Dry eyes for architects and drafters

Architects and drafters get dry eyes from hours of CAD and modeling on large or multiple monitors, close reading of dense drawing sets, deadline nights, and site visits in wind and dust. Set screens slightly below eye level, take regular breaks to look across the room, wear the safety glasses a site requires, keep studio vents off your face and use a lubricating drop as its label directs.

CAD, BIM and blinking

Drafting software asks for sustained, detailed attention: zooming into wall sections, tracing gridlines, checking dimensions, coordinating layers. When you concentrate on a screen like that, you blink less often and often only partly, so the tear film, which each full blink refreshes, thins between blinks. By late afternoon eyes can feel gritty, hot or tired.

• Set the top of the main monitor at or slightly below eye level, so you look slightly down and your lids cover more of the eye.
• Sit far enough back to read the screen without leaning in.
• Raise the interface text size instead of moving closer.
• Match screen brightness to the room so you’re not squinting.
• Every so often, look across the studio or out a window and blink fully several times.

Two or three large monitors are standard in many studios. Dry eyes with multiple monitors covers arrangement, and eye drops for computer users covers the broader screen-time picture.

Reading drawing sets and redlines

Large-format sheets and dense PDFs bring their own strain. Small text, hatch patterns and fine lines make you stare without blinking, especially during a full set review. Some habits help on review days:

• Review paper sets on a table rather than pinned to a wall at eye level; looking down is easier on the eyes.
• Use good, even lighting over the table, without glare off glossy paper.
• Break a long review into sections with a short pause between sheets.
• On screen, zoom in on details rather than reading tiny text at full-sheet view.

Deadlines and late nights

Submission weeks, competition deadlines and late charrettes push the screen hours far past a normal day, often in a building whose heating or cooling has switched to night mode. Plan short breaks even under pressure, keep a glass of water at the desk, and when the deadline is past, give your eyes an evening away from screens. If the studio air feels dry in winter, a small desk humidifier can help.

Site visits in wind and dust

A site walk swaps one strain for another. Open floors on an unfinished building can be windy, upper levels more so, and there’s often dust from cutting, grinding or demolition in the air. Wind speeds the evaporation of tears, and dust irritates the eye directly.

• Follow the site’s safety rules on protective eyewear and wear what the contractor requires.
• Wraparound safety glasses also cut wind and dust compared with regular glasses.
• Turn your face away from gusts on open slabs and roofs.
• Don’t rub your eyes with dusty hands; clean them before touching your face.
• If something gets in your eye and blinking doesn’t clear it, stop and get help.

Studio air and the model shop

Open-plan studios often run heat or air conditioning hard, and a desk under a vent gets a steady stream of dry air. Ask facilities to redirect a diffuser, or move your desk if you can. Model shops add sawdust, foam and fumes from cutting tools. Use the shop’s eye protection and ventilation, and wash your hands before touching your eyes. Our guide for woodworkers covers sawdust in more detail.

Using Quell

Quell is a preservative-free lubricating drop designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss. Its label states the Uses as For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye, with the directions: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. Morning, lunch and late afternoon is an easy rhythm for a studio day.

• Wash your hands first, especially after the model shop or a site visit.
• Follow the label’s handling line: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination.
• Read the caution before your first bottle: Caution should be used in those with egg or bird allergies — For use in the eyes only.
• If you wear contact lenses, the label doesn’t cover use with them; ask your eye doctor.

Your site bag and desk drawer

The label’s storage range is Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F). A desk drawer in the studio fits that. A site bag left in a hot truck in summer, or a car parked at a winter site for hours, may not, so carry the bottle with you or keep it in a bag that comes inside. The full panel is on our Drug Facts page.

When to see an eye doctor

If your eyes stay uncomfortable after breaks and a weekend off, or your vision for fine detail seems to be changing, book an eye exam. Good near vision matters in this work, and an eye doctor can check both. The label tells you when to stop: Stop use and ask a doctor if you feel eye pain or changes in your vision, if irritation or redness continues, or if the condition worsens or persists for 72 hours.