This place used to be pretty busy, what happened? Looks dead in here,
but I still see some of the old regulars. How's the architecture biz
going where you guys are at? Pretty shitty here, for me it's on life
Still lurking, not too many of us left this side of the pond ?
(19°S 146°E)
Not many encouraging signs since GFC, lunatic carbon tax in the offing,
clients nervous. Steady stream of small jobs, "alternative" construction
method eg pole homes, shipping container projects ...
I go where others fear to tread ?
To be honest, I see too dang little design in home design. It's all
McHouses: no matter where you go, you see the same exact thing. I
currently live in Texas and just got back from a trip to NJ (family
business), and people are "remodeling" the 1940's-50's cookie-cutter "cape
cod" houses into cookie-cutter "revised traditional" or whatever the heck
it is that the current ecodisaster cookie-cutter stuff is called.
What's needed is home *design*, including energy efficiency. But what's
also needed is decent construction - we bought this place before it was
built, and I caught some real doozies in terms of screw-ups only because I
visited very frequently while it was being put up.
For the most part, housing in North America is so boringly conformist that
anything resembling actual design would probably be banned by the local
HOAs...
I'll presume this is the entity formerly known as Kris?
Since moving to the woods I have done extensive renovations to what
was a 7 yo house when we moved into it 6 years ago.
None of the remodeling was easy or inexpensive and all of it was
wrought with terror because of the construction methods that were
employed during it's construction.
This has caused me to re-think the entire construction method
paradigm.
It is also causing me to research and ponder the evolution of 20th
century construction methods.
I first encountered this issue, in person, while building our new home
in Florida in 2002.
But I was not capable at that time of carefully evaluating what I was
witnessing.
Now, the view is becoming clearer.
Here is the problem.
Current residential construction is based primarily on the mindset of
scheduled subcontractors and I believe this is predicated on the fact
that the financial timeclock is ticking regarding the interest on the
construction loan and other expenses.
The various trades are lined up on a calendar on the contractors wall
and each sub has his own particular timeframe in which to get his
stuff done so that the next sub can start. This causes a *layering* of
processes and materials running down a one-way street that is not
easily or economically reversed.
Say the various trades are numbered from 1 to 50, and number 22 makes
an error which is not discovered until number 36 is complete, how do
you correct 22?
And what are 37-50 supposed to do while this issue is being addressed?
Yes, it becomes a expensive nightmare real quick.
What does this have to do with remodeling my current house you ask?
To fit it into the timeline, I'll suggest the remodeling aspects are
trade numbers 51 thru infinity.
Trade number 55 might be near impossible because of the way trade 15
was implemented.
What I am suggesting is an idea for designing in which the future
possibilties are considered in the initial design stages of a new
construction process.
And, a method of construction that takes these design ideas into
consideration as well.
I've been thinking about this for the past couple of years now and
have actually designed some homes, about 18 of them so far, that are
based in the premise that they may evolve into something else in the
future and considerations are implemented to facilitate any number of
changes and opportunities tomorrow. Part of the mastery of such a
thing is to do this without raising the costs of the project
demonstrably. It can be done, but not with the mindset of wham-bam-
thank you mam of the past. Good design doesn't cost, it pays. Now and
in the future.
In a way you can look at the housing bubble crash, and the soon to
crash commercial bubble, as a cleansing of the field.
Too many incompetent people were able to rise to successful levels at
a cost to individuals and society as a whole.
Many of those people are now unable to continue and have moved onto
other things leaving the design and construction arena a cleared
palette in which to start anew, perhaps with a new vision.
I don't know, I'm just one person, a person that thinks about the
opportunities, consequences, costs and other variables now and well
into the future and would like to believe I am capable of breaking
free of the old way and help create a better way.
Yup. I should set up a sig file - mainly, I've become increasingly spam-
adverse re: header info...
Just to word "renovation" makes me shudder - you're more brave than I am!
At least you can learn - what's bad is that so many people don't, won't, or
can't learn to re-evaluate...
Exactly. Even on the simplistic home remodel/repair TV shows, it happens
time and time again where something that should have been relatively simple
turns into a total nightmare because something was done wrong during the
original process. It's made me completely suspicious of ever buying a
"used" house - the first one we'd bought was "used", and that was quite
enough of a bad experience because of all the shoddy and completely-half-
assed things that had been done from the get-go.
That would make a huge amount of sense. It's one reason why military
hardware is (or at least, sued to be...) modular: it's faster, and
cheaper, to repair or reporpose something that's modular.
Cool! Not being an architect or architectural designer, I can't really
picture it, other than the idea of mudularity. In part, that's one of the
interesting things about the potential of "shipping-container
architecture". Aside from recycling, and being sturdy as heck, they're
already modular. The tricky part - or at least, the part I don't know how
it's done - is adequately sealing attached units so that they're
weatherproof. But I've seen some examples that I think look eminently
livable.
