Sorry if this seems like a dumb question - but it's pretty self-explanatory. End of semester is looming and I'm thinking of giving my design (a residential home in a slum) a name. But I actually don't understand how - or exactly why, architects name buildings. Are there any rules with this? Thanks.
Miles Jaffe
Oct 20, 14 9:17 am
With visual metaphors, of course.
curtkram
Oct 20, 14 9:30 am
architects don't name residential buildings in slums.
some buildings, such as the sears tower or the willis tower, are named for the people who pay for the building or pay for the naming rights.
others, like st peter's basilica, are named after saint peter.
now, for a studio project you want a name so you can pretend to understand marketing. in those situations, you want to obfuscate what you're saying so nobody notices there isn't any content in what you're saying. you can pick a european language you're professors don't know but it's usually better to go with latin because it makes you looks smart, and you should be able to find latin words on the internets without much effort or actually understanding the language.
i think if i was going to name a studio project for a residential project in the slums, i would go with 'expecto patronus.'
molten
Oct 20, 14 9:30 am
Make it punny.
citizen
Oct 20, 14 9:54 am
I like "Larry."
chigurh
Oct 20, 14 11:09 am
Many are named by the public, whether the architects like it or not..
ever heard of the gherkin aka dildo?
shellarchitect
Oct 20, 14 12:54 pm
chose a name whose initials for a dirty word
A- Another
S- Super
S- Structure
I'm sure you can do better than that
Carrera
Oct 20, 14 1:54 pm
Many of the names I’ve used came from historical cues from the site, surroundings or community.
This is a different topic perhaps but putting names on buildings is getting ridiculous. A name is fine but I just saw a whole paragraph on one at the hospital.
accesskb
Oct 20, 14 4:31 pm
let your work speak for itself. A cool name isn't going to make up for crappy design.
zonker
Oct 20, 14 4:42 pm
street address is the name
awaiting_deletion
Oct 20, 14 10:03 pm
job number. 14.###.00
first two digits year
next three job in order it was authorized in office
last two digits for revisions
LITS4FormZ
Oct 20, 14 11:14 pm
I think whoever pays for it gets to name it...
ariels
Oct 21, 14 12:38 am
Interesting. I'm not actually considering naming my design (which I can safely say it great and I'm very satisfied with it) but was just interested in how and why buildings are named. Thanks for the input (minus everyone's sarcasm).
bowling_ball
Oct 21, 14 1:42 am
"which I can safely say it great"
Attention to detail aside, at least you're humble. So you've got that going for you, which is nice.
Donna Sink
Oct 21, 14 8:35 am
Olaf, I like your system. Mine is similar but the revision addendum is excellent.
awaiting_deletion
Oct 21, 14 8:48 am
Donne - I learned that from an engineering office. The revisions are contract revisions. The architect I was working for allowed me to write proposals and the only thing that never made sense to me is he would use the alphabet for revisions, and occasionally he got all the way to AA revision after Z?!?
Oct 21, 14 4:03 pm
ariels,
Residential houses are typically named (in the PROFESSIONAL world not Academia world) using the following convention:
Owner's/Clients_Lastname Residence
Such as this example: Client/Owner's name is John Smith
So the residence would be called:
Smith Residence
That is all. It is usually nothing that important. As for a class project where you don't have an actual client and no client name is given... it may or may not be indicated in the assignment so it is kind of up to you.
Commercial buildings would be named by a significant person from which the building would be honoring or the company name such as "U.S. Bank Astoria branch bank building", etc. There is many ways a building is named and would be contextual either the people behind the project, historic name associated with the location. The client will have more say in the naming of their building then the architect/designer. CONSULT your client otherwise default would often be like Jonestown High School Gym (if the building is a Athletic gym for a high school).
The name would typically be something that make relevant sense. A historic building would have more historic reference and that would be the name usually stemming from the original name on the plans or historic name as indicated in a national register nomination or historic district inventory or something of the sort.
We don't generally name the buildings professionally and if we do give a label it is more a placeholder name not whatever the dedicated name of the building will be.
The original client is often the one that names the building in that they paid for it. It's their building not yours. They get to name it. When you are a developer then you name the building(s) you are developing and so forth. Even if you are double-dutying as the architect/designer.
