Archive for January, 2009
Download the building code at no cost
When the Building Code is enacted into law, they become part of the public domain, and should therefore be available to anyone at no cost. Thanks to the folks behind public.resource.org, from which you can download the building codes for free.
Humility: an unconventional job interview tactic
I was recently involved in an interview for a new project with a client with whom my firm has been working for the last 25 years. We have designed all their major buildings, overseen several modernizations, and our institutional knowledge of their processes is, I’m sure, more extensive than our competitors. However, going into this [...]
Fly under the radar
Shortly after Thom Mayne was awarded the Pritzker prize, editor Chris Sullivan praised “Thom Mayne’s Radical Incrementalism”: “…he operates as a nexus of many ideas and inputs, deftly prioritizing and assimilating them per project needs.” I can hardly think of a better description of the kind of parameters any architect is expected to synthesize, or indeed, the goals of this site.
ILoveSketch – “as natural as…
ILoveSketch – “as natural as possible” sketching in 3d – http://tinyurl.com/4ovwxa
Thanks U.S News – “Architect a…
Thanks U.S News – “Architect an overrated career” via architect magazine – http://tinyurl.com/a97c4e
wordpress install is easy – se…
wordpress install is easy – setting it all up is much more time consuming. I need a time limit on endless tweaking; constraints r good 4 you
A Brief Rant and Manifesto
Too often in recent history architects have been sidelined, drawing pretty pictures and avoiding the risks of construction while contractors, legal professionals and construction managers increase their profitable slice of the project while leaving the long-term liability with the licensed professional – the architect. Architecture in the public eye has become the realm of star [...]
“Joy is an asset”
“‘Joy is an asset,’ Eric Raymond had declared. ‘It may well turn out that one of the most important effects of open source’s success will be to teach us that play is the most economically efficient mode of creative work.’” -Scott Rosen, Dreaming in Code. This is also dealt with recently by Malcom Gladwell in [...]
Meetings are toxic
Every minute you avoid spending in a meeting is a minute you can get real work done instead. There’s nothing more toxic to productivity than a meeting. Getting Real: Meetings Are Toxic (by 37signals)
Don’t be afraid to throw away a good idea
“A good designer isn’t afraid to throw away a good idea” – “Subject every idea, brainstorm, random musing, and helpful suggestion to careful, critical consideration. Your goal as a designer should be to create an integrated whole, not to incorporate all the best features in your buiding whether or not they work together.” – Matthew [...]
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