Seeing the invisible. Analytical drawings by construction history pioneers. Research field overview

Abstract

The history of construction is a discipline that began to take shape in the mid-18th century and throughout the 19th century. We as researchers need to pay particular attention to how drawing facilitated progress during this period. This article attempts to provide an overview of the above, which is currently lacking. Methods: In this study, two lines of investigation intersect: the history of construction and the history of drawing, specifically drawing for scientific and technical representation. The main goal is to identify the sources (authors, lines of investigation) relevant to this field, as well as to characterize the role of drawing in the authors’ work, and to describe the spread of drawing as nonverbal thinking. Results: We have identified a number of relevant authors, described their lines of research, and listed the functions fulfilled by drawing in each case. The functions include: hypothesizing about hidden structures, visualizing the construction processes, and providing a virtual definition for elements that make up a vault. We also review how some drawings acted as a visual model of the constructive reality, or how parallel drawings served as a reflection of the different buildings’ size and scale. Discussion: This overview adjusts some points of reference for a general picture. For having a complete understanding of the subject, it will be necessary to identify more sources and to extend the geographical scope of this search in the future. There is still much research to be done on the spread of the drawings in question.