Please Welcome Barbie Architect!

Barbie can be career oriented too. This time she is an architect ready to inspire little girls around the world. To prove she can tackle the responsibilities of the profession, she comes in black frame glasses, a city line printed dress, a white hardhat. Personally, I would have chosen a more business like attire, or the classic all black architect suit. But Barbie stays true to her (blonde) roots, and love for pink. Good for her. This architect is part of the "Barbie I can be" series and will be available this fall.

Saving down CAD

Ever received a CAD file that you just can't open? More likely than not, it is saved in a newer version of AutoCAD. Before calling your consultant or client for a "down saved" version, download DWG TrueView by Autodesk. If you are running on a 64 bit version, click here.It's free and easy. Open your file with this program and save it down to whichever version of CAD you currently have in your computer.

JCAHO

Effective January 1, 2011, JCAHO has adopted the 2010 Healthcare Guidelines. The next revised edition is expected in 2014.

Revit Window Browsing

A new tip here. Browsing through the many CAD files is the same as browsing through your different Revit windows.

CTRL + TAB to move forward
CTRL + SHIFT + TAB to move backwards

Hope you find it useful!

Smoke Barriers vs Smoke Partitions

So close, yet not the same. Barriers are not partitions. Their obvious purpose is to prevent the ready and quick passage of smoke. Their difference is in the fire resistance properties:

• Smoke Barriers, Building Code Section 709.3 "A 1 hour fire resistance rating is required for smoke barriers."
• Smoke Partitions, Building Code Section 710.3 "unless required elsewhere in the code, smoke partitions are not required to have a fire rating."

This can make a big impact in your building construction, so pay close attention when reading into those fire rating requirements. For more details, exceptions, and commentaries, pick up that arm wrestling code book of yours.. and good luck!