Emerson on Architects

“Art is a jealous mistress, and if a man has a genius for painting, poetry, music, architecture or philosophy, he makes a bad husband and an ill provider.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Philip Johnson: What is an architect?

“Architects are pretty much high-class whores. We can turn down projects the way they can turn down some clients, but we've both got to say yes to someone if we want to stay in business.”

Philip Johnson

(Shown with his model of the AT&T Buidling. Born July 8, 1906 in Cleveland, OH. Died January 25, 2005 in New Canaan, CT )

Mies On The Role Of An Architect

“The long path from material through function to creative work has only one goal: to create order out of the desperate confusion of our time. We must have order, allocating to each thing it's proper place and giving to each thing is due according to it's nature.”

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

A. Architect / WXYZ

Waiter, Water Expert (fresh, waste and leaks), Weaponsmith (just a part of planning and liability), Weather Enthusiast, Web Designer / Master, Wood Master, Wine Enthusiast (for sure), Writer

Xerox Technician (because it's gonna break down when you can least afford it)

"Yes" Man (not a good thing, but it happens)

Zoo Keeper (interns, consultants and clients)

A. Architect / RSTUV

Real Estate Agent, Receptionist (when the real one isn't there), Record Keeper, Referee (more times than I want to count), Registrar, Remedial Teacher (10 tons that wasn't taught in school), Researcher

Salesperson, Scholar (constant), Scientist, Scout, Second Mate, Secretary (it's easier to do it yourself than to explain it), Shepherd, Sleuth, Snake Charmer (snicker), Social Worker / Sociologist, Software Expert, Solar Energy Expert, Structural Engineer (we design it before they put the numbers to it), Student (always), Systems Administrator /Analyst / Designer

Tax Expert, Tea Drinker (when tired of coffee), Teacher, Technologist, Tech Support, Telephone Operator (I spend a quarter of my day on the phone), Therapist, Tile Expert, Trainer (interns, clients, etc.), Translator (from technical to layman)

Urban Planner, Undertaker (interns... again), Upholder (of all laws governing health, safety and welfare)

Valet (in the manner that we do everything asked of us), Verbal Assault Absorber, Video Game Enthusiast (for escape)

A. Architect / MNOPQ

Magician, Maid (you think someone cleans up after us?), Matinenance Manager (throughtout eternity) Manager, Manufacturer Expert (just ask me who the best rep is or who has the best web page), Market Analyst, Marketer, Masonry Expert, MC, Materials Engineer, Mathemetician, Mechanical Engineer (figure it out first), Mediator, Messenger (don't shoot me!), Modelmaker, Mortgage Assistant, Muralist (when called upon)

Nanny, Negotiator, Numerologist

Occupational Therapist, Office Manager, Operator (how do you transfer calls?), Organizer

Paint Technician, Paralegal, Peddler (from time to time), Plumber, Poet (exceptional role), Politician, Presenter, Principal, Printer, Proctologist (snicker), Professor, Programmer, Project Manager, Proofreader, Prostitute (we all feel like we've been one, at one time or another, in a figurative sense), Psychic, Psychologist, Public Relations Officer, Public Speaker, Publisher (more and more)

Quality Control Inspector / Observor

A. Architect / GHIJKL

Game Show Host, Garbage Collector, Gate-Keeper, Geographer (it's harder than you might think to determine utility districts and regulating authorities), Geologist (geotechnical report interpretation), Government Agent (if you think like one, it's sometimes easier to work with one), Grammar Expert (guard liability and eliminate embarassment), Gravedigger (well, sort of... the interns dig their own. HA!), Guide (of so many areas I can't list them all)

Handyman, Headmaster (I know the intern jokes are growing old), Health Inspector, Herder, Historian

Illumination Expert, Illusionist, Illustrator, Industrial Designer / Engineer, Information Architect / Technologist, Instructor, Insurance Expert, Intelligence Officer, Interior Designer, Interpreter, Inventor, Investigator, Investment Analyst

Janitor, Joker (April 1 is one thing, but new employees are required to figure out that paper has been taped to the underside of their mouse), Jurist

Kindegarten Teacher (patience is a virtue)

Laborer, Landlord Expert, Landscaper, Law Enforcement Agent (as guardian of Health, Safety and Welfare), Lawyer, Lecturer, Leveller, Librarian, Lifeguard, Lighthouse Keeper, Lighting Expert, Linguist, Loan Assistant, Lobbyist, Locksmith (try putting together hardware and keying schedules), Logic Puzzle Whiz

A. Architect / DEF

Dancer (interpretive and otherwise), Database Administrator, Demographer, Demolition Expert, Designer, Detective (where the hell is that leak coming from), Developer, Diplomat, Director, Dispatcher, Dock Expert, Doctor (because your co-workers don't have time to see a licensed one), Dog Lover (because at the end of the day, the only thing that keeps you from pulling the trigger is the love of a good dog), Draftsman, Drill Instructor (those poor interns), Drywall Expert

