Clean Up After Yourself!
September 18th, 2018 in UncategorizedDiscard wood and metal studs, scattered nails and screws, sawdust, wire sheathing, dried blobs of mastic now adhered to the floor, broken tiles, triangle-shaped remnants of everything, food wrappers, cigarette butts, knock out rings from electrical boxes, pieces of gypsum board, and a lot of drywall dust. Didn’t your mother ever tell you to clean your room?
Managing waste on a job site is an important process because it affects the efficiency, economics and health/safety of a project. It makes better sense to clean up as you go, as opposed to having a massive, expensive effort at the end. A clean, presentable job site comes down to culture, which is led by the contractor and by ESPA as your construction administrator.
A clean job site preserves the environment and lowers costs. Pallets can be sent back. Cardboard, paper, metal and wood can all be recycled. Diverting waste reduces fees associated with waste placement in landfills. In some cases companies will reduce building material cost if they can recycle material from a job site.
A clean job site creates happy neighbors. Keeping debris, dust, noise and trash to a minimum reduces complaints around the job site. Remember, these neighbors will draw conclusions about your firm! They could be tomorrow’s clients.
A clean jobsite is healthier for employees. Contractors and subs should expect a clean, healthy environment in which to work. Let’s reduce pollution and injury on the job by keeping the site clean as we go.
A clean jobsite is safer for everyone. Disposing of potentially dangerous materials (nails, screws, discarded ductwork, broken glass, etc.) immediately will keep visitors to the site safe, reducing our liability and risk.
A clean job site creates happy clients. Customers want to see their dreams come to life, and they will be on the job site at least periodically. This is such an easy way to impress the people who are paying the bills.
A clean jobsite translates into a more positive aftermath. While the job might wrap up on a positive note, a flat tire from an errant nail, or a broken lawn mower from strapping left on the ground will put a sour taste in a client’s mouth really quickly!
Cool, Free Makeover Ideas… for NC Towns
September 18th, 2018 in UncategorizedAdvice is worth what you pay for it, unless CPN shows up. If that happens, the free advice you’ll get can change everything.
I am a member of the Construction Professionals Network, a NC-based group of… you guessed it, construction professionals. CPN represents all facets of our trade, from construction law, construction management, design, construction, and project development to finance and dispute resolution.
In 2006, the CPN Institute was started to expand its mission of service. The Institute is now incorporated as a non-profit corporation, focusing on research, education and community outreach. What started as a genuinely worthwhile idea has now become (1) certainly the most interesting part of our monthly meetings, and (2) a serious competition among members to get on The Bus. The Bus, full of really intelligent construction professionals, is traveling North Carolina dispensing free, valuable information to towns that really need it.
Welcome to Maysville, North Carolina… home to around 1,000 souls, nestled halfway between New Bern and Jacksonville. Small rural towns have many challenges today, some construction-related, which is why we’re here. CPN members spent a couple days meeting with local officials on matters like economic development, design, construction and solid strategies to better utilize existing buildings. Rural NC towns have old schools, empty stores, struggling downtowns and tight budgets. Our mission is to help them step back from their situation and consider the possibilities.
So, you may be wondering, what do you do with an abandoned Dollar General store? Maysville is about to find out.
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
September 18th, 2018 in UncategorizedSimply defined, the architecture profession involves the design of buildings, open areas, communities, and environments, while achieving an aesthetic effect. With the exception of uninhabited natural regions, people experience architecture constantly, which is why what we do is so important. It is not enough however, to simply creating strong designs. Success in this profession requires aptitude in other areas as well!
We are stewards of the environment. Today’s designs aren’t deemed successful if they don’t incorporate environmentally responsible features such as energy efficiency, the use of sustainable materials in design and the preservation of exterior green space. To make things more challenging, the costs associated with environmentally-responsible design are often in opposition to a client’s budgetary concerns.
We are referees in client versus public interest contests. While a client is paying for a design which will meet corporate needs, the design will affect other people. Employees, customers and local citizens will all experience the design in some sense, so the client must be satisfied in a manner which is respectful to others outside the organization.
We are problem solvers, and wrong-righters. In communities with older buildings, we understand modifications made over the years can limit the use of the building. We fix what has broken, beautify the ugly, and try to make the best of bad situations we didn’t create. Needs change, people change and architecture changes in response.
We are clairvoyant to the expectations of future generations. Not only are we meeting the needs of today’s clients, we are expected to do this in a way that transcends the present time. Designs must last– structurally, of course, but also environmentally and aesthetically. Working with today’s circumstances, we must design for today and tomorrow.
While our end goal is an appealing architectural design, the journey to its achievement is almost always circuitous.
