The role of the hand
by
Arthur Lehloenya
M.Arch (Prof) 2015 - University of Pretoria
You can cheat your way through an exam, because all architects under the spell of the hand understand it is a representation of the architect’s ideas. And ideas are never cast in stone, but allow for the evolution of the design even further. Time is their only restriction.
The hand forms an integral part of the process of a design. The understanding of all matters explained to us through our education; the sun and how far shadows fall, the scale of human to building, identity of the architect through sharp angular lines or skew lines that depict the way they design, understanding materiality, and light. All these components are understood by hand. The hand takes you through the journey. We experience the way the architect understands culture through the way he draws his people. Through the drawing we read how violent and contestative the architect could be and we see the decisions taken.
The plan.
Drawings that allow for one to see the evolution of the plan from conception to finalisation through bumf, in itself becomes art and how pleasing it is to see finished drawings with mistakes, because it is understood that all humans make mistakes.
When I had access to Herbert Baker’s original drawings obtained from the National Archives in Pretoria; seeing the erased lines, and the phrase ‘omitted’ and then realising that this is the man who designed the Union Buildings and how it serves purpose to this day, left me wondering why every student cannot explore the hand.
My work required the hand, not because I am good at it but because the nature of the project required multiple iterations, and an understanding of the interior shell of the structure. Essentially the building proposed has no externality, it does not suffer from the harsh realities of changing weather patterns, and it is a stable, peaceful, quiet and suited for a place of debate.
The section.
The section was important, and not having had access to the interior of the Union Buildings it had to be reimagined, and assumptions had to be made. As one draws and deliberates: I noticed that the repetitions of the columns, the order of symmetry, the shape of the arches, the number of stairs on the amphitheatre, the roof type - all these become informants for the design. Especially given that it is a heritage building that required a right kind of response that adheres to a proposed future and a rich past.
I encourage all to draw. Learn to love the hand. I carried out half of my thesis year with a broken hand, and still managed to put something on paper!