You Should and Shall

Years ago, I went to a seminar about proper language included in Construction Documents... it was a lunch seminar. Somewhere between dessert and the 160 calorie chips, I may have forgotten it all. Going thru the b/w NFPA chapters, it clicked back again. When detailing, especially exterior envelopes IMHO, we shall note carefully. Don't just copy paste from another project, we should verify that the information still applies to the current project, weather conditions, and desired aesthetic outcome.

As NFPA clearly states:

3.2.3 Shall. Indicates a mandatory requirement.

3.2.4 Should. Indicates a recommendation or that which is advised but not required.

Happy detailing!

Layering & Façade Design

There are façade design specialists in the design market. And not all projects can afford that type of consulting services added to the design team fee. At some point or another, we find ourselves designing the exterior of a building, be it a house, a commercial building, a restaurant...

Window shopping this weekend, I realized designing façades and layering clothing have some similarities.

Naysayers, don't be so quick. First, let's understand layering as a fashion term. Women tend to layer more than men. Combining different layers helps create a variety of outfits. One layers clothing to produce different looks and color combinations. We all layer in winter. Now instead of clothing, think materials... Voilà!

A few rules that apply to layering can also be applied to the fun task of working with façades:

1. Do some research... find out what others are doing.
2. Explore with color, textures and materials. Exact color matches will not work well together.
3. Lighter colors work better behind dark ones.
4. Mix shapes and sizes.
5. Search through what you have available (as this relates to cost)... find out what your possible combinations are.
6. Don't clutter... less can be more.

Maybe this is a oversimplification of the subject matter, and there is a façade designer out there frowning in their seat as they read this... oh well. In the mid time, I'll keep making sense of good design. It so happens to be the intricate combination of elements to come up with something beautiful and harmonious... alike layering.

Thought of the Day

Time goes by: steadily, unwavering, and even unappreciated... But that's definitely not the case during construction administration...

Five Fun Facts

Architect is a verb.

For every 5 architects, one is self employed.

Still most architects work in firms of 5.

Intriguingly, only a third is NCARB certified.

But most important, we are the sexiest profession out there!

The Intern Dialog

- ... and what do you do?

- I'm an intern architect.

- When will you graduate?

- That's the way it's called for those who have already graduated from college, but are still to file training hours and take architectural licensing exams.

- Really?

- Once you file your training and pass these tests, you can call yourself Architect.

- That sounds like a pain.

- Tell me about it.