JOURNAL OF ARCHITECTURAL RESEARCH AND DESIGN STUDIES Correspondence: Freehand Drawing and Architectural Expression Hanif Budiman¹, Ibrahim Numan², Noor Cholis Idham³ 1 Architecture Department, Faculty of Architecture And Design, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University, Istanbul 2 Architecture Department, Faculty of Architecture And Design, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University, Istanbul, 3 Architecture Department, Faculty of Civil Engineering And Planning, Universitas Islam Indonesia, Yogyakarta The aspect of expression is very important in design ideas, amidst the pressure of programming and procedural thoughts nowadays. The expression is a performance that was born from the deepening of a strong identity that makes us further involvement. Freehand drawing is believed to be an important activity that cannot be separated from an architectural design process. Freehand drawing is proven to be an efort that will increase awareness to produce creative thoughts that remain logical. The natural and organic character of a freehand drawing with its fexibility will be able to express the unique value of each design idea. It is very diferent when compared to the stereotypical technical line of mechanics. This paper aims to discuss the role of freehand drawing in improving the quality of expression during the design process. The discussion was carried out through a qualitative descriptive analysis based on the experience of carrying out freehand drawing courses and several freehand drawing learning and practices. The topic of the role of freehand drawing in the digital age is very strategic because it reminds us of the importance of the role of balance cognition for the design process in general. Keywords: design; expression; freehand drawing; identity. Hanif Budiman Architecture Department, Faculty of Architecture And Design, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University, Istanbul E-mail: habudiman@uii.ac.id Abstract Introduction One of the biggest challenges in the architecture world is doing the process of design with awareness carried out with consciousness and providing opportunities for creating critical and creative design ideas. In terms of the design process, how to create deep, creative, even speculative design ideas will be related to graphic thinking and ideation ability by drafting or drawing activities. The drawing was always a determining means of architectural design (Pilsitz, 2017). It is very interesting to discuss the relationship between freehand drawing and technological developments. Fortunately, thanks to the development of tablet technology, the new way of freehand drawing or sketching is increasingly popular. There is so many application for the digital works to expressing sketches, and people can share their digital ideas quickly with others. Further, this digital sketch can be imported into other software, to become the starting point for other work within the design process (Makstutis,2018). Behind the phenomenon of the considerable beneft of the digital technology, especially the efectiveness of design productions, it is realized that basic impact in nowadays situation, are the gap of social and health side, the teamwork culture, the lack of depth critical and creative thinking process and last but not the least is the health of neuro-brain systems and body. Studying freehand drawing, drafting or sketches could lead to deeper scientifc understandings of engineering ideation. Freehand drawing or sketches are interesting also because they are a Article History Received : 11 February 2021 Accepted : 12 April 2021 Published : 24 April 2021 Hanif Budiman, Ibrahim Numan, Noor Cholis Idham