When you order an architectural project, what you end up with is a set of drawings — the document the building is approved and built from. But which drawings does it include, and what is each one for? In this article we explain the contents of an architectural project in plain terms.
Concept design vs working drawings — what's the difference
The concept design is the first stage: it sets the building's massing, layout and appearance. At this stage you get 3D visualisation and approve what the house will look like. The working drawings are the detailed technical documentation — this is where the full set of architectural drawings the builder works from is prepared.
Concept and 3D visualisation →Working drawings and approval →
List of architectural drawings
- Site plan — the building's position on the plot, setbacks, entrances and the yard.
- Floor plans — rooms, walls, doors and windows, dimensions and areas.
- Sections — a "slice" through the building: floor heights, the staircase, the floors and roof.
- Elevations — every side of the building with materials and levels.
- Roof plan — pitches, drainage and structural elements.
- Junctions and details — complex connections that must be built exactly on site.
- Door and window schedule and the schedule of areas.
- 3D visualisation — so the client and the builder see the result the same way.
What each drawing is for
Site plan and floor plans
The site plan shows that the building meets the plot's building conditions (K1, K2, setbacks) — which makes it one of the key documents for the permit. The floor plans define how the house is lived in: where the bedroom is, how the kitchen connects to the living room, how many bathrooms there are.
Sections and elevations
Sections tell the builder the heights and structural layers, while elevations show how the building looks and which materials it's finished in. It's the elevations that define the character of the house and how it's seen from the street.
Details and specifications
Details are where quality is made or lost: the junction between roof and wall, the window detail, waterproofing. The more precise the details, the less improvisation and extra cost there is on site.
Architectural drawings and the building permit
Exactly what's needed for the permit depends on the building class — a small Class I building needs a simplified package, while Class II and III buildings need a full architectural and structural design. Because the drawings are prepared to the regulations, the same set is used both for approval and on the construction site.
Getting a building permit — stages and timelines →
Architectural and structural drawings — one team
Architectural drawings define how a building looks and works; structural drawings define how it stands. When both are prepared by one team, the drawings match each other and no conflicts appear on site.
Need architectural drawings?
Asymmetry prepares the full set of architectural drawings — from the sketch to the working drawings and the permit, all in one team.