IS SKETCHING BUILDINGS OBSOLETE?

Does sketching existing buildings by hand have any future in architectural design?

I recently re-discovered a few sketchbooks from my travelling scholarship year with the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.

For a few months I had the unmissiable opportunity to look and learn by drawing buildings of all kinds all over the UK. But it was before I had a smart phone or a laser measure in my pocket!

(I added a few of my sketches on the Projects page of this website under ‘SPAB Scholarship).

Now we can create digital representations of our buildings so much more quickly, accurately, and with more versatility, I wonder if sketching buildings is completely obsolete?