In an academic assignment, it doesn't matter. Just make it make sense.
chigurh
Oct 21, 14 7:22 pm
holy shit balkins, you act like there is some accepted conventional standard for naming projects. there is not. every office, architect, designer, interior designer, hobo, clown, hooker, crack dealer, and consultant has a different standard. get over yourself man, good god! could you write more on such a mundane topic? ever thought about being a professional spec writer?
Non Sequitur
Oct 22, 14 9:47 am
^ brilliant.
My current project is to be named after some popular big-shot corner office federal department head who just so happened to have suddenly died a few months before his department was to move in. People in the city tend to like the naming and I don't mind as long as it's not named after the pope or some other worthless saint.
Building dedications aside, I prefer to name my projects by their address, especially if they are downtown on a prominent street/intersection.
curtkram
Oct 22, 14 10:16 am
i would like to see a saint bernard building. not so much because of what saint bernard contributed (there have been a lot of saint bernards, some less morally accomplished than others), but because i like the dog.
SneakyPete
Oct 22, 14 11:45 am
Saint Bernard's Basilica would be in the shape of an immense fire hydrant.
Non Sequitur
Oct 22, 14 11:50 am
... or a barrel of booze.
Oct 22, 14 11:57 am
chigurgh,
What is a standard convention?
Common practices....????? maybe?
Just like the drafting/CAD standards... it isn't always codified into some book guidelines but there is probably somewhere in a library a book on naming buildings on architectural plans.
Anyway, I probably should have used the word "format" instead of "convention" but I am talking about common practices not a codified by rule of law standard.
Sure, "residence" could be replaced by other synonyms such as house or home. Residence is usually the more formal/professional way of saying a house.
Project Job# is not the same thing as project name but sure, some people don't care to name a project because they don't like the client or the project and they consider the job a shit job.
chigurh
Oct 22, 14 12:17 pm
Balkins, you should head on down to your local library and find a book on "naming buildings on architectural plans". Better yet, maybe you could do an academic publication search to find a couple Phd dissertations on the same topic? I'm sure this is some cutting edge thinking for architectural scholars.
I'm sure you would love love to read 2-3 volumes on "naming buildings on architectural plans", then you can come back to this forum and get on your soapbox, with some cited footnotes to prove your pointless rambling.
nerd.
Oct 22, 14 3:16 pm
chigurh,
I'd just let the architectural plans in archives speak for themselves. I never said there was some codified standards convention. In fact the use of the word "convention" was used in a little bit different definition.... more as a synonym for "format".
The most I was intending is a general common practice in the profession not architecture school academic assignments is that project name (building name). A custom house for a family commonly uses the last name of the client & their family followed by "Residence" or other similar words. The word "residence" is often used more often then houses or homes among architects because it has a more 'professional' / "formal" tone to it.
A key word I used was TYPICALLY. If you read what I said in the first place, correctly, there wouldn't be this b.s. debate. If you have trouble reading what I wrote to ariels then I have to plainly say that you couldn't read high school level reading material let alone college.
Back to the picture books you go, chigurh.
Learn to read, DOOFUS.
It is better to be a nerd than a doofus. Remember, one of the richest man in the world is a nerd.... and his name is BILL GATES.
JonathanLivingston
Oct 22, 14 3:37 pm
Richard,
This is at least the second post where I have seen you write so much about so little. You're my new favorite architect troll. Archi-babble at its finest.
Miles Jaffe
Oct 22, 14 4:11 pm
Hey guys, go easy on Richard. He hasn't even gotten into copyrights, trademarks or infringement yet.
chigurh
Oct 22, 14 4:47 pm
Balkins, serious question, Are you developmentally on the autism spectrum? Based on your overly wordy, socially inept posts on this site it seems like a valid read of your personality.
I feel sorry for you man, because a huge part of this profession is being a people person which you are obviously not. I can only imagine you in a real, social situation the people you interact with probably want to put a gun to their heads. Talking for 45 mins about something that nobody gives a shit about. Try a bit of humility it might do you good.
You are not Bill Gates, you are an unlicensed bumbling fool.
