Architectural working drawings are technical drawings that provide all necessary information to construct a building project using graphical representations. They include plans, sections, elevations, schedules and specifications. The drawings are prepared according to conventions using appropriate scales, symbols and dimensions. They serve to communicate design details to construction teams, guide contractors, and obtain necessary approvals from authorities. Key components of working drawings include title blocks, site plans, floor plans, sections, elevations, structural details and specifications of finishes.

1. ARCHITECTURAL
WORKING DRAWINGS
ARCHITECT SANJIB SENGUPTA

2. What is Architectural Working Drawing.
Is a organized technical drawing of a building (or
building project) having all required information and
instruction in graphical form to enable us to erect the
building/ building project on site/ground. It is called
construction documents(CD). Traditionally, working
drawings consist of 2 dimensional orthogonal projections
of the building or component they are describing, such as
plans, sections, elevations, details, schedules and
specification etc. It is a tool of communication. It is legal
foundation for the project.

3. Purpose of Architectural Working Drawing.
1. To develop a design idea into a coherent proposal.
2. To communicate technical information among design and construction
teams.
3. To provide information for preparation of structural design and
drawings for foundation, columns, beams, floor slabs , staircase and
any other structural component of a building.
4. To provide information for preparation of Acoustic Design, Electrical,
HVAC, mechanical, Fire Fighting, Plumbing, Sanitary, external &
internal finish and interior furnishing etc. drawings.
5. To provide information for preparation of specifications and detailed
estimates for civil, acoustic design, electrical, plumbing, horticulture,
landscape, site development etc. works.
6. To provide information for preparation of Bill of Quantities of various
items and materials to be used in construction of the building.
7. To guide the contractor & construction team.
8. To obtain approval of Local Self Government, Fire Department, Urban
Art Commission and other Statutory Authorities.

4. Purpose of Architectural Working Drawing.
(Cont----)
9. To provide information for preparation of tender document.
10. To show how the design is to be materialized.
11. To serve as reference for supervision of construction works at site.
12. To start and complete the execution of the construction of building
on the basis of the information given in the drawing.
13. To convey the design intent to the contractor for bidding and
construction
14. To prepare the shop drawing, to fabricate components of the works
or to assemble or install components
15. To make a record of existing building/structure and completed
works.
16. Act as a basis for ordering materials and components .
17. Assist in the measurement of construction progress
18. Records of completed works and building that
already exists.

5. How Architectural Working Drawing is prepared
Is made according to a set of conventions, which include particular views (floor
plan, section , elevations, specifications and details etc.), sheet sizes, units of
measurement and scales, annotation and cross referencing, for maintaining the
uniformity of drawing in terms of scale , line weight/thickness, line type , size of
sheet and symbols etc.
Working Drawing may be very simple or very complex depending upon the
project. The complexity of the drawing is a factor in determining the size of sheet.
Is made to show how the design is to be implemented , therefore should give the
contractor exactly the information he needs and relevant data.
Traditionally, consist of 2 dimensional orthogonal projections of the building or
component they are describing, such as plans, sections , elevations and details etc.
Includes title block, dimensions, notation, notes & symbols consistent with
industry standards so that their precise meaning is clear & can be understood.
Specification information can be included on working drawings or in a separate
specification sheet, but information should not be duplicated as this can become
contradictory and may cause confusion.

6. Criteria of good Architectural Working Drawing.
1. Accurately Drawn with appropriate symbols, notations, conventions,
graphical representation and all relevant information.
2. Information should not be duplicated as this can become contradictory
and may cause confusion.
3. Structured and dimensioned well carefully so that they convey
necessary information to carry out particular parts of the works.
4. The Layout of the drawing and text on the drawing shall be such as to
facilitate the reading of drawing and make it possible for essential
references to be located easily.
5. Drawn in appropriate scale logically and neatly arranged and properly
titled.
6. Standard abbreviations, Schedule formats, Material designations.
7. Required information for preparation of tender document.
8. Serve as reference for supervision of construction works at site.
9. The scale at which drawings are prepared should reflect the level of
detail of the information they are required to convey. Different line
thicknesses should be used to provide greater clarity for certain
elements.

