Three graduate architecture students at Columbia University have developed a revolutionary notebook designed specifically for architects. "A:LOG is not just a nifty architect’s notebook," they say. "It is a thoughtful collection of design and architectural standards packaged into a minimal soft-cover notebook with beautiful dotted paper for drawing. It’s an architectural reference guide that you can bring with you on the go, in the office, or at meetings."
Learn more about A:LOG after the break!
The trio began to develop the A:LOG after growing tired of lugging around heavy technical guides to repeatedly look up the same information. They were also looking for a way to make on-site sketching easier and to eliminate scaling errors.
Their design solves the first of these problems by being small and compact (8.25" x 5.9"), with a 30-page design guide at the front that is split up into 5 sections: Design Information (like line weights and font sizes), Building Elements (like door dimensions, window heights), Technical Guidelines (such as egress, ADA, and structure), Architecture References (like magazines and websites), and Living Scenarios (of bedroom, kitchen, living room and bathroom).
They resolved the second problem by designing 130 pages of blank, ready-to-be-drawn-on pages with lightly dotted grids at 1/16th, 1/8th, 1/4th and 1/2 inch scales. There is even a second version of the notebook in the metric system that contains international building codes and dotted grids at 1:200, 1:100, 1:50, 1:25 scales. Although there are many notebooks with gridded pages, A:LOG is the only one that allows sketching at all four scales.
Lastly, form meets function with the A:LOG's minimalist aesthetic: it has a soft letter pressed cover and "perfect stitch binding," featuring the highest quality paper and a ruler bookmark insert.
If you would like to learn more about the A:LOG, visit the team's website or their Kickstarter page to pre-order your very own architect-friendly notebook!
References: Kickstarter, projectalog.com