Hiding Behind a Mouse
March 2nd, 2016 in UncategorizedDepending on your age, architecture is something you started practicing with a mechanical pencil and paper at a huge inclined desk, or, in front of a computer monitor. I’m in the first camp, and today I intend to invoke the respect-your-elders clause. I am going to get up on my soapbox (which I designed with a mechanical pencil and paper at a huge inclined desk) and talk a little bit about CAD.
Computer Aided Design software is absolutely essential in conveying concepts to clients and contractors, because it allows us to take a lot of the guesswork out of architectural design. Today’s powerful software can represent ideas and options quickly, beautifully, and accurately. The interactive drawings and renderings help clients visualize the destination and therefore enjoy the journey. CAD software has given our presentations and paperwork sizzle, and I love it for this reason.
I think the important thing to keep in mind is the second letter in the CAD acronym. Aided. The software doesn’t do the design for the architect, it merely illustrates the concept of the design. Quality in, quality out; garbage in, garbage out. An architect must have a fundamental understanding of the concept he is trying to convey long before he sits down at a computer.
You’d be surprised how many young architects have never been to a lumber yard. When I talk to young people, I ask them to tell me about something they have built. Not designed on a computer, built with their hands. It matters. I’m not saying you have to be old to be successful in this field, I am saying you have to have an up-close-and-personal understanding of how stuff works. The kind of up-close-and-personal you experience when you do things by hand: with a hammer, saw, and yes, with a mechanical pencil.
What comes around, goes around.
February 24th, 2016 in UncategorizedIn the first half of the twentieth century urban areas were compacted with residential, mercantile and industrial in close proximity to each other. There are many fascinating cultural and economic reasons for this orderly system, but I think you can chalk it up to the philosophy of the time, which was a place for everything and everything in its place. Then in the second half of the century the residential moved out from urban centers to create the suburban areas and then there was distance between mercantile and industrial moved. People entered and exited realms of life, literally on and off the clock, using their automobile to transport them between functions. Did it work at the time? I guess it probably did.
People have changed. The way we work, when we work, how we play, how we source goods, how we learn, how we get around has all changed dramatically. One of the most valued resources in today’s society is time, and our environment is changing in response. People and businesses are trading in urban sprawl existence with its separation and associated commutes, for walkable, mixed-use environments where work, play, learning and shopping are overlapping and constant. People want to do everything everywhere, all the time, which has ushered-in a very different looking neighborhood. Today’s planners are creating mixed-use neighborhood centers that foster community interactions and support all of life’s functions. All things here, now.
I wonder if in another 50 years, society will find this type of urban planning intrusive and claustrophobic. If perhaps they will have had enough “togetherness” and will re-value privacy and “thinking time” to and from activities. I don’t know, that will be for others to decide, but I do know tomorrow’s architects and urban planners will always be ready to respond to the cultural, social and economic demands of future generations.
At what point do you have too much experience?
February 10th, 2016 in UncategorizedStores, wineries, churches, clinics, court houses, apartments, personal residences, fitness centers, breweries, schools, universities… and one dumpster enclosure. These are among the architectural projects we have worked on here at ESPA. As we serve repeat clients and meet new ones, the question comes up, at what point to we have too much experience? If a client is looking for an architect to design a church, is it better to have designed ten, or one? Does having more experience in a particular project type make you more familiar with the client’s needs, or, are you less likely to arrive at a unique and customized approach?
There is an architect in another part of the country that specializes in designing dentistry facilities. That is all they do, and they do them all over the country… hundreds of them. Would we want them designing our dental office? No.
Having familiarity with an industry is helpful, but it’s having an intimate understanding of this client’s specific work processes and needs that will determine the success of his project. Having done work in so many sectors gives us helpful perspective and uncanny problem-solving abilities. We have seen so much, that we are very rarely surprised by anything. We have worked for so many kinds of clients that we can offer suggestions and ideas that apply across the board, no matter the industry. We have seen things succeed and fail in such a variety of environments, which is why we get it right the first time for our clients.
Experience matters, but breadth of experience makes all the difference.
With architectural design, nothing is arbitrary.
January 28th, 2016 in UncategorizedWhy do we do it that way? Do we just make this stuff up?
Architects get a lot of grief from owners and contractors about our role in mucking-up what is perceived to be an otherwise streamlined process. It’s true, the Design Development phase of the design process can stretch out timelines a bit, but rest assured, the time invested up front is worth it in the end. The decisions we made at the front end of the process prevent the all-too-common event of ticking off the client with change orders. Design processes are based on experience, knowledge and yes, memories of a past job that fell short due to cut corners. See? There is a method to the madness.