7. Layout of Drawings.
1. The layout of drawings shall be such as to facilitate
the reading of drawings and make it possible for
essential references to be located easily.
2. The Standard arrangements shall include all
relevant information and sufficient margins shall
be left from the edges of finished drawings to
facilitate filing and binding where necessary.
3. Margins, the provision of blank border will enable
prints to be trimmed, if necessary, without incurring
the use of uneconomical sizes of sensitized material
to allow for trimming.
4. There should be marked with zones.

8. Basic contents of
Architectural Working
Drawings
1. Title Block
2. Site Layout Plan
3. Column Layout Plan in case of frame
structure building.
4. Foundation layout Plan in case of load
bearing structure.
5. Foundation details
6. Excavation Plans
7. Floor Plans including basement floor if
any
8. Roof Plan
9. Elevations
10. Sections
11. Services Layout plan
12. Door window Details
13. Electrical Layout & HVAC Plan
14. Plumbing layout plan
15. Structural details plan of Footings,
Columns, Beams, Slabs, Staircase etc.
16. Toilet Details
nosing, risers & tread
18. Kitchen details.
19. Iron mongaries
20. Reflected Ceiling plan
21. Typical Details of various components
& elements, like cupboard, flooring
pattern etc.
22. Specification of various finishes and
building materials
23. Shop drawings wherever required.
24. Beam- column layout
25. Brickwork layout
26. PHE drawing
27. Fire Fighting drawing.
28. Drainage system
29. Landscape, Horticulture, Circulation &
Site Development.
30. Furniture Layout
31. Acoustic Design
32. Area Calculation
33. Internal & External Colour Scheme
34. Schedules.

9. Size of Drawing Sheet.
Sl. No. Designation Trimmed Size
In mm
Untrimmed
Size in mm
1. A0 841 x 1189 880 x 1230
2. A1 594 x 841 625 x 880
3. A2 420 x 594 450 x 625
4. A3 297 x 420 330 x 450
5. A4 210 x 297 240 x 330
6. A5 148 x 210 165 x 240
The trimmed sizes are on the following basic principles
1. Two successive sizes of the series are obtained by halving or doubling. Consequently,
the surface areas of two successive sizes are in the ratio of 1:2 appx.
2. The formats or forms are geometrically similar to one another , the sides of each size
being in the ratio of 1:√2.
3. The surface area of the basic size A0 is one square metre

10. Title Block
1.The title block is an important
feature in a drawing , since it
facilitates obtaining uniformity and
presents in definite manner the
details like title of drawing, Job
Title, Name of Organization or
Firm, Name of Architect, Name of
Structural Engineer, Drawing
Number, Scale, Date of Drawing,
North Direction , Dated initials of
Technical Staff preparing checking
the drawing, Revision Panels, Key
Plan, Notes, List of Reference
Drawings, Schedules etc.
2. The width of title block shall be
150 mm.

11. Title Block ( contd.---)
Standard Notes in Title Block:
1. This Drawing has been prepared on the basis of preliminary architectural drawings
bearing number_____________.
2. All dimensions are in “mm” unless otherwise specified.
3. Drawing not to be measured only written dimensions to be followed.
4. This drawing should be read in conjunction with relevant Architectural/structural
drawing .
5. The sizes of Columns and Beams in this drawing are in accordance with Structural
Drawing number __________.
6. Any discrepancies between this drawing and correspondence/ related structural
drawing should immediately be brought to the notice of the Architect before execution
and work should not be carried out at site till the discrepancies are not removed.
7. All external walls are _____mm thick and all internal walls are _____mm thick Brick/
RCC walls unless otherwise specified.
8. The building shall be constructed in full compliance with all applicable codes,
ordinances and regulations as well as the drawings and specifications. Any code
deficiencies in the drawings recognized by the contractor should be brought to the
attention of the architect for clarification.
9. Any other notes as deemed fit by the Architect and relevant to the drawing.

