Bag of Tricks......Tools

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Author Message Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI, CDT Senior Member Username: rliebing Post Number: 1386 Registered: 02-2003 Posted on Wednesday, April 10, 2013 - 08:18 am:    130410 BAG OF TRICKS..,..TOOLS By Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI, CDT Cincinnati, Ohio Every upper level student, intern and emerging professional needs to be provided with [or acquire] a “bag of tools". [Remember your tackle box in college with all of your physical equipment?] Actually, the bag is started at the lower-level student, who comes to the profession education with little if any real insight or understanding of what the profession entails and what will be required. In that there is certain sadness; a disappointment, because the current reality is that little or no collegiate instruction is given over to professional practice and basic construction methods and materials. If design and design concept are the direct by-products of theory, then it would seem that knowledge of materials and systems are valuable [and necessary] by-products of fundamental instruction. In addition is the need for skill in detailing [putting the design concept together] and other documentation to facilitate the execution of the project. Both product data and details as well as insight along with specifications are integral [and undeniable] parts of this. While there is logic in “spotting” continuing education on varied topics, there is need for some forum to provide student, et. al, a continuum of related instruction-- i.e., a structure that allows for a fairly lengthy “string” of information. This process fills the bag of tools in a manner that the relationship of one “tool” to others is built up overtime. For students [interns and emerging professionals, all part of the construction industry] to rely totally on monthly CSI meetings as their sole source of instruction is fine, but difficult to facilitate, track and provide continuity, and a reasonable resource built layer on layer. This is true for the construction and materials to be used, and should include the ability to understand how these can be used in various flexible manners. Here the Product Representative is most valuable in bringing a good deal of added information to the process, by presenting their products and including some added level of detailing to assist understanding that their products are not all static and not subject to anything but “as-is” installation. This aspect is so very vital to the young and budding professionals and helps them to be both better "documentors" AND designers! This added insight and perspective adds to overall knowledge but allows the professionals to understand the process of product conception/design, manufacture and installation. Of the numerous aspects to the practice of architecture, two stand out as the premier tasks, crucial to the work and success of the profession’s members and practitioners. These are, of course, design and documentation! The two are encased in the many, many events, programs, tasks and activities within the profession that are manifest daily in the working architectural office. But for discussion, the two are easily extracted and open for examination. The design function and related activities, as discussed, create the basis for the project and set out what is to be accomplished. The illustration, just as a quick review/reminder of the factors involved, briefly offers information about the principles that can be brought to bear on the program to create that singular design concept that the owner will see as the best solution, overall-- and will be willing to formally approve for construction. At this juncture in the project’s progression, the documentation phase is brought to bear in full force and effect-- and the following discussion of the project working drawings. While some very generalized, undetailed and preliminary “design” drawings have been produced, their content must be expanded, refined and translated into information meaningful and useful to the contractors and the various personnel involved. Therein lies the tricky process of documentation-- produced with the “bag of tools”!