Diagramming the Big Idea - Methods for Architectural Composition

Becoming an architect is a daunting task. Beyond the acquisition of new skills and procedures, beginning designers face an entirely unfamiliar mode of knowledge: design thinking.
In Diagramming the Big Idea, Jeffrey Balmer and Michael T. Swisher introduce the fundamentals of design thinking by illustrating how architects make and use diagrams to clarify their understanding of both specific architectural projects and universal principles of form and order. With accessible, step-by-step procedures that interweave diagrams, drawings and models, the authors demonstrate how to compose clear and revealing diagrams.
This newly revised edition features:

• An expanded array of global and contemporary works of architecture as precedents that demonstrate fundamental aspects of architectural composition.
• Significantly enhanced coloration throughout, including 1400+ revised and new illustrations across 330 pages.
• Three new illustrated essays adding depth to additional components of design thinking.

List of contents

Part I: Setting the Stage. 1. Introduction. 2. Sorting through ideas. 3. Order First. Part II: The First Project Set. 4. Design & drawing fundamentals. 5. Building on proportion. 6. Conventions in Design. Part III: The third project set. 7. Starting in three dimensions. 8. Models & diagrams. Part IV: Precedents. 9. Precedent diagrams in two dimensions. 10. Precedent diagrams in three dimensions. Part V: Resources

About the author

Jeffrey Balmer is associate professor and Michael T. Swisher is professor emeritus of architecture at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Product details

• Authors: Jeffrey (University of North Carolina At C Balmer, Balmer Jeffrey, Michael Swisher
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 23.03.2026
• EAN: 9781032937632
• ISBN: 978-1-0-3293763-2
• No. of pages: 330
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Art > Interior design, design; Graphic Design, The arts: general issues, DESIGN / General, DESIGN / Graphic Arts / General, ARCHITECTURE / Design, Drafting, Drawing & Presentation, Architectural structure & design, ARCHITECTURE / Methods & Materials, ARCHITECTURE / General, ARCHITECTURE / Study & Teaching, DESIGN / Reference, ARCHITECTURE / Reference, Regional & area planning, Civil engineering, surveying & building, Architectural structure and design, Regional and area planning, Civil engineering, surveying and building, The arts: general topics