Aparently the Red Hand Clamps Down

So, I'm unsure how or why but it appears as if my blogging opportunity window has closed, more. Not that I contributed dramatically but it's hard enough as it is.
I'll see what I can do. I'd really like to share my knowledge. We'll see.

"The chief obstacle to the progress of the human race is the human race."

I got an email from a co-worker from some other office across the nation with an interesting quote attached to the end of it.

"I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that." - Thomas Edison

So, knowing me, I immediately search out the truth of the statement and find its source. What I found to be funny is that this is taken from a book in which it's Henry Ford quoting Edison in a conversation with Harvey Firestone. The more complete quote by Edison talks about utilizing sun, wind, and tide as a source of energy. So, Thomas Edison (who died in 1931) already knew how important it was to remove our ties to fossil fuels although the majority of his fame comes about by means of coal fired power plants. Henry Ford (who died in 1947) also knew how important it was regardless of the fact that he is directly tied to oil.

Now, it's 2009 (practically 2010) and we struggle to convince clients that placing a PV panel on a roof is a sound design decision. Hmmm. What am I missing, here?

It's Just New to You

Back in the beginning of March I was lucky enough to participate as a panel member on a discussion about BIM. However, I got a minor shock at the start of the session when the question was posed to the audience, "...just to be sure we're all on the same page: does everyone here know what BIM is?" and we got back a room full of blank faces. Our intent was to have an open discussion about collaborating across disciplines within a BIM environment. At least two of us on the panel had done the BIM 101 presentation ad nauseum throughout our region and beyond. So much so that while the main panel member struggled with the presentation equipment and room layout he kicked it out to me to talk about "what is BIM" and I couldn't find the words easily. Thankfully he got his slides up and relieved me of my bumbling to take the conversation back to a more structured intro to BIM. Needless to say, it seems this region of the world is not as aware as other regions when it comes to facilities technology.

As I've elluded to before: one should realize that what is now called BIM has been around in the industry for quite some time. It might not have had the BIM term applied to it but there was a building being modeled in 3D with information embedded into the electronic media which was leveraged towards a wholistic project approach. I believe 20 to 25 years ago is when this logic really hit the market in the form of software. It wasn't until recently when Autodesk turned out its marketting juggernauts that this logic had a single, recognizable, industry-wide accepted term associated with it.

My point is this: don't get stuck on the labels. Think conceptually. What I like about BIM is its concept. It has the potential to give the architect (or engineer) back the power to think architecturally (or engineeringly [I don't know if that's a word]). CAD, in most people's opinion, suffers from a transition of thinking to documenting. Unfortunately, I feel that there has been a major drop off in the thinking aspect. People are succomming to CAD and forgetting the concept to skip straight to the documentation: sometimes in an effort to increase efficiency. If you stay focussed on concepts you may realize that you know BIM more than you think.

Values of Senses

One of my personal interests in relation to architectural design is to explore how senses other than sight could drive the creation of a project. Now that we're living in a world of "coordinated, internally consistent, computable information", I wonder how we may venture into a realm of computable senses.

Architects have, historically, developed a means to sell a design on the merits of its visual appeal. Form and function have become the easy descriptors in a dialogue with clients. On occasion, sound and touch can be a factor in certain building types. But, how often have the smells or the tastes been a point of discussion?

Now, I was taught that proof through research and/or tested methodologies has the power to become precedent for design intent. And, I've found, through the years, that numbers tend to get the most attention. Look at how an owners react to the data that a more sustainable outlook has great monetary benefit. When we just told them that people "feel" better and are driven to produce more with natural light, it got little response. When we mentioned that using less water is the socially conscious thing to do, it was met with hesitation. When we had numbers to back those claims, clients began to stipulate to us that these techniques should be implemented.

So, this leads me to wonder: how can we develop an assignment of values which stipulate the benefits of expanding our design strategy to all senses? LEED puts values on VOCs and ETS (smell? taste?) but that doesn't necessarily help to define the pleasant alternatives. A similar argument could be made for sound.

Obviously, I could list a dozen or so successful projects that implement this strategy but none of them define a matrix of senses.

Anyone willing to pick up this ball and keep exploring the possibility?

Reflective (AKA: -ish)

Another project down-ish and another project started-ish. I say "ish" because the time I spend on projects is never the beginning or end of them in my opinion. They are almost always well underway before I really see them and they are never complete and occupied when I'm done with them. I prefer a true beginning to end involvement but that's very rarely possible.

These moments of transition always seem to be a time where I look back and assess. Besides, it's the end of the year. Isn't that what we're suppose to be doing now? Here are some majors (professional not personal). The first memory I have of tinkering with computers is 4th grade (23-ish years ago - OUCH!). I've been doing architecture professionally for 11-ish years, now. Wow. We've been in Cleveland now for 2-ish years. And, I've been licensed to practice in the State of Ohio for less than a year.

I can't even count the number of projects I've worked on over the years: a couple by hand (yes on a board and drafting with that ink thing), a ton by CAD, and I come to assess that it's pushing past a dozen in BIM. Mind you, these are not all full CD projects. But, they are projects I've put more than a day into.

I'm kind of amazed by that. Back in the day when I first played with ArchiCAD and hated its remedial interface and wished its libraries were even attempted to be developed and felt it didn't think like an architect, I thought we'd never get to the point where CD's were really being produced in-line with information rich 3D models. I continued to model in one program, render in another, document in multiple programs, draft in yet another, manage in other programs or by hand, and timeline in yet another. The process was so disjointed. (I'll talk in another post about how I think that disjointed process actually CAN help the project.) Of course, now I hear that ArchiCAD is phenomenally better than it was. I haven't been able to play with it again. I use Revit.

But, thinking back to where we've been: I'm constantly amazed at where we are. Let's keep pushing to make the future amazing too, shall we?

AU 2008

So, I'm not there this year because of timing, the economy, and project deadlines but I wanted to talk a bit about the Autodesk University Conference (AU) that is currently underway in Las Vegas. I'm bringing it up, mainly, because I'm getting email after email from AU.

I was able to attend last year. I've attended other conferences before and I have to say that AU is a non-stop architectural technologist's dream. At the end of every day, I was dead tired after going through the multitudes of classes and labs. Put on top of that an immense showroom floor with every possible technology you could think of (except of course any competitor of Autodesk).

I have to say I learned a lot there. Of course, I mainly focused on BIM and Revit. But, I did attempt to branch out and find the things that few are thinking about. Many people are able to explore the edges much more than I am and this conference is an excellent opportunity to pick their brains.

If you're there or you're on your way, enjoy!

WhoDoWhatNow?

I used to blog. But, I haven't in a long time. Either I haven't had much to say or I felt no one would be interested or both.

On a daily basis, I conceive and attempt realize the built environment. I, also, explore how technology can play a better part in this architecture. But in the end, and in the simplest of terms, I draw stuff.

I imagine this blog will go the way of any previous attempt I've made at sharing my thoughts. It'll be cluttered and misdirected and probably fade away. If it sustains, there will be random thoughts of nonsense. But, I hope that I might be able to interject some tangible thoughts on subjects in which I have experience and knowledge.

We shall see.