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Advice for student: learning how to detail/technology drawings?

Non-ASD Jequitarchitectur

I 'm undergraduate in architecture and not so confident about making construction drawings. For the time being, what we are doing in studio is cropping details out of magazines/construction books and pasting them on our designs. However, I don't fully understand these details, I wouldn't be able to draw them entirely by myself, from scratch.
I 've heard employers saying that they want architectural assistants who know how to detail. On the other hand, tutors say that it is something you learn in practice. Could you suggest ways to improve my understanding of technology and integrate it better into my studio work? 

 
Jun 13, 12 9:52 am
gwharton

Build something yourself. Or work in construction for a summer. Or go spend a lot of time on construction sites watching buildings being put together. Are they building anything on your campus right now?

Jun 13, 12 1:06 pm  · 
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lamp4036

"Building Construction Illustrated" by Ching is the classic basic detailing book, from there you can understand basic details and then use them as a guide to expand your own specific details that enhance your project.

Jun 13, 12 1:33 pm  · 
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Non-ASD Jequitarchitectur

Do architects detail using a catalogue or come up with their own? Most construction manuals I have seen just present details but they don't explain why things are put together like that or why that specific process is being followed. I am currently going through Deplazes' "Constructing Architecture". I 'll have a look at Ching's book, thanks.

We have 2 buildings under construction, do you think I should get in touch with the site manager and ask if I can tag along to get some experience? 

Jun 13, 12 2:51 pm  · 
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Absolutely, tag along! One aspect of learning how to detail a building is developing and understanding of how buildings are assembled, and in what order.

Develop an understanding of various construction materials, think about their fundamental attributes.

Is the material hard and brittle, or soft and flexible. How can the material be shaped and connected to other materials. How does the material respond to changes in temperature, and exposure to moisture.

To my way of thinking, much of detailing is about developing a "common sense" approach to understanding the physical world. Spend time on construction sites, and experiment with making things from common materials ~ furniture, sculpture, what have you.

You can also study the literature of various construction product manufacturers to understand recommended methods and uses.

No matter what, there is always something more to learn, so stay inquisitive and open-minded to grow your "database" of information from which to draw.

Good luck.

Jun 13, 12 3:59 pm  · 
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cmrhm

daer:

Besides other friend's suggestion of visiting construction site, I would like to recommend one book extremely useful for you at this stage which is "Architectural detailing" by Edward Allen and Patrick Rand. It tells what is the basic concern and components to make a reasonable detail. Hope this helps.

Jun 28, 12 11:31 pm  · 
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MyDream

daer i'm in the same vote as you thinking about how to put together a set of documents while in school. My story is a wild one espeacially with how i plan on going to school and working thru it but this is one of the things i found to help me see how they would be put together. ( Also my tech school which is where im at until i can get to valenia/ucf/uf's arch program has many full CD's your uni has no sets of documents?)

http://www.aia.org/aiaucmp/groups/ek_members/documents/pdf/aiap016662.pdf im waiting to take revit in the fall but went ahead and started watching turtorials for a head start, no time like the pesent i also picked up a student version of 3ds max these two programs have got to be good to start me off maybe while i work my way thru school i could start off as a drafter and slowly get into rending/design work. I'm going crazy really over the summer i have picked up google sketchup,3ds max design,archicad,and revit i am a complete beginner with these programs but i am learning fast. So get out there ask around and im sure you will find how to put those CD's together.

 

i also volunteer at the SWVHH im a drafter there but the supervisor has been delayed by permits and he told me to wait for a phone call have yet to start so wish me luck. I do constuction work also but have yet to start, well until we can get the permits to come thru. I have been volunteering there since the end of spring semester...well mid June. I have gotten the chance to paint,lay sod, put in baseboard with a nail gun, take maesurements and carry base boards to be cut .

Jun 29, 12 1:34 am  · 
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