Inspired by WonderK's most recent forum thread, we've decided to continue a long-shelved feature on Archinect addressing health hazards in architecture. Specifically, what are they, how do they affect your health (and/or the environment), and how do we protect ourselves from the potential damage?
To get started we are requesting that our readers put together some suggestions for materials/practices/habits of concern, common to the architecture studio...
you know for all we talk about sustainability and helping the environment, the studio spaces of every university i've seen (Except one in China, IRONY!) is chock full of noxious shit that will kill you and every other living thing. Who sprays spray paint indoors? Seriously!
When I was a freshman at school (at the University of Cincinnati) I was more or less put in a position where I had to drive my fellow classmates on field trips every week (I had a car). I brought up the issue of liability with the head of the architecture program at the time who basically blew me off....
anyways, a few weeks later a group of seniors were involved in a horrific automobile accident. They were in the middle of their final thesis studio, getting no sleep, etc, and the driver of a van fell asleep at the wheel and drove the van under the back of a semi truck. The van caught on fire, etc. The driver lost both of his legs in the accident and many others were also seriously injured.
Of course this brought up the issue of the overworking of students as well as whether or not the school should be providing a bus or other forms of transportation
Of course this brought up the issue of the overworking of students as well as whether or not the school should be providing a bus or other forms of transportation
I think the biggest Issue, is the lack of sleep...that can ware a body down....Just Imagine how many people across so many campus have this issue... Not only is it dangerous for your health it impairs your abilities such as driving(car accident waiting to happen).
it is sort of a hazard...people who dont know what the fu*k they are doing on the tools in the shop. Every person who is allowed to work in a shop should be given a THOROUGH shop orientation as well as tested before they are allowed in the shop. Also, there should be more shop assistants on staff who ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO USE THE TOOLS THEMSELVES.
note to architecture schools - DONT HIRE CRACKHEADS TO WORK IN THE SHOP. I am serious about this. At my school, there were people who (through work study programs) were placed in the shop, one of whom was a crackhead.
I really hate resin, it is toxic and for some reason it is a popular material to pour. But if you cannot shake the need, there seem to be non-toxic options.
Do other schools have problems with the stench of plexi in the laser-cutting room? It smells like cancer, sadly I do not know of any alternatives (except not laser-cutting too much plexi).
Good thread. And mdler's story above is quite true....and very sad. I disagree that nothing ever came of it....they stopped pushing people so hard, for sure. The senior thesis projects are not quite as "astounding" as they used to be in terms of production. So where's the balance?
The reason most students at my school would spray paint inside was because the cold teps outside would prevent the paint from ever drying. Though I would spray outside, and promptly bring stuff inside, it would still smell.
Maybe studios should consider a room, or box similar to those in chemistry labs, for this purpose.
well, construction i think is a different story. We're talking about students here, who in first year have about as much of a clue about architecture and what it entails as GWB does about mid-east politics.
spray mount was the worst. when it was an hour before reviews and people were frantically trying to mount draings/diagrams/case studies, the entire studio would have that toxic scent because no one wanted to take the time to run outside. if the smell wasn't bad enough everyone's desk was coated in a tacky residue from all of it floating around. that stuff can't be good to breathe in.
We were actually told that the cleaning crew had been instructed to NOT CLEAN the studios, just take out teh garbage BECAUSE student work was being mistaken for trash.
Isn't this "suffering for your craft" along the same lines as that starving artist "being an architect isn't about making money" BS?
At least my school had a couple of fume hoods for spraying, but most everyone either did it outside or in the stairwell away from the studio.
The sleep deprivation thing is an issue (it's gained some traction in medical schools), but I think it boils down to learning to manage your time & tasks efficiently. By the time I was in 4th year, I had a pretty good handle on it and was no longer wasting time watching TV, going out for snacks, etc instead of cranking in studio. The school's aren't dictating that you pull successive all-nighters - it's the student's job to manage their time effectively. That's just as important a lesson in being an architect as Heidegger or drawing a section...
My terminal studio was directly about the shop with the laser cutter. Everyday @5 when studio ended, our studio would wreak of burning plastic from all of the people laser cutting plexi. We complained to the department but they said there wasn't anything they could do. So we resorted to working with the windows open. Oregon is really warm AND dry in the winter and spring...@ 2am.
Our firestairs had windows, so the spray mount smell never got too terrible.
And yes, they should really each students how to use power tools.
