Plans & Elevations
What are plans and elevations?
- They are two-dimensional views of a three-dimensional object
- They are the mathematical shapes you would see when looking directly at a 3D object from a given direction
How do I draw plans and elevations?
- Consider looking at a 3D object, such as a building
- consider the different directions you could look at the object from
- There is the front view, the side view and the plan view from directly above
- The view you would see looking directly down on an object is called the plan view
- This is commonly known as a bird's-eye-view
- The shape you would see stood directly in front of the object is called the front elevation
- The shape you would see directly facing the side of the object is called the side elevation
Exam Tip
- These questions often require your answer to be drawn on a grid, using the grid as a scale
- It is a good idea to roughly sketch out your answer first – on the side of the page or on a separate sheet
- With isometric drawings, it's helpful to colour-code the three views on the diagram
- This will make it easier for you to see the three elevations and any ‘hidden’ parts
- If you don’t have colours you can use different types of shading (stripes etc)
Worked example
Using squared paper draw the plan, front and side elevations of the object shown below on isometric paper.
It can be helpful to colour each of the three views in three different colours.
As you draw each of three views, make sure you label them clearly to say which is the plan, the front elevation and the side elevation.
Notice that two of the squares shaded orange cannot be seen from the side as they are hidden by the cubes in front of them.
