Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI, CDT
Senior Member
Username: rliebing
Post Number: 1192
Registered: 02-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 06:45 am: |    |
100519
I WENT; I SAW; I CAME BACK……………..CONVINCED!!
by Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI, CDT
Cincinnati, OH
Well, the spring’10 “respite” is over! The SHOW has folded its tent for another year, and we now are on our own! What to do? What did we learn? Where should we direct new efforts, bolster old ones, and perhaps minimize lose of some?
This is not a “call to “arms”, but tell me there weren’t a host of very good ideas that floated around the various corners of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and perhaps in a few pubs and eateries there about! Tell, several hundred of us came together and came away with-- a bag of literature; a hefty credit card bill; a handful of business cards; and maybe some new jokes. We saw the old friends and made them more “fast” to us; we met some new folks, accepted their good cheer; and on occasion, we traded war stories, if about nothing else but the last winter’s snowy gifts. But what did we gain! CSIwise-- and perhaps more importantly what did CSI gain?
Now here again, we have to raise the flag of “the members are CSI”, so still again the whatever to be done is in our plans, at our fingers tips, and part of our initiative. Those in elected offices and on staff cannot do it all, so the members simply have to get going, come together and get a little more real-- real as in “Where is CSI going?” and what new can it do to make everything better? Now notice that no one cared to address, ”Creative Quibbling”, “Big Imaginative Movements” [BIM!], “Collective Doing”, “Non-confrontational Assistance” or “Stretching One’s Reach for Fun and Profit”.
But unknown except to a very few there was a very significant event-- something CSI needs to pick up on, expand and -- NOW! Four members, a student competitor [and other folks] had lunch that ended with a 30-minute “happening” that is a direct representative of what CSI needs to do! During that period [and because of where it occurred] the four members “went over” the nuances, watch-outs and interface problems of door hardware, itself, and with security systems! The student stood almost spellbound by the mere opportunity, voluntary conversation and never-heard-before information, given in a sincere, helpful and illuminating manner. She gained a good deal that places her, now, far ahead of her colleagues. She gained otherwise!
That simple situation, on an isolated topic WAS OVERWHELMINGLY CONVINCING, AND IS PRECISELY what CSI can, should, and must repeat for all students! And there is a solution simply for the implementation! And direct benefits at all parties!
Check the handouts for the TU08 session at the Show on the Hanley-Wood website, or specifically click and open at http://www.constructshow.com/Assets/Content/doc/TU08%20-%20Doing%20Now%20for%20What.pdf
This is not mentioned here for the attention, self-interest, vain-glory or puffery that could be attached, but rather for what I see as sincere-- the verification of the need discussed, via the discussion noted above. Students are so very interested-- thirsting for information, direction, assistance, validation and simple contact and conversation with us [CSI members!!!!]. They sense or know we have something for them! It is painful to think too few are now involved. Even those involved are being short-changed by not having more contacts at the Shows and throughout the year.
The discussion, suggestion and proposed initiative in the handout are sincere, and are something in dire need of doing-- OR we will continue to lose the profession of architecture!!! Students will continue to be design wanna-bes and will never have the inkling, insight or thought about how their designs are built, what is involved and how, through specifications and drawings, they simply MUST communicate to the field personnel. If they don’t do it, as we are doing it, who will?
To those who will berate adding drawings to CSI ‘s endeavors, the word is simply that NO ONE ELSE is positioned to do what CSI can [and should] do-- contract documents! No one else has the collective expertise to provide valid and helpful information. Those documents are really inseparable, so how can we “pick one” and ignore that other? We can’t! And students need to realize and know this also!
Not caring, or blowing off this information and suggestion, and not accepting and developing it would be a tragedy of unknown proportions. The industry is overwhelming and enthralled by the wrong things [CAD, BIM, gadgets, etc.] and in need of simply transfer of human knowledge and communications to allow the future professionals to perform their tasks as we are doing ours. The future, no matter how it is presented, must be based on sound information, valid basis, and useful information, directions and instruction. All the electronics and gadgets won’t get that done-- oh! and by the way, we NEED to start early-on to provide education, prior to the CDT, [with no knock on CDT!] to gradually [as time allows] provide relevant information and instruction, on-going at every level of the developing and emerging professional.
And my bet says it CAN be done, inexpensively, well, soon, and expertly, if we but try-- sincerely try!!! PLEASE!!!! |
4specs.com Home Page