tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3461658247603905885.post8805600788557181549..comments2023-08-23T05:31:31.218-06:00Comments on Why Architects Drink: RetarditectureMile High Pixiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03276750909800945131noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3461658247603905885.post-79398887162710674902009-07-09T12:41:38.677-06:002009-07-09T12:41:38.677-06:00huh.
I wanted to study architecture when I was a ...huh.<br /><br />I wanted to study architecture when I was a wee lass. So Dad popped me in the auto and we took off for a meeting with the dean of Architorture at Auburn. <br /><br />His advice - don't bother. Real work was ultimately going to be done by structural engineers who had a design minor.<br /><br />interesting. <br /><br />instead, I decided to major in blowing stuff up. Much more satisfying and better paid.mizscarlettnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3461658247603905885.post-6015593451709047572009-07-09T10:25:37.152-06:002009-07-09T10:25:37.152-06:00My absolute favorite thing that designers/architec...My absolute favorite thing that designers/architects do is ignore the physical properties of stairs, ramps, elevators and their mechanical requirements, and elevation change. That said, please delete your post entirely, architects might be reading and if they do, I lose money.Paul Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07825674914008378242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3461658247603905885.post-54803674209244576752009-07-09T10:21:16.300-06:002009-07-09T10:21:16.300-06:002H, that solution never crossed my mind--I'll ...2H, that solution never crossed my mind--I'll have to use that some time! :-)Mile High Pixiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03276750909800945131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3461658247603905885.post-27978938198461171232009-07-09T10:14:28.554-06:002009-07-09T10:14:28.554-06:00I once had the pleasure of doing executive archite...I once had the pleasure of doing executive architect work for a recent AIA gold medal winner. The initial designs from their office had a garage that was too small, and the templates of the cars shown in the plans made this sort of obvious. After we commented on this, they told us they would fix the problem. When the next design drawings came back, the cars had been scaled down.<br /><br />I guess everyone has some sort of similar story.2Hnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3461658247603905885.post-5772410292831495972009-07-09T08:54:42.309-06:002009-07-09T08:54:42.309-06:00It is time for a story that occurred in 1990.
T...It is time for a story that occurred in 1990. <br /><br />This happened when I worked for Pickles, Pickles and Pickles architects. PP&P was the architect of record on a university performing arts center. The fancy design firm was from Boston and the dean of the Yale school of architecture was the firm's rain maker. <br /><br />They did all crazy things you have described and we had to figure out how to build it. We had all kinds of crazy details on the project. But I digress.<br /><br />The real story was main auditorium.<br /><br />The schematic drawings of the main auditorium were fully dimensioned except for the chord length. This runs from the center of the stage to the back of the auditorium and is used to define the arc that lays out the seating. It is usually set first and the space is designed around this dimension. <br /><br />These guys did it exactly backwards and laid out every other dimension but they would not supply that one. We column center locations, wall thicknesses but we could not be sure that what they had drawn would work unless we had that dimension. <br /><br />I finally realized that the fancy designers and the folks at PP&P had now idea how to do the geometric construction required to figure out what the dimension needed to be.<br /><br />In 1990 cad was still new and I was the only person in either office who knew Autocrud. It took me about 10 min to work out using Autocrud. They thought I was some kind of wizard.<br /><br />The final building turned out to a fine piece of design.<br /><br />PP&P could not get the designer to stop making changes to the building. The project ended in a lawsuit but the university and PP&P filed together against the fancy design firm.fadednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3461658247603905885.post-5693546239015584402009-07-08T14:55:47.002-06:002009-07-08T14:55:47.002-06:00Sadly, this phenomenon is not limited to high-fall...Sadly, this phenomenon is not limited to high-fallutin' architects. In my experience, it's about the ego, not the international fame. I nearly came to blows with the (unlicensed) "designer" on one of my project teams who insisted that the masons had to cut block no matter how we laid it out so coursing just didn't matter. I couldn't bring myself to add the other modular materials of our building into the argument.Auntly Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13271658451098055528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3461658247603905885.post-58445520699835926372009-07-08T10:41:59.751-06:002009-07-08T10:41:59.751-06:00Amen Sister!
I really like it when the flower bea...Amen Sister!<br /><br />I really like it when the flower bearers, trumpeters and fan waiver entourages accompany the "Rock-Star Architects". Its bad enough keeping them in line let alone their wanna-be proteges. I don't mind that they are creative, intelligent and do amazing designs...it is when they try to hyper control the whole project when they are only proficient at part of it (the pretty picture). Keep up the great blog!Minneapolis Architectnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3461658247603905885.post-14134114878372607312009-07-08T08:33:48.826-06:002009-07-08T08:33:48.826-06:00PM: you're cracking me up. I love the notion ...PM: you're cracking me up. I love the notion of turning the liability thing on its head by doing their detailing for them. Your secret is safe with me.<br /><br />St. Blogwen: Good point. I presume because of Guy's complaint that at some point, the brick does touch 100'-0", so it would need to course. Otherwise, he probably wouldn't care. Also, it might be an issue if they're connecting to an existing building that courses properly, and then you're stuck trying to course as best as you can to match existing (which sucks!). But yes, good catch--if the stone goes all the way around, its height and coursing doesn't matter.Mile High Pixiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03276750909800945131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3461658247603905885.post-7148038687534525842009-07-08T01:42:48.392-06:002009-07-08T01:42:48.392-06:00Help me fill in my mental picture: At any point, ...Help me fill in my mental picture: At any point, does the brickwork and the stonework occur at the same elevation/datum/AFF point? Because if the brick is all on top of the stone base, where is the problem? <br /><br />(I'm sure it's screamingly obvious when the drawings are in front of you. I wouldn't ask and thus avoid making an ass of myself, but I just want to <em>know</em>.)St. Blogwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04173870976749288145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3461658247603905885.post-33262672098846117342009-07-07T22:35:00.276-06:002009-07-07T22:35:00.276-06:00I have never encountered a designer that knows any...I have never encountered a designer that knows anything about sizing steel, ductwork, or (of course) brick coursing. That is why I am self-employed and do their detailing and never have any liability.<br /><br />I vacation well, please do not kill my golden goose of having a 95% moron/architect ratio.<br /><br />Shhhhh.Paul Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07825674914008378242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3461658247603905885.post-52349293598521151182009-07-07T20:32:23.160-06:002009-07-07T20:32:23.160-06:00Good catch on the various sizes of brick--I should...Good catch on the various sizes of brick--I should have mentioned that the 8" thing only works with standard bricks. And also, good call on the professional liability issue--the architect of record (not the design architect) is the one who can get sued if something goes awry later.Mile High Pixiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03276750909800945131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3461658247603905885.post-4111587137223122242009-07-07T20:27:35.388-06:002009-07-07T20:27:35.388-06:00I would argue that most high-profile design firms ...I would argue that most high-profile design firms are more like Scrappy (loud, obnoxious, and friends to almost no one).<br /><br />As for the brick, there are multiple sizes used in constructing a building (standard, modular, roman, king, western king, queen, and many, many more), and some of those have very unique coursing dimensions. BUT (and that's a very big but), that firm should have been able to come back to your husband's firm and said "we know some of the brick dimensions are irregular, but we've decided to go with brick A, therefore all of the dimensions course out perfectly with the size of brick A."<br /><br />But your husband's correct about the high-profile design firms - on the whole they usually don't know how to put a building together. For them it's about the pretty pictures that incorporate the skewed sense of perspective and the image of a child holding balloons. Besides being paid premium moola for coming up with a design that doesn't really work, these high-profile firms also lack the professional liability that the local firms have for signing and stamping the drawings.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com