DESIGNING A CUSTOM DRAWING BOARD, MADE POSSIBLE WITH CLEVELAND INNOVATION
Imagine architects of the past drafting a building to scale completely freehand. Their tools consisted of a sketch block, a pencil, and a conventional kit of drawing scales, T-squares, triangles and compasses. The saying “back to the drawing board” literally illustrated the complex process of bringing a designer’s vision to life.
During the design phase of a custom drawing board, Architectural Justice stumbled upon a fun fact: A Cleveland company invented the device that improved the way architects, engineers, decorative designers, and draftsmen sketched out their initial designs. Universal Drafting Machine Co., a former Cleveland company, invented the Rapid Sketching Device in 1901, which helped designers draft exteriors and interiors quicker and with finer detail and fewer errors.
“In a way, this Cleveland-born invention revolutionized the field of planning, design and construction,” said James Justice, owner of Architectural Justice. “Without this device, it would be significantly more difficult for those without computer software to sketch designs to scale and with precision.”
To pay homage to this Cleveland invention, Architectural Justice conceptualized a custom drawing board with a vintage Cleveland theme. The fine ironwork that graces the drawing board is intended to mimic Cleveland’s iconic Lorain-Carnegie Bridge and classical 1930s ornamental design that embellishes many downtown buildings, including Severance Hall and the Terminal Tower.
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