How I Sketch + Design Architectural Details

Sketch with me in this video as I design custom details for a residential project. Inventing bespoke solutions to design challenges is the reason I love designing homes. Often, if I’m stuck on a design brief, I’ll zoom in and begin sketching a detail. There’s something about the scale and how manageable it is to solve simple problems that helps me move forward. For me, this process always starts in my sketchbook (or on the iPad) and then I’ll move to the computer to draw it more precisely following that. Starting informally with a sketch allows me to be free and fast with ideas and it leads me to other threads I hadn’t anticipated. You’ll see this in the video as I chase down a few absurd ideas. The process begins with a design brief: in this case the hanging coats at the entry wall and adding a flip-down desk near the pantry area. I then compile inspiration imagery (like the military field desks) and grab a ruler to have on hand as I’m designing. Relating to the human scale is a