Carrera
Oct 22, 14 5:06 pm
This isn’t directed at anybody, but most clients are very serious people and they want a full dose when they ask a question. My doctor is a nerd, my wife says he’s an ass-hole and he rambles on about all kinds of things – but he’s the smartest guy I know. When I’m sick I don’t want funny, I don’t want sarcasm, I don’t care if he is good looking – or a “people Person” – I want answers and I don’t care how long the answers are – longer the better.
midlander
Oct 22, 14 11:01 pm
I wish Ariels would come back and tell us what she (he?) named this building - the suspense is growing by the day!
Post a pic and we'll name it for you. Since you're a student I'll do it for free.
Oct 23, 14 2:01 am
chigurh,
This is a professional forum for design professionals. It is expected that we have thorough dialogues not sarcasm, jokes or otherwise. You are not a client where I may have to simplify things so they could understand. Yet, I shouldn't have to talk to you like a teenager in middle school so try to be an adult and a professional.
I don't spend 45 minutes talking to people on stuff they aren't interested in unless it becomes a debate and that is something people would obviously be engaged in. You heard it takes two to tangle, right? It takes two to have a debate, right? You chosen to persist in a debate instead of shutting up. If it didn't interest you, then shut up and go away.
This is an online forum so it isn't like in-person dialogue. It isn't real-time interactive. I may reply to a post of my own to edit and clarify something I posted on the forum because I can not edit a post after 5 minutes.
You have little to no clue about my software development experience let alone my knowledge of that market place. Enough said on that but I'm sure we can debate that in PM or elsewhere. Just so you know, I never said I have to be a billionaire. Of course I am not Bill Gates but I can still make money in the software industry.
SiameseDream
Oct 23, 14 3:07 am
I dont know about you people, but I stop reading what RBAIA has to say in threads...long time ago. Just sayin'
chigurh
Oct 23, 14 12:19 pm
Balkins, understood. No jokes, sarcasm, or otherwise from this point forward. Thank you so much for clarifying the intent and seriousness of the forums.
Non Sequitur
Oct 23, 14 12:25 pm
It does in fact take two to tango... Tango and Cash that is!
Volunteer
Oct 23, 14 12:41 pm
There was one modern architect who designed sterile white houses that looked like medical clinics. He gave each one a number, as if the client was totally meaningless and had no input at all; the building was a paean to the architect's wonderfulness.
Miles Jaffe
Oct 23, 14 12:42 pm
This is a professional forum for design professionals.
If that really is the case Richard, WTF are you doing here?
x-jla
Oct 23, 14 12:50 pm
Is it unprofessional to name projects after how we feel about the client rather than the clients actual name? For instance...
"The cheap mother fucker who wants everything done yesterday for nothing residence"
Put that on a plan Balkins!
Oct 23, 14 1:00 pm
Miles,
Building designers are design professionals.
I AM A BUILDING DESIGNER.
Non Sequitur
Oct 23, 14 1:05 pm
all caps, everybody watch-out, he's serious now.
Oct 23, 14 1:51 pm
jla-x,
Yes because being a professional calls for upholding a higher standard of ethics, morals, conduct and mannerism whenever we engage in the course of our profession.
In the course of our professional activity, we are to be respectful of our clients regardless of whether or not they are respectful to us. That's part of standard of reasonable care on the aspects of professional decorum. If the behavior is inappropriate in a court room, it is inappropriate in our professional relationship between us and our client.
To be a professional, we should at all times over the course of professional activities, have disciplined control over our emotions.
It is the standards set forth by your professional peers. We don't have to like our client but how you conduct yourself to your client is your professional image and public relations at stake not to mention, it degrades the profession by dishonoring it. Sure, we should connect with our emotions for creativity sake but we have to have disciplined control over how we express our emotions so that we don't lower ourselves to the non-professional's level whom has no moral obligations to honor our profession. When we are in a residential client's current residence to design their dream home, we are guests in their home. They are not in their office necessarily so they are in their private domain so they don't have a duty of decorum. We are guests in their home. We are professionals paid by them. When they meet us in our office for professional services, we need to conduct ourselves in a professional mannerism.... professional decorum.
