Yarchitect

Construction Spending In December

2010-02-02T21:18:00.000-06:00

The indefatigable Calculated Risk is reporting via the Census Bureau that outlook for construction spending remains weak. Overall, residential construction spending is down 61.5% from the 2006 peak. While non-residential spending is up slightly, but still down 22% from it's peak in October 2008. Sadly, the trend in non-residential construction points to further declines.

On the bright side (?), CR is predicting very modest growth (read: sluggish) in residential investment for 2010. I'll keep an eye out for the new Architectural Billings Index (ABI) for updates. An uptick in the ABI generally means construction spending will be up a few months down the road as architecture billings are a leading indicator for construction spending. So far, the index has been stuck in negative territory.

Work and Morality

2010-02-01T20:46:00.003-06:00

Found this on the usually great, occasionally ridiculous TED website.

I found Mr. Schwartz's talk a nice complement to some of what I would like to say on this blog. I especially liked the idea that rules and incentives in school and the workplace tend to stifle creativity and encourage mediocrity. Mediocrity is one thing we need less of.

It is a video, but is not very demanding visually. You could easily put it on as a background to whatever else you are doing. Enjoy.

Better Luck Next Year?

2010-01-27T21:22:00.008-06:00

According to Architectural Record, the AIA's Consensus Construction Report is not
giving us much hope for a better 2010. It appears that more pain is in store for us all.
Public Safety (?) may be the only specialty of the industry showing very modest
growth.

I think there is still plenty of bad news to come out of both residential and commercial
real estate.  We've already gotten off to a bad start with what may be the largest real 
estate default in history.

Hope I'm wrong.

We Suck

2010-01-26T17:37:00.000-06:00

This is something that, as a profession, we need to address. In my office we do a ton of tenant improvements and many other architects drawings make it to my desk. They are almost always uniformly horrible. All I need to do is compare the floor plan to the structural framing plan to see if the set is going to be any good. I often find columns on the structural plan missing from the architectural drawing. If not that, then the size of the columns drawn on the architectural sheets does not match structural. If not that, then shaft openings are shown on the architectural drawings are not shown on the structural plans. I could go on and on. Not to only mention the things that are not there, many of the sets are totally over drafted. Why are we showing generic wall and building sections when we end up blowing them up to a larger scale (sometimes twice)? We are producing and printing whole series of sheets of drawings that are of absolutely no use to the contractor.

We moan about our lack of monetary reward in comparison to other professions (I know I do), but we often do not ask ourselves why this might be so. The fact is, our incompetence costs us and our clients (sometimes lots) of money. All architecture firms are struggling these days, but there will always be a demand for firms that can bring value not just during the design phase, but during construction as well. I work at one such place and while we have had a tough year things have picked up for us lately.

So, why do we suck? I think this is the result of numerous factors. One of which is the way architecture is taught in schools. The concentration in nearly all architecture schools is on design, with technical pedagogy taking a backseat. Now, I enjoyed studio classes in college. I learned much about myself in the long hours in studio and made lasting friendships, but my first day in an architecture firm I realized I did not know a damn thing about construction documents. The second problem is that fresh out of school we are asked by our employers to put together drawing sets and create details. In my experience, mentoring and developing talent at the intern level is non-existent. Unfortunately, so is meaningful quality control. With no one teaching interns how to develop drawing sets and no one checking their work, disaster ensues. The construction administration phase of projects becomes a painful and costly back and forth between the architect and general contractor with the owner in the middle.

Is there hope? I don't know. I'm intrigued by the idea of design-build, but there's been no demand for this type of project delivery in my corner of the industry and I have no experience with it. We need to realize that, in order to survive, we have to do a better job conveying our design intent to the contractor. Our clients will be happier and so will the contractors we work with and there's enormous value to making the contractors lives easier.

If you’re out there, what’s your take?

Flexibility

2009-02-19T22:38:00.002-06:00

I was speaking to someone the other day about the idea of teaching yourself to improve at your job. I was not surprised to hear him say that he felt too "old" to change his bad habits. I certainly understand the idea. It can be extremely difficult to teach yourself new ways of doing things.

I think mental flexibility is analogous to physical flexibility. As you age you tend to get less flexible physically. Over decades of inactivity, the body slowly stiffens. However, if you exercise and stretch throughout your life you will retain most of your range of motion. I believe that the mind works the same way. If you are not thinking, not challenging yourself to learn new things, the mind atrophies.

One way I try to stay limber mentally is to always think of new ways to do things better. I see many people make mistakes, acknowledge their mistake and make the exact same mistake a few weeks later. If you do not analyze your actions to find out where the mistake occurred and take actions to make sure it does not happen again; it will happen again. I have found that, over time, I have created mental checklists that tick off aspects of whatever task I am doing almost automatically. Take stock of what you are doing, what you have done and how the two relate. Over time, I believe that you will see improvement.