Oh, to be sure! That's one of my big frustration with things in general:
poorly-designed items that have to be replaces because they eitehr break,
or can't do the job they're supposed to be able to do. ((Going through
that now with my weed-whacker - I spend more time taking it apart and
fixing it, than I spend using it...))
A building is no different - in a way, it is like a machine: parts have to
perform certain functions, and they do wear out over time.
Exactly. The whole ethic of "quality products at a reasonable price, for
a modest profit" fell by the wayside a loooooong time ago. It's a rip-off,
essentially. And yes, the rest of the people in the society/nation do
indeed end up bearing the costs, just as we bear th ecosts of *any* form of
rip-off/theft. And in a way, it is a form of theft, because people are sold
things (including homes) that they're told will perform in such-and-such a
way - and by the time the purchaser realizes that it does NOT perform as
described, the seller is long gone.
The disturbing part is thinking about what they've moved on *into*... But
yes, it'd be nice if this was taken as an opportunity to change for the
better. But that's an astronomically-large "if" nowadays...
I know what you mean. On a smaller scale, I'm trying to think of things
similarly - as in, how can I change various aspects of my life, how can I
root-out old ways/habits that are wasteful, and come up with something
better, and be an example to others. I mean that in both the
internal/mental sense, but more especially in the material/practical sense.
There is too much waste in my life, and it really hit home so to speak
during January and Feb., when my sister and I were going through my
parents' house after they died. So much dang *waste*.
I don't have any sweeping ideas - but in general, I'm looking at pretty
much everything now with that kernel of an idea, with a consideration as to
efficiency versus waste.
It's tricky, because I also strongly believe that people need to live as
*both* members of a society *and* as individuals. But the wasteful system
has led to just as much (or maybe even more!) conformity than would a
philosophy of efficiency.
I know I'm not expressing that well, but all of this is still
"percolating". Part of it all isthe thought that, if the necessary things
were more efficient, there would be more time, energy, materiel, and money
left over for increased *creativity* - if that makes sense. I dunno, it's
all still percolating...
Is this Edgar?
10 years on and I'm still regular. ;)
You had me reading an old thread from 2007...
Beginning roughly around mid-2008 it seems, the alt.arch group members
started dropping off-- including you, if you are who I suspect you
are-- rather like how a perpetual-growth-based global civilization
might "drop off" around the time of peak oil, peak population, (peak
centralized government/corporate oligarchy?) and resource constraints,
etc..
I recently relocated to NS and now have some land (as we all should,
as a birthright) and might be about to look into a post-and-beam
timber-frame straw-bale house next and maybe try to paint the town
(more) green.
80% Lurk-Quotient maybe?
Yes this is Edgar, I dropped out when my ISP stopped carrying Usenet
service. Never felt like paying for it and the free ones I woul use just
didn't work very well. Google groups is pretty awful. Found something
that seems to be working now.
I'm kind of in search of new horizons, something new to do. I've hit a
dead end here as far as architecture here, it's my own fault, for
getting to comfortable and complacent. We'll see what the future holds.
Nightseer!
New horizon, I like it.
Same here, design is dead, at least in the old traditional sense.
So I've carved a couple new niches then stepped back and took a
breather.
Now, I have a whole new idea, a new way if you will, to deal with all
of it.
Plus, I've hooked up with some folks that are involved with design but
in a different sector, so I'm all in that as well.
(causing me to dredge up 40 year old memories of school - stuff I
learned long ago but never used, til now)
IOW, I have many irons in the fire and none of them are boiling over
but all of them have promise.
Ready for this?
In the past 4 months I have worked on 4 very in depth college level
theology text books for people that know that stuff inside and out.
Yeah, me of all people. LOL
I'm all over the map but at the same time focused somewhat and gettin
tighter all the time.
And don't forget, beans-bandaids-bullets, time is running out......
On 2/22/2012 2:44 PM, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:
I got a motorcycle and it's all I want to do, but it seems dangerous
turning a hobby into work. So I think I might stick to keeping it as a
hobby. I bought a 77 Triumph Tiger (a single carb Bonnie) and plan to
work on it restore it to modern standards and retro looks.
I'm leaning towards doing something in computers. I've always been the
IT guy for this firm and it's basically a piece of cake for me so it
makes sense. I'd like to go to school again for something else, maybe
engineering or maybe even Physics (Richard P. Feynman got me interested
again). Yeah need to get some focus, this place I'm at now is dying and
nobody seems to care. I have come to realize I don't like people enough
to want to manage them, project manager doesn't appeal to me and I'm
just not organized enough. Wouldn't mind being a CAD manager, but I have
yet to hop on Revit and I'm already behind, according to most job
offerings (which are already slim to none).
Glad to hear things are going well. You know as much of an atheist as I
am, theology is really fascinating considering it has had such an affect
on how our world is today. I guess it's more the history angle of it
then the actual dogmas but I do love reading about it.