We had one older woman drop out due to health issues (heart problems, I think), one who had to have stomach surgery, etc., etc. It seemed like once a month someone was out for something. At one point the students were asked to keep "time sheets" depicting how much time we spent in class versus outside work time. This lasted about a month and I don't think anything came of it. My final year the school mandated that all final reviews be completed prior to thanksgiving break. Apparently they received quite a few calls from angry/concerned parents because some were not bothering to go home and the few who did were so exhausted that they were getting into auto accidents or sleeping the entire time. Grad students also turned in prior to break but most professors also required something the day classes resumed.
The day after a major crit everyone in the studio took the day off from school work (no studio on Tuesdays, nothing due for studio Wednesday) and had a cook-out. Our professor found out and decided that since we had so much free time, we needed to have another crit on Friday. Another 2 days of little/no sleep for the majority of the studio in an effort to prepare. What an ass!
I take great offense at DML's comment about wk's roomie to 'just suck it up and live with toxic products' attitude - you sound like guilliani at ground zero without a respirator, now those folks are dying.
Architecture schools have failed their legal obligation to teach students about toxic chemicals and safe practices. Look at most art departments- they typically have a mandatory to safe studio practices course for all entering students and have outfitted the studio spaces with sufficient exhaust vents/safety equipment to keep the environmental quality within epa limits to exposures. proper ventilation for laser cutters is a code obligation- if schools invest in this equipment, then they need to establish the infrastructure to keep the toxic fumes away from the students.
Safety and environmental quality of studios is a major issue that the NAAB needs to take a greater interest in while accrediting programs.
In my undergrad years, classmates started casting lead in our studio over open flames with no ventilation... I don't know how many years off my life or neurons they destroyed by their actions... I also developed a chemical sensitivity to superglue and kicker at this time too. At least architects no longer have to deal with ammonia for diazio prints.
At Penn, students can no longer weld because an idiot set herself on fire by welding while wearing a polyester shirt. Even with proper training, some people still do stupid things and then sue the school without accepting responsibility.
My last semester they stopped allowing plexi to be cut in the laser cutter until it was put in a room with proper ventilation. A student threatened to sue the school for health hazards otherwise (I think the student previously had cancer). When the environ folks came to test after student complained the meter registered something totally ridiculous.
I really think that especially in these school situations, the burden lies heavily with the instructors and educators. I have had many professors who care about their students enough to understand that sometimes, work just isn't going to get done......and the stories like the one about the cookout disturb me. I think that situations like that begin to set up young architects for a life of never-ending work.....and then maybe some of those students are the ones that end up working long hours at firms that treat them like crap for little to no pay. (cough cough Asypmtote cough cough)
In my senior year of undergrad, 2 1/2 weeks before my graduation, my grandpa died. I was in shock and I just remember walking in and telling my professor that I probably wasn't going to be around for a few days. Funny thing was, I managed to keep it together until I came back and found a card signed by my whole class on my desk. THEN I lost it. And no, my bay model didn't get done. But my thesis still looked good, and I am doing just fine.
with apologizes to those that have had real health problems due to chemical exposure.
i spent three years in grad school, and yup, smelled a lot of paint, spray mount, you name it, even had a friend spill a half gallon of resin all over her hand and had to help clean up the mess. that laser cutter also really stunk up the joint too with all its burnt acrylic. in our leed-certified world you can barely take a walk down the street without inhaling some sort of toxin. we know the chemical content and its medical side effects for every product known to man, and it's turned us into a society of hypochondriacs.
due diligence is without question necessary (like use a spray hood or go outside), but this thread is perpetuating paranoia. it's not like we're coal miners who really are exposed to dangerous chemicals on a daily basis.
jafidler, you forgot to mention any exposure to my incredibly obnoxious smell machine experiments...or maybe you were still on the other side of the building then...lucky you
The guy refinishing my front door was spraying some laquer concoction on thefinal coat and I was around the corner in the garage and I felt dizzy for about two hours after, this guys didn't even know what day it was, totally crazy. He's got one short life span, apparantly he's a runner too.??????
Worked for a high end architect in nyc. I spent a year in the model shop, where there was an entire wall FILLED with noxious chemicals, and poor ventilation. Many or most of these bottles had "known to cause cancer in the state of California" on them. The running joke was that they DIDN'T cause cancer in New York City.
The upshot was that, in order to do our jobs, we had to use these chemicals. There was no way around it -- if the boss wanted a patinaed metal finish using the 1970's era biohazard stuff, you had to do it. When I raised an issue, the response was "do it our way. Or we'll find someone else who can." I.e. or you're fired.
