House elevations are architectural drawings that show how a home will look from specific angles. In another way, house elevations are two dimensional pictures of the façade of a house or interior features that have faces projecting from a flat, solid background. Elevations are a key part of the way architects communicate their designs with clients and the contractors who will build the home. Like all architectural drawings, house elevations are drawn to scale, meaning that the length and thickness of each line directly corresponds with measurements of the finished home. In Sri Lanka 1/8 inch to 1 foot scale is common.
A well-executed elevation should be both informative and evocative. Elevations include references to many specifications for framing and exterior finishes. Roof slopes, ceiling heights, finished floor heights, and roofing and siding materials are usually identified on elevation sheets.
Like other architectural drawings, elevations are a set of instructions. They’re directions for how many, where to position, how to connect the pieces of a house!
The four sides of a building and the directions they face comprise exterior elevations. Indicated on the drawing, the facing-side, whether north, south, east or west, is drawn from the position the façade faces. It also includes the fabrications used in the elevation, such as brick, stone or a combination of materials.
The front elevation is a straight-on view of the house as if you were looking at it from a spot on the front side of the house. Also called an "entry elevation," the front elevation shows home features such as entry doors, windows, the front porch and any items that protrude from the home, such as side porches or chimneys. However, side walls are not visible at all unless they will be built at an angle that is visible from the front view.
Architects distinguish side elevations by right and left side, determined as if you were facing the front of the house. Directional notations, such as "Right side elevation" help minimize confusion when interpreting the drawings. Side elevations are useful for showing windows and other home features, and they also show the home's depth. The side view of the front and back porches helps homeowners and contractors visualize porch size in relation to the home. Roof pitch is also indicated in side elevations.
The rear elevation is usually one of those main features in the house designing and construction process. Rear elevations present the back side of the house, with yet another straight-on view.
Another type of side elevation is the split elevation. This is a view of the home's interior, drawn as if the house had been split in half down the middle or other indicated line.
Many of our plans have built-in areas such as entertainment centers, kitchen cabinets, master baths, fireplaces, and built-in grills to name a few.These areas are detailed in the interior elevations. Sometimes, the interior elevations will be on a sheet with other things like the building section. It depends on the size and complexity of the home plans whether the interior elevations will have their own sheet or not. As with the exterior elevations these elevations are sometimes optional.
New home builders rely on exterior elevations to depict the homes they intend to build. Brochures and flyers are designed with architectural concepts of what the homes will look like from the outside and are used to attract buyers. These brochures feature several different elevations for the same floor plan, and the buyer gets to choose the elements he likes. This is an economical way of marketing new homes because it appeals to a buyer’s imagination and taste.
Mr.A Edirisinghe
Deputy Principal
Vidyartha College, Kandy