It is both ethics/conduct matter and also a public/customer/client relations matter which is crucial to the success of our business. Have you ever worked in a restaurant as a waiter or waitress (don't recall your gender) ? How much business would a patron/customer of a restaurant would have if the waiter or waitress was rude, disrespectful and demeaning of the customer/patron? Would the customer/patron give a tip to a rude waiter/waitress?
Why would a client pay you if you were disrespectful, demeaning and rude. Part of your pay's value to the client IS in how you treat the client. The client pays you as they feel you are worth to them. The pay you commensurate of their experience with your services. Your services value is the service experience you provide to the client and their satisfaction of your services rendered to them.
Oct 23, 14 1:54 pm
BOTTOM LINE:
Treat your client respectfully and uphold the moral high ground.
That is what it is to be a PROFESSIONAL. That is one of the hallmarks between a professional and a non-professional... our professional decorum.
Oct 23, 14 2:10 pm
I given the in-depth basis to how I would approach jla-x's question.
Is it unprofessional to name projects after how we feel about the client rather than clients actual name(s)?
In general, yes it is unprofessional. I am not getting into exceptions to the general rule of thumb.
Yeah, our behavior standards as professionals may sound like Boy Scouts but that is the basic standards of being an adult and proper adult behavior which is the base foundation from which professional conduct, mannerism, ethics, ettiquettes and so forth is based on. Professional behavior builds on the foundation of proper adult behavior like what boy scouts tries to bestow on young men in our society and the same kinds of morals and ettiquettes in girl scouts. Bottom line is bestowing the guidelines of social ettiquettes, mannerisms, propriety, ethics, and so forth in our children who will become future adults in our society.
Professional manners, conduct, ettiquettes, etc. continues this throughout our professional lives.
curtkram
Oct 23, 14 2:15 pm
what constitutes 'professional peer'? why is a building designer my peer, but a student isn't?
Oct 23, 14 2:42 pm
A student who isn't in the business of designing buildings or working as an employee in the profession may or may not be considered a "professional peer" depending on interpretation.
If they are working in the profession then yeah, they are professional peers. If they just students then that is a debate. I am not saying they are or aren't a professional peer. They should nonetheless aspire to professionalism as they become part of the profession.
I'm not sure if I unintentionally implied students aren't professional peers.... did I ?
I believe it depends on interpretation. When do they become part of the profession?
In general, there is the professional field (as in commercial environment where we make our living) while a student isn't in college to make a living. They are in college to learn and prepare themselves for a career. So are they part of the "professional field" ? Is it a "No, not unless they are employed or running a business in the profession" or is it a "Yes". That's a dialogue of perspective.
Another question, Is the "Profession" just the "professional field" or does it include "academia" ?
Depending on your take on the above questions, it may make a difference on opinion for your question?
Lets leave that open for a dialogue.
Donna Sink
Oct 23, 14 3:28 pm
jla-x I love your name idea.
In all seriousness, projects often take on "pet" names in the office that are a joke, but one has to be VERY CAREFUL (allcapsi'mserious) NOT to accidentally use that name when a client is around. Example: I once had a client who wanted to turn an abandoned salmon hatchery site into a spiritual wellness retreat/spa. We started calling it the Salmon Spa. One day someone in the office unconsciously used the term "Salmon Spa" while on the phone with a consultant, thankfully not with the client him/herself. Dodged a bullet!
to the Original poster: The houses by Johnsen Schmaling are all given names based on some quality of the project concept. Scroll through them and you will likely sense an idea of how naming happens.
3tk
Oct 23, 14 3:40 pm
For stadia and campus buildings you can buy naming rights...
chigurh
Oct 23, 14 3:54 pm
Balkins, it seems you didn't understand that jla-x was mocking you. I guess you lack the ability to read social cues and/or irony. Interesting.
chigurh
Oct 23, 14 3:58 pm
P.S. "building designers" are not professionals, that is a term you invented to sound like an architect even though you are not licensed.