Ecologist, Economist, Editor, Educator, Electrical Engineer / Electrician (you gotta speak the lingo of your consultants), Elevator Specialist, EMT (co-workers with xactos, clients on bid day), Engineer (we pay them to assusme liability), Entertainer, Entropeneur, Environmental Scientist

Fashion Expert (clients expect such knowledge of their product), Fence Designer (decorative and security), Fetcher, Filer (close to my least favorite), Financial Advisor / Analyst /Manager / Planner, Fire Marshal (well, you have to think like one), First Mate, Fortune Teller (for our own good)

A. Architect / ABC

Accountant, A/C Specialist, Acrobat, Administrator, Advocate Agent, Ambassador, Analyst, Anthropologist, Arborist, Archaeologist, Archivist, Art Director, Artist, Assessor, Attorney, Auditor

Banker, Bartender (you betcha!), Barista (you betcha!), Bookkeeper, Broker, Builder, Business Analyst, Business Expert

Cabinet Designer, CAD Monkey, Calligrapher, Cameraman, Carpenter, Cartoonist (for relief), Censor, Cheerleader, Choreographer, Civil Servant, Civil Engineer (give it up, we do a lot of their job!), Clockwatcher (Good Lord, is it midnight?), Coffee Drinker/Enthusiast, Cognitive Scientist, Comedian (or we would go insane), Computer Geek/Technician, Concierge (you should hear some of the things clients ask of me), Construction Manager, Consultant, Contract Manager, Controller, Correctional Officer (minding the Interns), Courier (when there's not enough time or it's too late to call one who does it for a living), Craftsman, Crier (not the profession, just one who does it from time to time), Cult Leader (again with the interns!), Curator, Current Events Expert (lots of small talk required), Custodian

A: What is an architect?

“I was planning to go into architecture. But when I arrived, architecture was filled up. Acting was right next to it, so I signed up for acting instead."

Influential English writer, Gilbert Keith Chesterton, on his collegiate declaration of study.

Sometimes fate is our friend.

A. Architect / Problem Solver

In the most elementary sense, an architect's role is to:

1. Define a problem. And
2. Propose a solution.

Plain and simple, we are problem solvers. What separates an average and an exceptional architect is the problem is solved.

Q. What is an architect?

I'm often asked what I do for a living. My one word answer is typically followed by many, many other questions, as most people seem to be genuinely interested and somewhat enamored with the profession.

I was asked this question several times at a holiday party recently, and as I was driving home that evening, I began to consider the probing questions in contrast with my brevity, my matter-of-factness, my condensation of all that the profession entails... into a few simple words.

In my defense and in general, I'm a woman of not so many spoken words, particularly when strangers or casual acquaintances and the subject of myself are involved. It's not that I'm not willing to share, but rather that I am selective in the content of my answer, hoping to keep it of interest to the recipient and appropriate to the situation.

Throughout history. the role of an architect has been greatly romanticized; and it seems to be a cultural mystery. Perhaps in some ways, the answers that I, and others in the profession, give at cocktail parties that further those notions!

Truth be told, I would never be able to fully describe the job I do. Please don't mistake that statement for condescension or profession of glamour, it's just the honest truth. I don't believe there is any other profession that requires that you understand so many sciences, laws and other professions.

Architect in Society: Bachelor 9!

If you're reading this blog and are interested in architects in society, you might find humor in my Bachelor 9 Seeks Architect post!

Door Selection: Permitting: The Ins and Outs, Part Three

In my experience, doors are subjected to the following Building Permit review:

Building Officials / Structural Plan Review:

1. Fire Walls: Appropriately labelled doors.
2. Egress: Quantity, Location (based on the diagonal distance from one corner of the building to the furthest corner), and Clear Width and Swing Direction.

Fire Marshall:

1. Fire Access Doors: Width, Keying or Access, Signage, Full Access with No Obstructions, Distance Apart (based on hose length to truck or fire hydrant).

Note: Typically, accessibility is left to the State for review, but occasionally a City's officials will also review (and interpret) for compliance with the ADA or TAS.

Door Selection: Accessibility Compliance, The Ins and Outs, Part Two

Once a set of construction documents is complete, they’re sent out on the street (for accessibility approvals, permits and bids, that is)!

Accessibility Approvals:

In most states, including Texas, construction documents are submitted to the State or an approved third party review firm. The doors will be carefully reviewed for the following:

1. Accessibility Requirement.*
2. Door width.
3. Clear floor area, including strike side dimensions, and approaches.
4. Level landings.
5. Hardware, including levers, mounting height and pressure required to open.
6. Signage, including mounting heights, graphics and braille.

Doors are cited either compliant or non-compliant, as shown on the construction documents.

*Not all doors are required to be accessible. Those that are not are few and far between, and necessity does not follow common sense (more on accessibility standards later).

An Architect's Responsibilities

An Architect's primary responsibility is believed to be Aesthics.

In reality, the licensed Architect is Slave to the Budget, Guardian of Health, Safety and Welfare, and only as respected and profitable as the last project.

Sadly, and by necessity, the Architect has also become Master of CYA. This role came, not by preference, but by desparation. In days past, an Architect endeared himself to Client and Contractor alike by guarding and protecting the interests of each. It was the Architect who was relied upon for the settlement of differences and for advising eqitable solutions.

