Openings – windows, doors and arches

Openings are holes we cut into walls to allow people and light to enter buildings. Doors and windows are the main openings you'll draw in technical drawing. A door has parts like the frame (the border), the leaf (the movable part), hinges, handle, and threshold. Windows similarly have frames, panes of glass, sills, and sometimes shutters. Both are rectangles or combinations of shapes on your drawings.

Arches are curved openings that add strength and beauty to structures. You'll find them in Nigerian palaces, mosques, and old colonial buildings like those in Lagos. The curve distributes weight better than straight lines. When drawing these, you must show the frame clearly and use proper measurements because examiners check if your proportions match the scale given.