ABSTRACT
Axonometric drawings of landforms reveal differences in topographic terrain both in texture and scale. For example, Figure10.1 explores a series of distinctively different naturally occurring landforms with the fabric of a city through axonometric comparisons drawn at a 4-mile range. These studies show differences between landform types by providing visual clarity of each in terms of formal compositions using three different techniques in axonometric view: 3D “elevational” contours, terraced contouring, and smooth surfacing. Each study is given its own space on the page as a means of highlighting individual unique characteristics. The scalar relationship across the different study drawings illustrates extreme complexity across a clear datum for comparison as a form of topographic inquiry. In Figure 10.2, the set of axonometric drawings tests scale and topography, while adding a detail level of investigation. Three specific scales are maintained as a means of comparing each layer in axon view to compare those factors. Through this process, data-rich illustrations reveal how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping can be applied to a site-specific location as part of inventory and analysis at multiple scales of inquiry and representation.