Carrera
Oct 23, 14 4:02 pm
Had a rich guy in my town fund a B-Ball arena at the university – 35 years later they tore it down – bye-bye name. What kind of person wants there name on a building anyway – university buildings with names are OK if “Longfellow Hall” or “Hubble Observatory” but now it’s “ The William & Elizabeth Bowersocks Family and all our Friends and Relatives Building”.
Oct 23, 14 4:06 pm
I'm with Donna on the reference by Johnsen Schmaling as a method for naming project. It should always be done with class and taste and respectfulness from a professional perspective. Conventionally, using the client name followed by residence is the typical method of naming projects where the project isn't a very high end custom home. We don't typically name projects like Johnsen Schmaling on modest residential projects. It may or may not be so much an "art project" so it doesn't pertain.
Miles Jaffe
Oct 23, 14 4:12 pm
The AIA should stop the practice of selling Associate titles. The AMA and ABA don't. Not only is it misrepresentative - allowing the use of AIA to the unlicensed - it gives some who've bought it airs of superiority.
In fact, based on the stated criteria
Associate membership is open to individuals who meet one of the following criteria: professional degree in architecture; currently work under the supervision of an architect; currently enrolled in the Intern Development Program (IDP) and working toward licensure; or faculty member in a university program in architecture.
as Balkins Esq. doesn't meet any of the above I'm wondering how he got one, aside from paying the requisite fee, of course. Does two years of architectural history qualify as a professional degree? LOL
Sorry if this seems like a dumb question - but it's pretty self-explanatory. End of semester is looming and I'm thinking of giving my design (a residential home in a slum) a name. But I actually don't understand how - or exactly why, architects name buildings. Are there any rules with this? Thanks.
With visual metaphors, of course.
architects don't name residential buildings in slums.
some buildings, such as the sears tower or the willis tower, are named for the people who pay for the building or pay for the naming rights.
others, like st peter's basilica, are named after saint peter.
now, for a studio project you want a name so you can pretend to understand marketing. in those situations, you want to obfuscate what you're saying so nobody notices there isn't any content in what you're saying. you can pick a european language you're professors don't know but it's usually better to go with latin because it makes you looks smart, and you should be able to find latin words on the internets without much effort or actually understanding the language.
i think if i was going to name a studio project for a residential project in the slums, i would go with 'expecto patronus.'
Make it punny.
I like "Larry."
Many are named by the public, whether the architects like it or not..
ever heard of the gherkin aka dildo?
chose a name whose initials for a dirty word
A- Another
S- Super
S- Structure
I'm sure you can do better than that
Many of the names I’ve used came from historical cues from the site, surroundings or community.
This is a different topic perhaps but putting names on buildings is getting ridiculous. A name is fine but I just saw a whole paragraph on one at the hospital.
let your work speak for itself. A cool name isn't going to make up for crappy design.
street address is the name
job number. 14.###.00
first two digits year
next three job in order it was authorized in office
last two digits for revisions
I think whoever pays for it gets to name it...
Interesting. I'm not actually considering naming my design (which I can safely say it great and I'm very satisfied with it) but was just interested in how and why buildings are named. Thanks for the input (minus everyone's sarcasm).
"which I can safely say it great"
Attention to detail aside, at least you're humble. So you've got that going for you, which is nice.
Olaf, I like your system. Mine is similar but the revision addendum is excellent.
Donne - I learned that from an engineering office. The revisions are contract revisions. The architect I was working for allowed me to write proposals and the only thing that never made sense to me is he would use the alphabet for revisions, and occasionally he got all the way to AA revision after Z?!?
ariels,
Residential houses are typically named (in the PROFESSIONAL world not Academia world) using the following convention:
Owner's/Clients_Lastname Residence
Such as this example: Client/Owner's name is John Smith
So the residence would be called:
Smith Residence
That is all. It is usually nothing that important. As for a class project where you don't have an actual client and no client name is given... it may or may not be indicated in the assignment so it is kind of up to you.
Commercial buildings would be named by a significant person from which the building would be honoring or the company name such as "U.S. Bank Astoria branch bank building", etc. There is many ways a building is named and would be contextual either the people behind the project, historic name associated with the location. The client will have more say in the naming of their building then the architect/designer. CONSULT your client otherwise default would often be like Jonestown High School Gym (if the building is a Athletic gym for a high school).
