| Have you ever stood and watched a high building | | | | drafters. From the architects or designers sketches |
| being erected in a large city? It is interesting to see the | | | | they make the drawings or plans, and in many cases |
| elevator carry a person with materials like sheet rock | | | | do original designing themselves. A master drafter is in |
| and metal studs to the upper floors and the crane lift | | | | charge of all the others in the drafting room and are |
| huge steel girders high in the air. But have you ever | | | | considered the architects "right-hand man." |
| stopped to wonder how each person knows where to | | | | To become an architectural drafter a person may |
| place each particular girder, wall, stair, window, etc.? If | | | | enter an architects office as an apprentice. This is rare |
| you asked one of the supervisors, they might show | | | | these days but still happens from time to time. At first |
| you the plans that show them where and how each | | | | they are given only basic office work to do. After a |
| and everything should be placed. | | | | while they are put to the task of making small tracings |
| Or how about watching a house grow from a ditch in | | | | and other less important work. Once they have the |
| the ground to a fully finished home for a family. Most | | | | basics, they are probably then trained to do original |
| likely you will see these builders reading from large | | | | drawings on the drafting board or trained to use a |
| pieces of paper containing each element of the | | | | CAD (Computer Aided Drafting) program on the |
| proposed home. These are called Architectural Plans. | | | | computer. |
| From ancient days to the present, almost all structures | | | | Another method of learning to be an architectural |
| of any type, from a outbuilding to a high rise apartment | | | | drafter is to enter a vocational school. Here is where |
| have been built with a plan. In modern building, the | | | | the beginner will be given practical work like in an |
| architect or designer plans every detail from the | | | | office, and will be exposed to the principles of all kinds |
| roofing material right down to the floor coverings. They | | | | of architectural drafting. As a result of this they will be |
| have to show in their drawings exactly how the | | | | better equipped to enter almost any architectural |
| finished building will look both inside and out. They must | | | | office and would not be restricted in their choice of a |
| indicate the kinds of material that are used and the | | | | field. There are many fine drafting schools over the |
| exact spot where each element needs to be placed. | | | | internet to choose from also. |
| Everything in those building plans must be so clear that | | | | There is an ever increasing need for drafters. Even if |
| any builder, by looking at the drawings and reading the | | | | the weather or season is unfit for building, there is |
| written instructions will know exactly what to do. | | | | always need of drafters in designing and planning |
| In order to make the huge amount of plans required it | | | | buildings. There are thousands of buildings and homes |
| is many times necessary that the architect or designer | | | | built every year and each of them requires a certain |
| hire a number of people known as architectural | | | | number of drafters. |