explains how you set plot styles for the perfect drawing to serve both purposes.
With everything drawn and ready for plotting, we finalise the drawings with a series of dimensions to set the project out and emphasise the scale of the proposal.
Meet your instructor
Jack Johnson
Architectural Director
ThreeForm Architects
Hi, I'm Jack. I am the founder and director of ThreeForm Architects. I have a track record in the design and construction of new-build and heritage led refurbishment projects in residential and commercial sectors. My main specialisms are in high-end residential design and conservation architecture. I head up day-to-day operations at ThreeForm, focusing on drawing quality, accuracy and ensuring that the studio delivers on budget and on time. My teaching style, therefore, adopts a similar approach focusing on accuracy and the importance of this in practice.
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