1. APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY
BUILDING SECTIONS
APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY

2. WHAT IS A BUILDING SECTION?
A building section is a scaled drawing of a building showing what it would look like if the entire building was sliced vertically, and then a part removed, so that interior can be seen.
What other drawing also cuts through a building so the interior can be seen? How is this drawing different?
Floor plans cut through a building horizontally. The cutting plane is normally 4 feet above the ground.

3. WHAT IS A BUILDING SECTION?
Building sections can be cut in two ways:
Longitudinal – through the length of the building technical drawing.
Cross – through the width of the building technical drawing.

4. CREATING A BUILDING SECTION
Orthographic projection is utilized to create building sections. Architects make reference to floor plan and elevation drawings.
The Floor Plan establishes the length or width of the building while the Elevation drawing establishes the height of elements on the exterior of the building.

5. BUILDING SECTION SYMBOL
A building section symbol typically looks like this
The line attached to the elevation symbol helps define the cutting plane.
The cutting plane line is meant to be continuous. However, Architects normally show a portion of the cutting plane line as it cuts through the walls on both sides of the building (Front/Back or Sides) so that this line isn’t confused with other lines on the drawing (i.e. dimension lines, object lines).
The thick bar at the end of the section symbol shows the direction of view.

6. BUILDING SECTION SYMBOL
The Longitudinal Section through the house cuts through the Living Room and Dining Room on the First Floor of the house. One would be able to see the stairs in the section. If the direction of view is changed, one would see the Kitchen, Coat Closet and Powder Room doors, and the Living Room furniture. The Cross Section of the house can be seen on the slide about Design Sections.

7. TYPES OF BUILDING SECTIONS
There are three types of building sections with which we should be familiar:
Design sections
Construction sections
Walls sections

8. TYPES OF BUILDING SECTIONS
Design Sections
A simplified drawing of a building that helps to show the arrangement and relationship between spaces inside a building.
Design Sections are for the client to understand how spaces are related between floors. In the picture above, the Powder Room located on the First Floor of the house is directly under the Bathroom on the Second Floor. Architects often draw people to give the client a sense of scale.

9. TYPES OF BUILDING SECTIONS
Construction Sections
A section drawing that indicates
Specific materials
Connections
Dimensions of the building
Construction Sections are created for contractors/subcontractors to use in the pricing and construction of a building. Notes often specify types of materials and how these elements will be connected (screws, bolts, nails, clips, etc.).

10. TYPES OF BUILDING SECTIONS
Wall Sections
A more detailed section showing connections between a wall and a floor/roof Also mentions specific materials and dimensions of the building.
A Wall Section is a Construction Section drawn to a larger scale in order to isolate specific construction details. A wall section may show how a wall is supporting a roof or how an opening for a window/door is framed within a wall.

11. WHERE ARE SECTIONS USED IN OTHER PROFESSIONS?
Sections are used in medical professions to study parts of the human body.
Scientist often dissect organisms and create sections of the organs on the inside of the body. Often times we see sections of different systems within the body while visiting a doctors office.

12. HOW ARE SECTIONS USED IN OTHER PROFESSIONS?
A section was created using the map of New Orleans to help explain the flooding during Hurricane Katrina.
Cartographers often make maps of cities. They may also create sections to study the topography (slope of the land) in a particular area.

13. HOW ARE SECTIONS USED IN OTHER PROFESSIONS?
Sections are used to help explain how technology works.
Sections can be cut in three dimensions as well as two dimensions.