Aerial View Maps

How should a draw a location map and draw additional sketches to show relative dimensions?

I've been given a project to do before starting uni based on 'Shelters' of any kind as an investigation to look at space. I have to have freehand drawings of the 'Shelter' showing relative dimensions in relationship to my body - How should I show this?! I also have to include a site showing the location, should I do this as an aerial view or from a perspective? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Public Comments

1. Some of each. Different 'views' are used because each one is an excellent way to show a particular type of information. As to scale, there is a rule called 'continuous reference'. If you show one view (eg an elevation) that contains a silhouette of yourself (or any other 'sample' human), this gives the viewer an idea of scale. But in other views (eg a context map, or a perceptual map), this silhouette is useless, because it might be too small to see properly, or it appears 'in plan'. Using 'continuous reference', you would include several 'scale objects' in the same view, such as a lamp-post, a human, and a 'standard' house. In this way, you establish a relationship between each object and the others, so that any of these objects could be used to show scale in a view that wouldn't suit another one. They don't all have to appear in the same view, as long as you can 'chain' them together. So your human silhouette might appear in a view with the lamp-post, and the lamp-post might appear in a perceptual map with a 100-metre running track. If all of your scale objects are shown in the same style and colour, and the same style and colour are NOT used for anything else, they can be easily picked out by viewers as meaningful. They could also be listed in the 'key', together with other symbols and 'conventions' that are used in the drawings. Even in rough or hand-draughted sketches, a symbol system and a key can be really useful.