Cell phone cameras make documenting your travels easier than ever, but is it the best way to truly preserve your memories? Architecture Professor Michael Malone recommends an alternative. Decades ago, he began sketching the facades and interiors of interesting buildings he visited during his travels instead of snapping a photo. Over the years, he’s discovered that stopping to sketch a place—studying the mass of the structure, how shadows fall on its features, and how it relates to the surrounding landscape—strengthens his memories of it, allowing him to recall not just the visual details, but the feeling of being there.

“I draw to see and understand things,” Malone says. Below, he shares a few of his sketches.

Rockefeller Center, New York City

“Rockefeller Center is perhaps the best piece of urban design in America. The combination of architecture, art, landscape, and literally thousands of details makes exploring it a huge delight. I make multiple trips a year to New York, and I always take time to explore Rockefeller Center. This slow and deliberate approach allows me to focus on just a few aspects each visit and develop a deeper appreciation for how wonderful it is.”

Sainte-Geneviève Library, Paris

“Sainte-Geneviève was an architectural bucket list building for me to see, but because it’s the actual working library for the universities of Paris, it is not usually open to visitors and tourists. It is one of the best examples of architecture and engineering blended to create an exemplary space. A business trip to Paris provided an opportunity to visit, and when I actually experienced it in person, it did not disappoint. I worked furiously to document the building and tried to capture the soaring space and the way natural light comes in. Sainte-Geneviève exceeded my expectations in every possible way, and by sketching it, I was able to imprint the experience on my mind.”