Theory
Notation vs diagram
Explore in the Atlas →Architectural drawing operates between two regimes: notation (allographic in Nelson Goodman's sense — a system of marks capable of producing a faithful instance, e.g. orthographic projection, musical score) and diagram (generative, syntactic and figural, more concerned with structure than with meaning). Distinguishing the two clarifies what a drawing can and cannot encode.
Representation Sign Knowledge
Details
- Introduced
- 2000
Referenced by
- Stan Allen proposed
- Architecture Enters the Age of Post-Digital Drawing articulates
- Diagram Diaries articulates
- Notations + Diagrams: Mapping the Intangible articulates
- Notations + Diagrams: Mapping the Intangible proposed
Sources
- Stan Allen. Notations + Diagrams: Mapping the Intangible. G+B Arts International, 2000.
Cite this entry
First published May 2026Last revised Jul 2026
CLAD. "Notation vs diagram." Atlas of Architectural Thought. CLAD, 2026. https://www.cl-ad.com.au/research/atlas/theory/notation-vs-diagram/. Accessed July 17, 2026.