Drawing Proper/Drawing Improper

Drawing Proper/Drawing Improper is a meditation on contemporary architectural drawing practice framed through 56 artifacts created by 28 architectural firms from around the globe.

Each drawing replies to a simple prompt: How can architectural drawing be dutiful? How can it be mischievous? This open-ended question invited diverse responses, spanning the spectrum from practical to whimsical.

By presenting this dichotomy--dutiful or mischievous--the book's drawings expose the diverse and often conflicting values embedded in the practice of representing architecture. Some adhere strictly to functional rigor, while others embody open-ended explorations with no fixed outcome.

In this way, Drawing Proper/Drawing Improper expands the scope of architectural drawing, revealing the diverse motivations and approaches within the field. The collection is a testament to the diversity of thought and method that characterizes architectural practice today.

Accompanied by descriptions of the works and a series of reflective essays and interludes by Anca Matyiku and Marc Swackhamer, editor Kevin Hirth brings varied drawing practices into conversation, offering a dynamic cross-section of contemporary architecture. Contributors include: Current Interests, Perry Kulper, Frank Fantauzzi & Charie O'Green, CJ Lim, Lanza Atelier, NEME Studio, Norman Kelley, Office CA, William O'Brien Jr., The Open Workshop, Outpost Office, T8 Projects, Nada Subotincic, SORT // Studio, Variable Projects, Mark West, Design Earth, Alam Profeta, Studio Ames, Studio Sean Canty, Now Here, Bair Balliet, JaJa Co, CJ Lim, Medium Office, HouMinn, EXTENTS, and Hume Coover Studio.