This is no longer the case. There's a new party in town (to sue), and the Architect must now got out of his way to guard his own position and liability.

It's a tight rope we walk. When we recommend a certain manner of construction, but budget dictates an alternative... we must yield, but issue formal letters that release us from liability.

We aim to please... and confrontation is not our long suit... but it doesn't take many owner issued value engineered items turned regret to know that we must speak our mind up front. If the owner chooses to diverge from the construction documents, he must do so at his own risk.

Door Selection: The Ins and Outs, Part One

A door is just a door... unless you're an Architect!

An architect doesn't just draw a door on a plan. There are numerous considerations and decisions to be made:

1. Door locations. Some locations are obvious and relate directly to the Owner's needs. Locations of exit and egress doors are driven by Building and Fire Codes. The process of locating these doors is a complicated one and requires detailed study of the Codes, Amendments, building and site conditions and a lot of hair pulling. Should I ever run out of topics to discuss (Heaven forbid), I'll address these details later.
2. Door width. Doors must meet certain ADA (and state) accessibility standards.
3. Distance to adjoining wall or fixture, from strike side of the door. Again, doors must meet certain accessibility standards, depending on the approach, front or to either side.
4. Swing direction. Building and Fire Codes most often determine the direction of swing.
5. Door height. Consideration must be given to aligning horizontal elements on the buildings interior and exterior.
6. Door function. In addition to the swing door that we all think of, there are also sectional overhead, coiling, bi-fold and sliding doors.
7. Door finish. In a commercial building, swing doors are typically either aluminum and glass or solid core wood doors with a plastic laminate finish. Other door types might be hollow steel or aluminum. Occasionally, you will see a solid wood door with a natural (or stained) finish. Door finish usually depends on budget and durability.
8. Features. Certain doors require vision panels. Others might need louvers. The sizes and locations of these features depend on Building, Fire and Mechanical Codes, the ADA and aesthetics. Sometimes a hollow metal door will be required to be insulated. Glazing (glass) is required to be tempered in all doors, but insulated or tinted glass might be required by the Energy Code.
9. Fire Labels. Doors in fire walls must meet certain tests and standards. The manufacturer is required to emboss a label to these doors, to certify that the requirements have been met. Examples are A: 3 to 4 hour rated. B: 2 hour rated.
10. Frames: Door frames are typically either aluminum or hollow metal. Occasionally, a wood frame will be used with a (true) wood door. Different wall construction types influence frame types and sizes. Budget and durability, again however, play the major role in determining frame type, however (fire) labelled doors require labelled frames.
11. Hardware: Now this is where it really gets complicated. Hardware decisions include: Hinges (durability and frequency of use determine grade; height and weight determine quantity; door function determines offset; and non-removable pins are required at exterior or security doors). Closers (surface mounted or concealed, pounds of pressure required to open, plus hold-open time). Locksets and levers (function, style and accessibility). Panic Devices (concealed or flush). Flush Bolts (top and/or bottom, for pairs of doors) Push/Pull Plates. Kick Plates. Locks. Stops (wall or floor mounted). Wether stripping or sweeps. Sills. Silencers. Electric Openers. Style (there are thousands of styles out there!). And finish (brass, stainless steel, chrome, nickel, polished, satin... you get the picture).

To convey this information to the Owner, the Building Permit authorities and the General Contractor (bidders and sub-contractors), the Architect generates the following:

1. Dimensioned floor plan, locating doors and strike side requirements, with keyed numbers for following each door through the set of construction documents.
2. Elevations, interior and exterior, relating the door (type and swing) and frame to its surroundings.
3. Section details, head jamb and sill, that show how the door and frame fit into and over the specific wall and floor construction.
4. Door types, which are essentially elevations of the door and frame alone, with descriptions that include features, labelling, undercutting, louvers, R or U values and shading coefficients (for glazing).
5. Hardware sets, which are numbered and provide a description and list required for a single door or group of doors.
6. Door schedule, a table that lists each door by number, and references specifics related to each category I've listed here.
7. Door, frame and hardware specifications sections are printed within a book of specifications that pertain to the entire project. It is in these specifications, that the Architect verbally describes all that is reasonably expected. Typically, accepted manufacturers and model numbers are listed, as are the finish and durability requirements.

This concludes Part One of the Architect's Experience with Doors. The project is just now ready to go out for bids and to be submitted for permitting with the local (sweet, kind and altruistic) building officials.

Please stay tuned to later editions, as we discover what happens to our doors during approvals, permitting, bidding, construction and inspection!

Welcome to Your Architect's Office on the Web

Architecture can be a fun profession. It can also be very tedious and mundane, overladen with rules, regulations and liabilities.

People, as a rule, have many questions for me when they find out I'm an architect. They also tend to have a number of misconceptions about the job, and our role in society.

Architecture is a big part of my life, and one that I've avoided discussing on my other blogs. This will be my place to share my thoughts, answer questions and maybe give you something to think about when you experience new (and old) buildings.