Summary – Carlos Mo Wu

In Michael Graves’ “Architecture and the Lost Art of Drawing,” which was published in the September 1, 2012 edition of the New York Times, Graves states the differences between computer-aided designs and hand drawings. Graves argues that computer software is destroying the true concept of architecture. Graves asks “Are our hands becoming obsolete as creative tools? Are they being replaced by machines? And where does that leave the architectural creative process?” and points out that “Architecture cannot divorce itself from drawing, no matter how impressive the technology gets.” Not all architects would agree with his idea of how computer is damaging the concept of architecture. The author himself tells us “…there’s nothing inherently problematic about that…” As Graves shows, technology is dominating the fundamental meaning of architecture which forces architects to draw using computers rather than their own hands.