[snip]
Earlier model, but went all round Europe on one of those [sigh]
Sort of bike you can listen to most of the moving parts in rotation
(tappets - ok, chains - singing nicely etc. )
You might need to watch out for the clutch retaining bolt (or is it nut?)
working loose. Needs checking from time to time. The noise is easily
mistaken for big-end slap.
No - couldn't afford to bring our trusty Jeep Cherokee 5.9 litre down from
PNG. Amazing vehicle. Would go over roads cut from rock and still float
like it was bitumen. Now we have something that won't strand us in the
middle of nowhere, but I still have to work, and my limit would be max 400
km a day. Big country this ... Queensland alone is 2.5 times the size of
Texas :-)
What could be better than fun, fun, fun all day long?
Work is a losers word, so lose it.
We're only here for a limited time so do what you want and tell the
others to pound sand.
So I think I might stick to keeping it as a
Good one, and old enough to not have all the *mandatory* bullshit
embedded in it.
You can actually work on one of those things and not have to be a
rocket surgeon.
A set of metric box wrenches and a plastic nosed hammer and you're in
business.
At the top of my bucket list is to get a Honda Goldwing and leisurely
motor from the northern tip of Maine down along the coast and all
around the entire perimeter of the continental US - tale a couple
months to do it. I did that back in 1980, sort of, in 4 wheeled
vehicles but something about the open air and the natural effect
appeals to me greatly now.
For now you can't go wrong with IT. My son (now 32 and getting married
next month - jeezis, how'd I get so old so fast) got his degree in
computer engineering and has been working in IT since 2000. For the
past 5 years he's been in charge of programming for the New York
Times, Tampa Bay Tribune edition making about $80k/yr. Amazingly
enough the coin hasn't made him arrogant, go figure.
I'd like to go to school again for something else, maybe
Well, if you invest in schooling you run the risk of not having a
place to park it when you come out the other side, if you know what I
mean.
I'm an advocate of running with what you got but exploiting it all to
the nth degree.
You'll figure it out.
Yeah need to get some focus, this place I'm at now is dying and
I hear that. I look at employment ads now and then and realize that
still using 2D Acad 2004 has left me back in the dust.
Seems all the employers are wanting Microstation and Revit, BIM, etc.,
users, not much Acad.
Could always be better.
I've always been a non-believer in the supernatural stuff but have a
slight interest in the historical aspect of all of it.
It is quite the hobby to delve into the *history* of the bible, that
is, how did it get to where it is, rather than the stories themselves.
I don't hang out here like the old days, just stop in to see whats
going on every couple weeks or so and slap Pierre around a little
bit. ;-)
You still hold the record for the longest group thread!
On 2/24/2012 7:42 AM, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:
The danger lies in doing it all the time, I seem to get bored easily
:-). Now if I could get paid to just ride that might be different :-)
I figured the next logical step from what I used to own and maintain
some time ago, a leaky, old, VW bug would be a leaky old Triumph, and it
seems I found what I need.
The appeal of 2-wheels can not be understated. I'd ride every day all
day if I could now.
Yeah my problem is I'm not certified in anything so I need to take a few
Community College classes to get these pieces of paper. Shouldn't be too
tough.
Yeah that is the problem. I'd like to stick to school just for learning,
but school costs money and that's not a resource I cna just throw away
right now.
The worst part about being in an office with old fogies that are
terrified of change.
Exactly. A lot of what came before in these stories led to what we have
today, as much as I can't stand organized religion they had and have
much influence in the everyday life of people. The truth that lies
underneath all these myths is what I find fascinating.
Wow, I do? I'm guessing it was one of those pissing matches me and Don
got into. I'll be in and out of this place here and there, nice to see
the old fogies are still around :-)
That ol' Don, he was something else wasn't he? I heard he moved to the
boonies of northwestern Montana and is living like a hermit.
The thread I spoke of was about the plane on the conveyor belt.
I think Ron Paul's *ideal* is mostly correct but I don't believe he is
the person to carry it through.
(it has nothing to do with him being crazy or an isolationist
silliness)
But then, none of the contenders are capable either.
So we will just chug along figuring it out as we go, I guess, until it
all falls down.
BTW: The new word that is looming on the horizon and will soon be
common knowledge is the word *quadrillion*.
It's been whispered a few times recently but before too long it will
be shouted everywhere.
My personal take?
They will kick the can down the road as far as they can, then
repudiate all of it.
That's sort of like bankruptcy but with a bigger hammer.
Regardless, tough times are ahead and the smart people better provide
for themselves for the future while they can.
Now, what about that round roofed house in the upstate woods?
Do you need me to come up there and curve that plywood for you or
what? LOL
On 3/9/2012 6:48 PM, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:
Oh geez that one, yeah I remember that, lol. Yeah that was a long one.
Mythbusters got a hold of that one didn't they? Not sure I saw the
result of it.
Yeah Don really got on my nerves but he actually got me to thinking
sometimes, and thinking is good. He was just too much ego for me most
times though.
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