Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Calling all architects: What makes a good (or annoying) engineer?

I've been thinking about this for a while, but I'm wondering if my experiences are the same as everyone else's out there.  Hence, I want to poll the archipeeps amongst my tens of readers: what do engineers do that make you want to work with them, and what do they do that makes you run screaming for the door?  What does an engineer (or an engineering firm) do that makes you recommend them or not recommend them to other architects (or to clients who just need MEP work done)?

3 comments:

Architect Timmy said...

Here's my "short" list

Good
- One that gets back to you when they say they will. Don't leave me hanging if you know the client needs a piece of information.
- One that I don't have to constantly remind about deliverables.
- They ask questions - I'd rather answer question than stress out in the last minutes trying to modify a design because they didn't ask question. (ie ... if you need a large mech room ... ask for it don't assume I have ESP and know you need it).
- Ones that genuinely want to help out and aren't just there to collect the fee owed to them.
-


Bad
- You're a grown adult ... I should not need to babysit you trying to get RFI answers or submittals returned ... I realize you're busy .. I'm am too ... get your $(#* together and get that stuff back to me.
- Ones that aren't proactive in solving problems - lets admit it, problems on complex jobs very rarely involve just 1 or 2 disciplines. Get involved and help solve it.
- Ones that don't follow standards - I didn't develop these Revit (or CAD .. BARF) standards for my own health, usually its the client that pushes these on me. If you don't follow them, you make my life difficult, use the templates and don't reinvent the wheel.

Oh I could go on and on.

Anonymous said...

What makes a good engineer: shared curiosity.

What makes a terrible engineer: unequivocal certainty.

Willderness Gina said...

Anonymous- I give your Terrible Eng. definition a big West Central Georgia a big AMEN!!!
Pix- What makes me run screaming for the door? Them coming in the other door.
I'm a carpenter. Wadda I know from enjineering?