I often think that if I were to contract cancer now, eight years later, could I trace it back to that year in the "chemical chamber"?
Don't know how many of you are put into a similar position on a daily basis.
Oh, and in a way I agree with jafidler. My primary issue is that so many people worry about stuff that doesn't do that much damage that they forget all the other stuff that does, like the 1970's biohazard stuff. Anybody here ever mix enamel paint and acetone? I have in a Theatre Arts class, and that shit will FUCK YOU UP! Luckily I was able to pass that knowledge on to other people in studio when we had to paint an installation.
I apologize for the "great offense" you took TK - I was just trying to throw a dash of reality into the discussion (as jafidler and others have noted). And sarcasm hardly comes thru in this format...
If I'm hearing correctly, a lot of people would prefer that their studios be buttoned up laboratories with an array of fume hoods in the ceiling, safety devices on the tools, master carpenters manning the wood shop, eye protection, eye wash stations, fire blankets, halon supression systems, HEPA filters, hard hats, and steel toe boots...
In many ways, its all economics. Architecture departments are historically the most under-funded. I think they would rather spend what little money they have on attracting and paying good faculty than facility upkeep. Contrast that to the science & engineering departments that receive huge amounts of grant money and funding. They can afford to put all the bells & whistles into their lab buildings, get LEED certified, and pay top faculty. Sure, architecture schools should practice what they preach, but their economic situation forces them to pick their battles.
A quick show of hands of how many people's architecture studios were complete shit holes? Now, who chose to attend their architecture school because of the program and faculty and not because the bathrooms had adequate ventilation? Christ, my studio didn't have heat in the winter, a leaking roof, bats, cracked & crumbling aesbestos tile floors, barely functioning plumbing, and probably a dozen other "violations" that I didn't notice because I was too focused on my projects...
It's architecture school - you're not working 14 hour shifts for 20 years in a coal mine, nuclear plant, or a plastic factory in China.
I went to Tennessee. The time sheets were initiated by a few of the faculty members who tired of hearing the stories.
The A+A building was definately used but maintained. No flashy finishes, it was meant to be a teaching tool. Thus it expressed the structure, had exposed mechanical duct, a building material mock-up area, etc. It wasn't the Student Athlete Center but I have seen much worse. I found it amusing that when you went to the student health clinic (across the parking lot from the A+A building), they never doubted your story.
ja - no this isn't paranoia, there are reasons for having osha and the epa.
dml- a little education about model building safety goes a long way- have the schools provide respirators, spray hoods, and proper ventilation - they aren't above the law. I'm not saying to ban using hazardous materials in architecture school, but to have some basic training on how to properly handle the shit. most schools have a woodshop orientation on how to avoid cutting your fingers off on the table saw. they also need a model building/studio materials orientation about proper use and handling of glue, paint, plaster dust, and lead. this is a professional responsibility.
this isn't paranoia or whining- stop being masochists about how much sleep deprivation, chemical exposure, and bad vending machine coffee you drank to survive architecture school. so go huff some more glue, take more crank, and call me in the morning.
"Our firestairs had windows, so the spray mount smell never got too terrible."
I know I'm a young architect and I know I occationally miss things, but this makes no sense to me. An operable window in a fire stair? Am I truly missing something or what?
maybe we were just not as advanced at UIC but i dont remember anyone using anything but museum board, chipboard, homosote, balsa wood and water soluable glues essentialy. There was a little spraying mostly done on the smoking terraces, which i hear are now closed. A laser cutter? It used to be a 6 hour wait just to use the frigg'n plotter in 97 cause always some jag did an all black background for something
Health Hazards in Architecture
Inspired by WonderK's most recent forum thread, we've decided to continue a long-shelved feature on Archinect addressing health hazards in architecture. Specifically, what are they, how do they affect your health (and/or the environment), and how do we protect ourselves from the potential damage?
To get started we are requesting that our readers put together some suggestions for materials/practices/habits of concern, common to the architecture studio...
you know for all we talk about sustainability and helping the environment, the studio spaces of every university i've seen (Except one in China, IRONY!) is chock full of noxious shit that will kill you and every other living thing. Who sprays spray paint indoors? Seriously!
When I was a freshman at school (at the University of Cincinnati) I was more or less put in a position where I had to drive my fellow classmates on field trips every week (I had a car). I brought up the issue of liability with the head of the architecture program at the time who basically blew me off....
anyways, a few weeks later a group of seniors were involved in a horrific automobile accident. They were in the middle of their final thesis studio, getting no sleep, etc, and the driver of a van fell asleep at the wheel and drove the van under the back of a semi truck. The van caught on fire, etc. The driver lost both of his legs in the accident and many others were also seriously injured.