The name would typically be something that make relevant sense. A historic building would have more historic reference and that would be the name usually stemming from the original name on the plans or historic name as indicated in a national register nomination or historic district inventory or something of the sort.
We don't generally name the buildings professionally and if we do give a label it is more a placeholder name not whatever the dedicated name of the building will be.
The original client is often the one that names the building in that they paid for it. It's their building not yours. They get to name it. When you are a developer then you name the building(s) you are developing and so forth. Even if you are double-dutying as the architect/designer.
In an academic assignment, it doesn't matter. Just make it make sense.
holy shit balkins, you act like there is some accepted conventional standard for naming projects. there is not. every office, architect, designer, interior designer, hobo, clown, hooker, crack dealer, and consultant has a different standard. get over yourself man, good god! could you write more on such a mundane topic? ever thought about being a professional spec writer?
^ brilliant.
My current project is to be named after some popular big-shot corner office federal department head who just so happened to have suddenly died a few months before his department was to move in. People in the city tend to like the naming and I don't mind as long as it's not named after the pope or some other worthless saint.
Building dedications aside, I prefer to name my projects by their address, especially if they are downtown on a prominent street/intersection.
i would like to see a saint bernard building. not so much because of what saint bernard contributed (there have been a lot of saint bernards, some less morally accomplished than others), but because i like the dog.
Saint Bernard's Basilica would be in the shape of an immense fire hydrant.
... or a barrel of booze.
chigurgh,
What is a standard convention?
Common practices....????? maybe?
Just like the drafting/CAD standards... it isn't always codified into some book guidelines but there is probably somewhere in a library a book on naming buildings on architectural plans.
Anyway, I probably should have used the word "format" instead of "convention" but I am talking about common practices not a codified by rule of law standard.
Sure, "residence" could be replaced by other synonyms such as house or home. Residence is usually the more formal/professional way of saying a house.
Project Job# is not the same thing as project name but sure, some people don't care to name a project because they don't like the client or the project and they consider the job a shit job.
Balkins, you should head on down to your local library and find a book on "naming buildings on architectural plans". Better yet, maybe you could do an academic publication search to find a couple Phd dissertations on the same topic? I'm sure this is some cutting edge thinking for architectural scholars.
I'm sure you would love love to read 2-3 volumes on "naming buildings on architectural plans", then you can come back to this forum and get on your soapbox, with some cited footnotes to prove your pointless rambling.
nerd.
chigurh,
I'd just let the architectural plans in archives speak for themselves. I never said there was some codified standards convention. In fact the use of the word "convention" was used in a little bit different definition.... more as a synonym for "format".
The most I was intending is a general common practice in the profession not architecture school academic assignments is that project name (building name). A custom house for a family commonly uses the last name of the client & their family followed by "Residence" or other similar words. The word "residence" is often used more often then houses or homes among architects because it has a more 'professional' / "formal" tone to it.
A key word I used was TYPICALLY. If you read what I said in the first place, correctly, there wouldn't be this b.s. debate. If you have trouble reading what I wrote to ariels then I have to plainly say that you couldn't read high school level reading material let alone college.
Back to the picture books you go, chigurh.
Learn to read, DOOFUS.
It is better to be a nerd than a doofus. Remember, one of the richest man in the world is a nerd.... and his name is BILL GATES.
Richard,
This is at least the second post where I have seen you write so much about so little. You're my new favorite architect troll. Archi-babble at its finest.
Hey guys, go easy on Richard. He hasn't even gotten into copyrights, trademarks or infringement yet.
Balkins, serious question, Are you developmentally on the autism spectrum? Based on your overly wordy, socially inept posts on this site it seems like a valid read of your personality.
I feel sorry for you man, because a huge part of this profession is being a people person which you are obviously not. I can only imagine you in a real, social situation the people you interact with probably want to put a gun to their heads. Talking for 45 mins about something that nobody gives a shit about. Try a bit of humility it might do you good.
You are not Bill Gates, you are an unlicensed bumbling fool.
