Project Overview

These blueprints were created by a 5^th/6^th grade student from the Shutesbury Elementary School in Shutesbury, Massachusetts, as part of a Learning expedition on Architecture.

The blueprints correspond to a character file (CF) created by the same student and are meant to be a realistic representation of a home that in design, expense and square footage is appropriate for the life of their fictional character and his or her family. See entry #246 for an example of a CF of an architect.

The blueprints that students created were drafted on professional vellum in standard residential scale (¼” = 1’), with furnishings and color. Each student went through at least four standardized drafts (for an example of these drafts see entry # 144): Draft 1 – rough sketch on plain white paper; Draft 2 – refined sketch on large white art paper; Draft 3 – scaled drawing on 18” x 24” ¼” graph paper; Draft 4 – final draft on professional vellum. Students went through intensive critique, which included feedback from a professional architect in between most drafts. Unlike construction blue prints, these do not include dimension lines; this was purposeful to allow students to add interior design elements. The blueprints follow standard architectural conventions, follow constraints in square foot expenses, and adhere to standard residential building codes. Students used professional furniture templates for the interior design work.

This student’s work includes some interesting details such as a large open floor plan on the first floor, an attached green house and an upstairs library.