The First One — A Tale of Two Projects
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…that introduction to an American classic (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities) is an equally fitting introduction to my Tale of Two Projects, both hope and despair, wisdom and foolishness, real and imagined. It was the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and ninety when I started my architectural engineering career in a moderate-sized design firm. It was a simpler time. We did things by hand. Our phones had cords. We used reference books and wrote with pens. We woke up every day and drove to an office. We talked to people face-to-face. We typed reports on a manual typewriter or word processor. We made our own lunch and we didn’t have the distractions we have today. It was a time when a man, an architect could be alone with his thoughts and solve, or sometimes create, problems. read more →
My Hero – Citizen Architect!
Everyone needs a hero. I know what you’re thinking. Marvel bombarded us with blockbuster superhero films the past decade and you could easily mistake my hero worship for one of those spangly-outfitted heroes. But, the hero to which I refer is not the tall-building-leaping or high-tech-toy variety. My chosen hero may have great toys but the similarities end there because my hero is the chick with the bic, the man with the plan, it’s Citizen Architect! read more →
Tutor17-Project Specs
The project specs are a description of the product quality, quantity and practices you and your contractor use to build your project. read more →
Tutor16-Project Manual
The project manual is one part of the construction documents (The Docs). It is a pamphlet that includes architecturally-unique construction details and perspective views. These details show your contractor how to construct components unique to your project. read more →
Tutor15-Project Plans
The project plans are one part of the construction documents (The Docs). The plans are D-size sheets (24″x36″) that show the builder how to build your home. read more →
Tutor14-Project Audit
The project audit is an online and screen shot review to tour the entire home. I send 3D screen shots and host an online meeting to walk through the 3D design so you can see everything. read more →
Tutor13-Sections
The sections are a technical drawing that is cut through the home to show structural, architectural and space for mechanical, plumbing and electrical sections. read more →
Tutor12-Finishes
The finish schedule is a color, texture, material list. We record this information in a table for each space to simplify selection and help the contractor refine the bid. read more →