This isn’t directed at anybody, but most clients are very serious people and they want a full dose when they ask a question. My doctor is a nerd, my wife says he’s an ass-hole and he rambles on about all kinds of things – but he’s the smartest guy I know. When I’m sick I don’t want funny, I don’t want sarcasm, I don’t care if he is good looking – or a “people Person” – I want answers and I don’t care how long the answers are – longer the better.
I wish Ariels would come back and tell us what she (he?) named this building - the suspense is growing by the day!
Post a pic and we'll name it for you. Since you're a student I'll do it for free.
chigurh,
This is a professional forum for design professionals. It is expected that we have thorough dialogues not sarcasm, jokes or otherwise. You are not a client where I may have to simplify things so they could understand. Yet, I shouldn't have to talk to you like a teenager in middle school so try to be an adult and a professional.
I don't spend 45 minutes talking to people on stuff they aren't interested in unless it becomes a debate and that is something people would obviously be engaged in. You heard it takes two to tangle, right? It takes two to have a debate, right? You chosen to persist in a debate instead of shutting up. If it didn't interest you, then shut up and go away.
This is an online forum so it isn't like in-person dialogue. It isn't real-time interactive. I may reply to a post of my own to edit and clarify something I posted on the forum because I can not edit a post after 5 minutes.
You have little to no clue about my software development experience let alone my knowledge of that market place. Enough said on that but I'm sure we can debate that in PM or elsewhere. Just so you know, I never said I have to be a billionaire. Of course I am not Bill Gates but I can still make money in the software industry.
I dont know about you people, but I stop reading what RBAIA has to say in threads...long time ago. Just sayin'
Balkins, understood. No jokes, sarcasm, or otherwise from this point forward. Thank you so much for clarifying the intent and seriousness of the forums.
It does in fact take two to tango... Tango and Cash that is!
There was one modern architect who designed sterile white houses that looked like medical clinics. He gave each one a number, as if the client was totally meaningless and had no input at all; the building was a paean to the architect's wonderfulness.
This is a professional forum for design professionals.
If that really is the case Richard, WTF are you doing here?
Is it unprofessional to name projects after how we feel about the client rather than the clients actual name? For instance...
"The cheap mother fucker who wants everything done yesterday for nothing residence"
Put that on a plan Balkins!
Miles,
Building designers are design professionals.
I AM A BUILDING DESIGNER.
all caps, everybody watch-out, he's serious now.
jla-x,
Yes because being a professional calls for upholding a higher standard of ethics, morals, conduct and mannerism whenever we engage in the course of our profession.
In the course of our professional activity, we are to be respectful of our clients regardless of whether or not they are respectful to us. That's part of standard of reasonable care on the aspects of professional decorum. If the behavior is inappropriate in a court room, it is inappropriate in our professional relationship between us and our client.
To be a professional, we should at all times over the course of professional activities, have disciplined control over our emotions.
It is the standards set forth by your professional peers. We don't have to like our client but how you conduct yourself to your client is your professional image and public relations at stake not to mention, it degrades the profession by dishonoring it. Sure, we should connect with our emotions for creativity sake but we have to have disciplined control over how we express our emotions so that we don't lower ourselves to the non-professional's level whom has no moral obligations to honor our profession. When we are in a residential client's current residence to design their dream home, we are guests in their home. They are not in their office necessarily so they are in their private domain so they don't have a duty of decorum. We are guests in their home. We are professionals paid by them. When they meet us in our office for professional services, we need to conduct ourselves in a professional mannerism.... professional decorum.
It is both ethics/conduct matter and also a public/customer/client relations matter which is crucial to the success of our business. Have you ever worked in a restaurant as a waiter or waitress (don't recall your gender) ? How much business would a patron/customer of a restaurant would have if the waiter or waitress was rude, disrespectful and demeaning of the customer/patron? Would the customer/patron give a tip to a rude waiter/waitress?
Why would a client pay you if you were disrespectful, demeaning and rude. Part of your pay's value to the client IS in how you treat the client. The client pays you as they feel you are worth to them. The pay you commensurate of their experience with your services. Your services value is the service experience you provide to the client and their satisfaction of your services rendered to them.
BOTTOM LINE:
Treat your client respectfully and uphold the moral high ground.
