Episode 1: Introduction

Welcome back to my blog guys!

Today marks the first episode of the preliminary design stage series, which will be talking about introduction or introductory sheet. For the purpose of this series, I will be choosing a residential design project to give a more practical and in depth explanation.

The introduction is the initial or first stage which kickstarts the further process of the design project. Every design project is given an introductory stir that paves the path for the successive stages in the project. It is important to make explanations and introductory sketches because it gives the first impression of what the content of the project is about. Imagine introducing yourself to a stranger for the first time. It gives them a slight impression of who you are which helps them decide on whether they want to know you better or not. As your first impression is important to other people, so is your attempt to introducing any project.

In architectural education, introductory sheets are a way of showing your jury panel and audience that you have the necessary information required for embarking on that project. It shows that you have done your research and gives you an upper hand at defending your work. The introductory sheet mainly consists the following:

• Definition of terms:

The prominent keywords are to be defined. For example, “residential buildings” is my main keyword for this project.

• Brief background:

A brief explanation of residential buildings or a house will be given. For example, spaces found in a house, their uses, etc. will be explained.

• Aim and objectives of the project:

The aim of the project should also be stated and the objectives on how the aim will be achieved.

The following are some guidelines on how to properly do an introductory sheet:

• Be short and crisp: Too much words makes the sheet unattractive. Try to be short and crisp. Explain the contents in simple grammar and vocabulary.

• Be clear in what you write: The introduction must be written in the most simple but attractive manner. What you pen down should be clear and easy to understand. If the first part is complicated, it will reduce the interest of readers to go through the preliminary write-up of the design project.

• Make good and elaborate sketches: It is important to make nice sketches in order to make your idea of the design clear to the readers. It helps build interest and it makes it easier for you to sell your idea to the readers and draw more of their attention.

• Make your writing legible: Your writing should be neat, legible, and big enough for your jury to read from a distance. It is advisable you use capital letters. Make guidelines for the text, it makes it more appealing and organized.

Some part of the introduction goes hand in hand with literature review and case studies which will be discussed in the next post. Do you have any tips you would like to share? Feel free to share them in the comment section. Thank you for reading and stay tuned!