The architectural design process is knowledge intensive. This paper discusses a particular approach for acquiring and using the knowledge associated with building types. After a brief review of the building type (section 2) a proposal is made for studying the knowledge content of graphic representations in relation to the design process (section 3). The basic assumption of this proposition is that making graphic representations in design means making design decisions. The relations between graphic representations, design decisions, procedural knowledge, declarative knowledge, and the building type are outlined. A methodology for studying graphic representations is briefly presented, resulting in the notion of generic representations (section 4). Generic representations form the vehicle for knowledge acquisition in a wide array of sources of architectural design knowledge. The method is outlined and demonstrated for the office building type (section 5). The paper ends with conclusions and some remarks on future work (section 6).