That is what it is to be a PROFESSIONAL. That is one of the hallmarks between a professional and a non-professional... our professional decorum.
I given the in-depth basis to how I would approach jla-x's question.
Is it unprofessional to name projects after how we feel about the client rather than clients actual name(s)?
In general, yes it is unprofessional. I am not getting into exceptions to the general rule of thumb.
Here's an example:
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-things-that-define-a-true-professional/
Yeah, our behavior standards as professionals may sound like Boy Scouts but that is the basic standards of being an adult and proper adult behavior which is the base foundation from which professional conduct, mannerism, ethics, ettiquettes and so forth is based on. Professional behavior builds on the foundation of proper adult behavior like what boy scouts tries to bestow on young men in our society and the same kinds of morals and ettiquettes in girl scouts. Bottom line is bestowing the guidelines of social ettiquettes, mannerisms, propriety, ethics, and so forth in our children who will become future adults in our society.
Professional manners, conduct, ettiquettes, etc. continues this throughout our professional lives.
what constitutes 'professional peer'? why is a building designer my peer, but a student isn't?
A student who isn't in the business of designing buildings or working as an employee in the profession may or may not be considered a "professional peer" depending on interpretation.
If they are working in the profession then yeah, they are professional peers. If they just students then that is a debate. I am not saying they are or aren't a professional peer. They should nonetheless aspire to professionalism as they become part of the profession.
I'm not sure if I unintentionally implied students aren't professional peers.... did I ?
I believe it depends on interpretation. When do they become part of the profession?
In general, there is the professional field (as in commercial environment where we make our living) while a student isn't in college to make a living. They are in college to learn and prepare themselves for a career. So are they part of the "professional field" ? Is it a "No, not unless they are employed or running a business in the profession" or is it a "Yes". That's a dialogue of perspective.
Another question, Is the "Profession" just the "professional field" or does it include "academia" ?
Depending on your take on the above questions, it may make a difference on opinion for your question?
Lets leave that open for a dialogue.
jla-x I love your name idea.
In all seriousness, projects often take on "pet" names in the office that are a joke, but one has to be VERY CAREFUL (allcapsi'mserious) NOT to accidentally use that name when a client is around. Example: I once had a client who wanted to turn an abandoned salmon hatchery site into a spiritual wellness retreat/spa. We started calling it the Salmon Spa. One day someone in the office unconsciously used the term "Salmon Spa" while on the phone with a consultant, thankfully not with the client him/herself. Dodged a bullet!
to the Original poster: The houses by Johnsen Schmaling are all given names based on some quality of the project concept. Scroll through them and you will likely sense an idea of how naming happens.
For stadia and campus buildings you can buy naming rights...
Balkins, it seems you didn't understand that jla-x was mocking you. I guess you lack the ability to read social cues and/or irony. Interesting.
P.S. "building designers" are not professionals, that is a term you invented to sound like an architect even though you are not licensed.
Had a rich guy in my town fund a B-Ball arena at the university – 35 years later they tore it down – bye-bye name. What kind of person wants there name on a building anyway – university buildings with names are OK if “Longfellow Hall” or “Hubble Observatory” but now it’s “ The William & Elizabeth Bowersocks Family and all our Friends and Relatives Building”.
I'm with Donna on the reference by Johnsen Schmaling as a method for naming project. It should always be done with class and taste and respectfulness from a professional perspective. Conventionally, using the client name followed by residence is the typical method of naming projects where the project isn't a very high end custom home. We don't typically name projects like Johnsen Schmaling on modest residential projects. It may or may not be so much an "art project" so it doesn't pertain.
The AIA should stop the practice of selling Associate titles. The AMA and ABA don't. Not only is it misrepresentative - allowing the use of AIA to the unlicensed - it gives some who've bought it airs of superiority.
In fact, based on the stated criteria
Associate membership is open to individuals who meet one of the following criteria: professional degree in architecture; currently work under the supervision of an architect; currently enrolled in the Intern Development Program (IDP) and working toward licensure; or faculty member in a university program in architecture.
as Balkins Esq. doesn't meet any of the above I'm wondering how he got one, aside from paying the requisite fee, of course. Does two years of architectural history qualify as a professional degree? LOL