Of course this brought up the issue of the overworking of students as well as whether or not the school should be providing a bus or other forms of transportation
*sniff* *sniff*...is that sarcasm mdler?
I think the biggest Issue, is the lack of sleep...that can ware a body down....Just Imagine how many people across so many campus have this issue... Not only is it dangerous for your health it impairs your abilities such as driving(car accident waiting to happen).
its basically like workin in a meth lab.
^sadly, it really is
Dam...Just Mdler mention above..(had not seen it yet)
it is sort of a hazard...people who dont know what the fu*k they are doing on the tools in the shop. Every person who is allowed to work in a shop should be given a THOROUGH shop orientation as well as tested before they are allowed in the shop. Also, there should be more shop assistants on staff who ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO USE THE TOOLS THEMSELVES.
note to architecture schools - DONT HIRE CRACKHEADS TO WORK IN THE SHOP. I am serious about this. At my school, there were people who (through work study programs) were placed in the shop, one of whom was a crackhead.
the news was all over the accident, but nothing ever came of it to my knowledge (with providing transportation on field trips)
I really hate resin, it is toxic and for some reason it is a popular material to pour. But if you cannot shake the need, there seem to be non-toxic options.
Do other schools have problems with the stench of plexi in the laser-cutting room? It smells like cancer, sadly I do not know of any alternatives (except not laser-cutting too much plexi).
Finally, we should strive to compute greener.
Whoa. Archinect is in my head!
Good thread. And mdler's story above is quite true....and very sad. I disagree that nothing ever came of it....they stopped pushing people so hard, for sure. The senior thesis projects are not quite as "astounding" as they used to be in terms of production. So where's the balance?
all work and no pay can be hazardous to your (mental) health.
if rem throws a sharpee or foam model at you, do you get hazardous duty pay?
The reason most students at my school would spray paint inside was because the cold teps outside would prevent the paint from ever drying. Though I would spray outside, and promptly bring stuff inside, it would still smell.
Maybe studios should consider a room, or box similar to those in chemistry labs, for this purpose.
The glues never bothered me.
some idiots in my school decided to spray auto primer indoors.....
there is always the guy that sprays way too much super 77 also....
and the person who cuts their finger off on the bandsaw because they arent paying attention becuase they haven't slept in 2 days....
and how about that zip kicker?! put it in a vile and use a dropper people. don't spray that shit.....
and these comments don't even begin to address the health hazards of the typical jobsite.
what about the lack of janatorial services in studios?
well, construction i think is a different story. We're talking about students here, who in first year have about as much of a clue about architecture and what it entails as GWB does about mid-east politics.
i think it's more of a lack of students cleaning up their sh*t...
spray mount was the worst. when it was an hour before reviews and people were frantically trying to mount draings/diagrams/case studies, the entire studio would have that toxic scent because no one wanted to take the time to run outside. if the smell wasn't bad enough everyone's desk was coated in a tacky residue from all of it floating around. that stuff can't be good to breathe in.
We were actually told that the cleaning crew had been instructed to NOT CLEAN the studios, just take out teh garbage BECAUSE student work was being mistaken for trash.
ouch...
anyone else cant stand the whole arm hair covered in spray mount thing
We had a spray paint booth/room... but it was usually used for other activities.
Isn't this "suffering for your craft" along the same lines as that starving artist "being an architect isn't about making money" BS?
At least my school had a couple of fume hoods for spraying, but most everyone either did it outside or in the stairwell away from the studio.
The sleep deprivation thing is an issue (it's gained some traction in medical schools), but I think it boils down to learning to manage your time & tasks efficiently. By the time I was in 4th year, I had a pretty good handle on it and was no longer wasting time watching TV, going out for snacks, etc instead of cranking in studio. The school's aren't dictating that you pull successive all-nighters - it's the student's job to manage their time effectively. That's just as important a lesson in being an architect as Heidegger or drawing a section...
My terminal studio was directly about the shop with the laser cutter. Everyday @5 when studio ended, our studio would wreak of burning plastic from all of the people laser cutting plexi. We complained to the department but they said there wasn't anything they could do. So we resorted to working with the windows open. Oregon is really warm AND dry in the winter and spring...@ 2am.
Our firestairs had windows, so the spray mount smell never got too terrible.