12. Title Block ( contd.---)
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENT SHEET NUMBERS AND SHEET ORDER
United States National CAD Standard:
Components of the Sheet Number:-
• There are three components that make up sheet numbers in a set of construction
documents. The first two letters, the discipline designators, identify the construction
discipline that the sheet covers - architectural sheets, plumbing sheets, structural sheets,
etc. The third digit, the sheet type, is a number that represents the type of drawings that
are on the sheet - plans, sections, details, schedules, etc. The final two digits, the
sequence numbers, are numbers that simply place the sheets in order.
• The Discipline Designator can be a single letter or a double-letter. Very large or complex
projects will want to make use of the double-letter designations to help sub-divide each
discipline further.
• The Sheet Types Designator takes the drawings of a single discipline and organizes
them. Drawings are always organized from most general to most specific or specialized.
Since plans are most helpful to see the overall design of the project, they come first.
Elevations and sections are a bit more specific and come next followed by details and
schedules, which are the most specific type of drawings.
• Sequence Number, which is two-digit between 01 and 99. The sequence numbers do not
have to be sequential so that space may be left within the set for future additions.

13. Title Block ( contd.---)
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENT SHEET NUMBERS AND SHEET ORDER
The following table indicates the primary (single) letter designations that may be used and the order that the
disciplines should take. In this case, a hyphen shall be inserted in place of the secondary discipline designator so that
the format remains.
Designator Name Additional Description
Cover Sheet
G General Sheet list, symbols, code summary, etc.
H Hazardous Materials Abatement, handling, etc.
V Survey / Mapping
B Geotechnical
C Civil
L Landscape
S Structural
A Architectural
I Interiors
Q Equipment
F Fire Protection
P Plumbing
D Process

14. Title Block ( contd.---)
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENT SHEET NUMBERS AND SHEET ORDER
Designator Name Additional Description
M Mechanical
E Electrical
T Telecommunications
R Resource Existing Condition/ Building
X Other Disciplines
Z Contractor / Shop Drawings
O Operations
The Sheet Types designator takes the drawings of a single discipline and organizes
them. Drawings are always organized from most general to most specific or specialized.
Since plans are most helpful to see the overall design of the project, they come first.
Elevations and sections are a bit more specific and come next followed by details and
schedules, which are the most specific type of drawings.

15. Site Layout plans
Site plans usually show the extent of the site but no surrounding detail.
Recommended scales are:
1 : 500, 1 : 200
The function of the site plan is to show:
1. The location of the proposed building or buildings with reference to a bench
mark and in relation to surroundings of the plot.
2. The topography of the site, with both existing and finished levels.
3. Existing Buildings to be demolished or removed or retained.
4. The extent of earthworks, included, cutting and filling, and the provision of
bank and retaining walls.
5. Roads, footpaths, hard standings and paved areas.
6. Planting.
7. The layout of external service runs, including drainage, water, gas,
electricity, telephone, etc.
8. The layout of external lighting.
9. Fencing, walls and gates.
10. The location of miscellaneous external components – bollards, litter bins,
etc.

16. Column Layout Plan in Case of Framed
Structured Building
Thumb rules to be followed for column layout plan are:-
1. Always Plan a Column layout on a planning grid.
2. Column Spacing, i.e. Distances between columns in X
& Y Directions.
3. Show Column numbers.
4. Show Sizes of Columns
5. Show Alignment of Columns

17. Foundation Layout Plan in Case of
Framed Load Bearing Building
Site plans usually show the extent of the site but no surrounding detail.
Recommended scales are:
1 : 500
1 : 200
The function of the site plan is to show:
1. The location of the building or buildings in relation to their surroundings.
2. The topography of the site, with both existing and finished levels.
3. Buildings to be demolished or removed.
4. The extent of earthworks, included, cutting and filling, and the provision of
bank and retaining walls.
5. Roads, footpaths, hard standings and paved areas.
6. Planting.
7. The layout of external service runs, including drainage, water, gas,
electricity, telephone, etc.
8. The layout of external lighting.
9. Fencing, walls and gates.
10. The location of miscellaneous external components – bollards, litter bins,
etc.

20. Foundation Layout

23. Elevation

24. Staircase Details

25. Floor and Parapet details

26. Electrical drawing.