Bridging the gap between conceptual ideas and detailed execution requires commitment to details. Someone has to sweat the small stuff, because if no one does, we all lose- especially the client. There was a stunning new medical clinic in a local market that incorporated great lines, excellent building practices with cutting edge technology. Unfortunately, the client purchased computer equipment without consulting the design team, not anticipating the HVAC adjustments that would be needed in response to the heat generated by the new equipment. As a result, several offices and patient suites were unusable because they were either too hot or too cold. HVAC is an issue that needs to be addressed during the design development phase of the design process. After occupying the space it was too late to address the issue economically, and sadly, patient and physician discomfort came to define an otherwise well-done project.
So, the next time an architect requests time for Design Development to do some extra research or schematic drawings, take a deep breath. The commitment to doing it right the first time ensures an excellent outcome for all.
Congratulations to Our Affordable Housing Client for Award
April 22nd, 2013 in UncategorizedHelp ESPA congratulate our client, Beacon Management for receiving the 2013 CAHEC Award for Outstanding Preservation for Affordable Housing. CAHEC (Community Affordable Housing Equity Corporation) is one of the nation’s largest regional nonprofit equity syndicators covering eleven southeastern and mid-Atlantic states plus the District of Columbia.
The award is for Colony Place, a 1970’s 100 unit multi-housing project in Fayetteville, NC. ESPA had the pleasure of working with Beacon Management on rejuvenating this community by completely renovating the existing housing and adding a beautiful and functional clubhouse.
Beacon Management is one of five recipients for the 2013 award from a field of highly competitive candidates. Again ESPA is honored to be a part of such an exceptional development team.
Learning to Design for Autistic Children
January 21st, 2013 in EducationESPA Architects & Planners has been involved in the design of a classroom building targeted for special needs children in Guilford County, specifically Autistic children. It has been a rewarding learning process for our entire team.
It has been a team effort from inception including representatives from the school administration, teachers within the existing Autistic program, parents whose children participate in that program and the ESPA design professionals.
Every journey begins with the first step. The first steps with this project introduced the design team to some of the challenges that face the students, their parents, their teachers and their teaching environment. Everything including visual, audio and tactile stimuli was on the table for discussion.
Guilford County Schools include a program for Autistic children for individuals from five to twenty-two years of age, many with unpredictable social and communication skills. For instance, a trip through the cafeteria line may require photos of food to assist certain children with their selections. Even though the food is visible a photo assists the child in claiming their selections and providing a small victory in their daily routine. Certain light and/or sound levels may irritate an Autistic child resulting in strong reactions that need to be monitored by the teaching professional.
With such an age range and varying levels of development, baseline milestones were developed with the help of the parents and teaching staff. Visual cues within the interior finishes have been included to assist with wayfinding from one classroom to the other. Flooring cues have been adjusted to direct students into the classroom as well as providing visual cues for lining up within the classroom. Colors are neutral, soothing and with the dual purpose of visual interest as well as subtle signals to assist in the child’s daily routine.
Generally there is one teacher and one teacher’s aide for 6-8 students. Autistic children respond best in a very structured environment where each teaching module occurs at the same time and in the same way each day. Routine is essential as they move from one teaching module to another. These modules generally remain in place within the classroom thus the need for a larger classroom footprint, usually 1,000 square feet for six students. In addition, change and adjustment for these children can be very traumatic so it takes time and patience for any change or a move to different facilities.
The Guilford County Autism Classroom Building is under construction and will be completed by August, 2013.
Related websites and resources
- Autism Society of America; www.autism-society.org
- Autism Spectrum disorders and Schools (Technical Aid Packet)
- Center for the Study of Autism; www.autism.org
- Resources in Autism Education (RAE); www.autismed.com
- Educating Children with Autism (2001); http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=10017
How Much Do Blueprints Cost?
November 28th, 2012 in Community Engagement
Sometimes ESPA receives calls asking how much blueprints cost. Often those individuals think that architects generate drawings and that is how we make our living. However architects bring much more value to a project. It is up to architects to educate potential clients so that we can be a positive resource for them as we lead them to the solution to their design challenges.
The most prevalent question is how much does it cost to use an architect? To put this in perspective a comparable question is how much does a car cost? Well, what are the priorities for selecting a car? Image, safety, comfort, cost to operate?
Similar questions apply for architectural services. Architects assist with feasibility studies, building and site evaluations, coordination with reviewing agencies, programming for clients, site selection, evaluation of sustainable issues, accessibility, building code issues, demographic studies . . . Oh, and architects design buildings too.
In answer to how much do blueprints cost, the first question that ESPA asks is for more information about the purpose of the blueprints. Each answer will lead to another question until ESPA, and any other architectural individual or group, has a grasp of the potential project.
How much do blueprints cost? Well, what kind of car do you want?