And yes, they should really each students how to use power tools.
what does Heidegger have to do with architecture????
in the usa if any one throws anything at you it is simple assault.
I don't know - I just threw the Heidegger in there to try to make me sound smart...
We had one older woman drop out due to health issues (heart problems, I think), one who had to have stomach surgery, etc., etc. It seemed like once a month someone was out for something. At one point the students were asked to keep "time sheets" depicting how much time we spent in class versus outside work time. This lasted about a month and I don't think anything came of it. My final year the school mandated that all final reviews be completed prior to thanksgiving break. Apparently they received quite a few calls from angry/concerned parents because some were not bothering to go home and the few who did were so exhausted that they were getting into auto accidents or sleeping the entire time. Grad students also turned in prior to break but most professors also required something the day classes resumed.
The day after a major crit everyone in the studio took the day off from school work (no studio on Tuesdays, nothing due for studio Wednesday) and had a cook-out. Our professor found out and decided that since we had so much free time, we needed to have another crit on Friday. Another 2 days of little/no sleep for the majority of the studio in an effort to prepare. What an ass!
I take great offense at DML's comment about wk's roomie to 'just suck it up and live with toxic products' attitude - you sound like guilliani at ground zero without a respirator, now those folks are dying.
Architecture schools have failed their legal obligation to teach students about toxic chemicals and safe practices. Look at most art departments- they typically have a mandatory to safe studio practices course for all entering students and have outfitted the studio spaces with sufficient exhaust vents/safety equipment to keep the environmental quality within epa limits to exposures. proper ventilation for laser cutters is a code obligation- if schools invest in this equipment, then they need to establish the infrastructure to keep the toxic fumes away from the students.
Safety and environmental quality of studios is a major issue that the NAAB needs to take a greater interest in while accrediting programs.
In my undergrad years, classmates started casting lead in our studio over open flames with no ventilation... I don't know how many years off my life or neurons they destroyed by their actions... I also developed a chemical sensitivity to superglue and kicker at this time too. At least architects no longer have to deal with ammonia for diazio prints.
At Penn, students can no longer weld because an idiot set herself on fire by welding while wearing a polyester shirt. Even with proper training, some people still do stupid things and then sue the school without accepting responsibility.
My last semester they stopped allowing plexi to be cut in the laser cutter until it was put in a room with proper ventilation. A student threatened to sue the school for health hazards otherwise (I think the student previously had cancer). When the environ folks came to test after student complained the meter registered something totally ridiculous.
archbert, where did/do you go to school?
I really think that especially in these school situations, the burden lies heavily with the instructors and educators. I have had many professors who care about their students enough to understand that sometimes, work just isn't going to get done......and the stories like the one about the cookout disturb me. I think that situations like that begin to set up young architects for a life of never-ending work.....and then maybe some of those students are the ones that end up working long hours at firms that treat them like crap for little to no pay. (cough cough Asypmtote cough cough)
In my senior year of undergrad, 2 1/2 weeks before my graduation, my grandpa died. I was in shock and I just remember walking in and telling my professor that I probably wasn't going to be around for a few days. Funny thing was, I managed to keep it together until I came back and found a card signed by my whole class on my desk. THEN I lost it. And no, my bay model didn't get done. But my thesis still looked good, and I am doing just fine.
with apologizes to those that have had real health problems due to chemical exposure.
i spent three years in grad school, and yup, smelled a lot of paint, spray mount, you name it, even had a friend spill a half gallon of resin all over her hand and had to help clean up the mess. that laser cutter also really stunk up the joint too with all its burnt acrylic. in our leed-certified world you can barely take a walk down the street without inhaling some sort of toxin. we know the chemical content and its medical side effects for every product known to man, and it's turned us into a society of hypochondriacs.
due diligence is without question necessary (like use a spray hood or go outside), but this thread is perpetuating paranoia. it's not like we're coal miners who really are exposed to dangerous chemicals on a daily basis.
jafidler, you forgot to mention any exposure to my incredibly obnoxious smell machine experiments...or maybe you were still on the other side of the building then...lucky you
it's true, the olfactory cmu was something to behold. that really was a brilliant thesis project, if chemically dangerous.
The guy refinishing my front door was spraying some laquer concoction on thefinal coat and I was around the corner in the garage and I felt dizzy for about two hours after, this guys didn't even know what day it was, totally crazy. He's got one short life span, apparantly he's a runner too.??????
Did a fine good job though.
