Pets in our drawings and visuals
One of our favourite things to do at Andy Matthews Studio is add our clients' pets to our drawings, illustrations and visualisations.
It started as a small way of making our drawings feel more human. Architectural drawings don’t always convey warmth and personality. Our work is about people so we enjoy adding life and character to them that suggests how people might use them, but also provide some human scale. Whilst drawings serve a clear purpose - planning, building control, construction etc - there’s still room in for a dog sleeping next to the fire or a cat in the window looking down on the new landscape below.
We sometimes forget that they’re there in our drawn information. Some clients notice immediately. Others discover them weeks later and write to us delighted that we added their pet and made their drawings more relatable for them. These additions are a little like an Easter egg in a video game, software or film - they’re invisible to most but reward those who have looked a little closer, or maybe just found them by accident.
We also think about the planning officer on the receiving end of our work. Planning applications involve countless pages of PDF drawings, schedules, reports and other information. We like to think that seeing our cat in the window might improve their day or bring a moment of joy to an otherwise ordinary task, and maybe even help get a good decision. Who knows!
Zola the Jack Russell in the garden with her two human companions. Visualisation from House for Zola planning application pack. © Spera Visual.
Ziggy the Vizsla curled up next to the fire in his cottage in Bramber. Planning submission drawing for Lavender Cottage.
Cilla the shop dog, gambling towards a customer in the bike shop. Fundraising visual for a bike shop fit out, Peckham. © Spera Visual.
Zola the Jack Russell in the garden, enjoying the new extension and landscape. Section drawing from House for Zola planning application pack.
Working on an extension or refurbishment? Get in touch. We'll ask about your pets!