A theory of efficiency

2009-02-12T00:15:00.002-06:00

I am a musician. One thing I have noticed about great musicians is that they tend to have one thing in common. They use an economy of movement in their playing. Their appendages just move less than their less accomplished brethren. I believe the same can be true in any and all aspects of architecture. This is not "Less is more." This is more like, "Maximum information with a minimum of means." Do not repeat yourself, information is put in one place in a drawing set so when it needs to change it only needs to be changed once.

This also means doing everything with intention. There is meaning and reason behind every line. No decision is made haphazardly. There is no autopilot.

More on this in future posts.

What is Yarchitecture?

2009-02-10T17:47:00.004-06:00

The short answer is, "I don't know." This blog is my way of defining this elusive term. Here's what I have so far. Yarchitect = Pirate Architect. Mies van der Rohe = Yarchitect.

Why?

Ok, first Mies was a drinker. Drinking has been synonymous with pirating since time immemorial. Not that you need to drink to be a yarchitect. Second, he designed this awesome boat which, unfortunately, sunk in Lake Michigan sometime in the mid seventies. The pirate treasure speculated to be on-board has not yet been found. What else? Ok, Mies came up with one great idea and then ended up copying it repeatedly. Pirates steal stuff. He pirated his own ideas.

Good architects borrow, great architects steal, right? All great architects are pirates.

Awesome, I made some real headway today.

The Architects Most Important Skill

2009-02-09T22:07:00.003-06:00

I have become convinced over the course of my career that the most important ability an architect can have is to be able to develop a clear picture of a design problem mentally. If a complete mental picture of an architectural problem can be composed, flaws in the solution will become apparent. Solutions will be more complete and the construction process will go more smoothly.

A floor plan or section is a two dimensional representation and therefore conveys information only on the drawing side of the section cut. As a tool to look for conflicts and flaws it can only do so much. Extrapolating from the plan and forming a picture of the whole will allow you find the errors in your solution.

Methodology

Using the example of the wall section, here is how visualization can work to find conflicts. Work methodically. Start at the bottom and work up, similar to the construction process. Mentally crosscheck the aspects of the detail against the floor plan, ceiling plan & elevations. Work with consultant drawings. Do the structural elements you have drawn match what the engineer is proposing? Do all elements of the structure, roof slope, etc. make sense to you?

Go back to other drawings; use the resources available to you. Ask yourself, “Does this match the actual condition?” More importantly ask, “How is this going to fail?” “Where will this finish terminate?” “What happens when this element hits an inside corner vs. and outside corner?” If these questions are not answered, the final result may not be satisfactory. Picture the section replicating itself to create a wall, have that wall turn the corner. If you can create a mental image of the problem and actually be able to rotate it in your head you will have a clearer understanding of the elements involved in the construction and you will find better solutions.

Visualizing architectural space is a skill that must be developed. Like everything, if it is consciously practiced and applied regularly you will find that it starts to work on an almost unconscious level. Field observation is especially important, as you are then able to check your mental image vs. the finished product.

The Architect's Resume

2009-02-08T11:40:00.005-06:00

Your resume is your first contact with prospective employers. In many cases it can determine whether or not the firm will contact you for an interview. When I have received resumes from prospective employees I am usually surprised by how sloppy they are. Architects are visual people. If your resume is not a pristine and perfect document, it says something about the work you are capable of.

Of first and foremost importance is clarity. Your resume should appear as a unified whole. At first glance the organizing principle should be obvious. Take the time to get this right. Organize information clearly. There are many ways to do this. Generally, headings appear above or to the left of pertinent text. Any way is fine as long as it is clear and consistent. The more creative you are at this point, the more you will stand out from other applicants. I have seen people develop a format only to find that it does not work throughout the whole document. Rather than take the time to fix the problem, they have given up. Nothing reflects worse on your abilities than a formatting error.

Content is extremely important as well. Do not miss an important opportunity to sell yourself and your skills, but be honest. If you are “knowledgeable and dedicated”, include this. If you are a great designer, mention your “strong design skills”. Use this type of language liberally throughout. Do not forget to include “industry speak” either. Why say, “Responsible for the production of construction documents,” when you could say, “Responsible for the production of well-coordinated construction documents”? Coordination is probably the most used word in architecture. This type of language connotes a certain level of experience. Use it.

Other Suggestions

Consider including a page with samples of your work. Can these images inform your resume layout?

Include references. Some employers will appreciate the opportunity to have a quick conversation with a third party prior to contacting you for an interview. Of course, clear this with your reference first.