Worked for a high end architect in nyc. I spent a year in the model shop, where there was an entire wall FILLED with noxious chemicals, and poor ventilation. Many or most of these bottles had "known to cause cancer in the state of California" on them. The running joke was that they DIDN'T cause cancer in New York City.
The upshot was that, in order to do our jobs, we had to use these chemicals. There was no way around it -- if the boss wanted a patinaed metal finish using the 1970's era biohazard stuff, you had to do it. When I raised an issue, the response was "do it our way. Or we'll find someone else who can." I.e. or you're fired.
I often think that if I were to contract cancer now, eight years later, could I trace it back to that year in the "chemical chamber"?
Don't know how many of you are put into a similar position on a daily basis.
come here my band the volatile orgasmic compounds!!!! we're gonna be huge!!!!!
^lol wtf?
Oh, and in a way I agree with jafidler. My primary issue is that so many people worry about stuff that doesn't do that much damage that they forget all the other stuff that does, like the 1970's biohazard stuff. Anybody here ever mix enamel paint and acetone? I have in a Theatre Arts class, and that shit will FUCK YOU UP! Luckily I was able to pass that knowledge on to other people in studio when we had to paint an installation.
I apologize for the "great offense" you took TK - I was just trying to throw a dash of reality into the discussion (as jafidler and others have noted). And sarcasm hardly comes thru in this format...
If I'm hearing correctly, a lot of people would prefer that their studios be buttoned up laboratories with an array of fume hoods in the ceiling, safety devices on the tools, master carpenters manning the wood shop, eye protection, eye wash stations, fire blankets, halon supression systems, HEPA filters, hard hats, and steel toe boots...
In many ways, its all economics. Architecture departments are historically the most under-funded. I think they would rather spend what little money they have on attracting and paying good faculty than facility upkeep. Contrast that to the science & engineering departments that receive huge amounts of grant money and funding. They can afford to put all the bells & whistles into their lab buildings, get LEED certified, and pay top faculty. Sure, architecture schools should practice what they preach, but their economic situation forces them to pick their battles.
A quick show of hands of how many people's architecture studios were complete shit holes? Now, who chose to attend their architecture school because of the program and faculty and not because the bathrooms had adequate ventilation? Christ, my studio didn't have heat in the winter, a leaking roof, bats, cracked & crumbling aesbestos tile floors, barely functioning plumbing, and probably a dozen other "violations" that I didn't notice because I was too focused on my projects...
It's architecture school - you're not working 14 hour shifts for 20 years in a coal mine, nuclear plant, or a plastic factory in China.
Now, I'm off to huff some paint...
WonderK,
I went to Tennessee. The time sheets were initiated by a few of the faculty members who tired of hearing the stories.
The A+A building was definately used but maintained. No flashy finishes, it was meant to be a teaching tool. Thus it expressed the structure, had exposed mechanical duct, a building material mock-up area, etc. It wasn't the Student Athlete Center but I have seen much worse. I found it amusing that when you went to the student health clinic (across the parking lot from the A+A building), they never doubted your story.
i should be truthful, I kind of like the hazardous environs, it gives me something to laugh about later.
^then again, i've never had a serious health issue from it or lost a friend to because of sleep deprivation + Car.
back in college rem koolhaus gave me mono
ja - no this isn't paranoia, there are reasons for having osha and the epa.
dml- a little education about model building safety goes a long way- have the schools provide respirators, spray hoods, and proper ventilation - they aren't above the law. I'm not saying to ban using hazardous materials in architecture school, but to have some basic training on how to properly handle the shit. most schools have a woodshop orientation on how to avoid cutting your fingers off on the table saw. they also need a model building/studio materials orientation about proper use and handling of glue, paint, plaster dust, and lead. this is a professional responsibility.
this isn't paranoia or whining- stop being masochists about how much sleep deprivation, chemical exposure, and bad vending machine coffee you drank to survive architecture school. so go huff some more glue, take more crank, and call me in the morning.
there are many late nights, but how much time is wasted during the day?
THEaquino said.....
"Our firestairs had windows, so the spray mount smell never got too terrible."
I know I'm a young architect and I know I occationally miss things, but this makes no sense to me. An operable window in a fire stair? Am I truly missing something or what?
maybe we were just not as advanced at UIC but i dont remember anyone using anything but museum board, chipboard, homosote, balsa wood and water soluable glues essentialy. There was a little spraying mostly done on the smoking terraces, which i hear are now closed. A laser cutter? It used to be a 6 hour wait just to use the frigg'n plotter in 97 cause always some jag did an all black background for something
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