How might you design an 80/20 path to learning at a high-level the critical steps of the architectural process?
Would the below be a good path, assuming starting from a near-zero understanding? Note, considering more the lessons learned following this path, rather than whether the path is the quickest or most efficient path.
Choose a modest structure (let's choose an elevated shed on a specific site with inherent imaginary design/client/site constraints)
Consider site, determine sunlight patterns
Hand-sketch to develop concept
SketchUp to develop concept/schematic
Hand-draft orthogaphic multi-views to scale, and a paraline projection to develop schematic
CAD-draft the structure for design development
Import CAD into SketchUp for refinement then presentation
Export into Photoshop for presentation final touches
Output CAD construction set
If one were to accomplish the steps above and realize such a modest project, would it be a worthwhile and thorough high-level introduction to 80% +/- the activities of the architectural process?
Or how might you amend it otherwise, looking to yield an 80/20 understanding?
Wishin' you the best in these times,
James
leonizer
Mar 27, 20 9:52 pm
Drugs are bad mmkay.
Hardwick1010
Mar 28, 20 4:31 pm
Which drugs specifically
?
midlander
Mar 27, 20 10:15 pm
a project simple enough for this to work doesn't need an architect. what you'll have learned are the skills of drafting.
Hardwick1010
Mar 28, 20 4:33 pm
Please expand on that - 'simple enough for this to work'? Seemingly 'having learned drafting skills' would be a good start no?
midlander
Mar 29, 20 6:09 am
it's the suggestion this is 80% of architecture i particularly disagree with - see bloopbox's response below. the hard part of architecture is developing effective plans for complex buildings, and figuring out how to create a buildable design that looks appealing. something this simple doesn't actually deal with any of this; it is just a drafting exercise. drafting is involved in a large part of the work architects do, but it's not the value-add part. i'd say it's 20% of our value. many big firms actually outsource drafting when they can for this reason. but if you're planning to study architecture in the future, sure modeling and drafting a shed will help you get some practice using the tools.
Bloopox
Mar 29, 20 12:59 pm
An "80/20 plan" is the idea that you can structure a teaching exercise that actively requires mastery of 20% of the specifics of the concept, in order to expose the student to a broad overview of 80% of the concept. But, in this case I don't think this project anywhere near approaches 20% of "the architectural process" - or that the person proposing it has enough understanding of that process to design an academic project around it. The architectural process is much too large of a concept to design any one project around. The teaching goals need to be much more narrowly defined, to something like "the schematic design process as it applies to a garden shed".
Hardwick1010
Mar 29, 20 2:34 pm
@Midlander
Thanks, that's clear and brings up a follow-up question, perhaps more to-the-point than the first:
What sort of 80/20 project - again, a modest starter project to get some forward momentum - might you recommend if the intent was to develop the skill-set required to move a project through concept and schematic considerations before outsourcing the drafting to a more efficient, more highly-trained and capable drafts person, and to be able to read and consider their work thereafter?
midlander
Mar 29, 20 7:56 pm
what is the purpose of this introduction? architecture like most professions is too broad to capture in any single course - a bachelor's degree takes 5 years of study and most graduates would agree leaves them less than 80% prepared for the real world work. there isn't going to be some singular self-directed course that gets someone 80% ready for what i'd say is the core responsibility of a lead designer.
midlander
Mar 29, 20 8:02 pm
but i think for giving someone an exercise in what architects do, practice designing and modeling a single house is perfect. everyone has a good understanding how houses work and how big they are. the thing is to be able to do this a student will need some basic skills in sketching, modeling and drafting. it's hard. i've tutored high school students who are interested in studying architecture, and 30 hours of instruction results in only a very crude ability to model simple houses, almost no independent design ability.
Hardwick1010
Mar 29, 20 8:29 pm
Thanks for taking the time in response!
Bloopox
Mar 28, 20 8:37 pm
Your proposed project seems to be mostly about software and drafting - not about "the architectural process". It touches on no more than 5% or so of what an architect does on a typical project. There's nothing in here about finances - no development of probable project costs, no firm's fee calculations; no project management; no risk analysis; no staffing or utilization; no code or zoning analysis; no contracts; nothing about detailing nor understanding of construction; no entire CA phase... this list could go on for pages.
What are you trying to accomplish with this project? Is if for teaching yourself, or teaching others? Is the intent to teach prospective drafters, or to teach prospective architects? What's the point of hand drafting orthographic projections? Are you teaching this in 2020, or in 1980?
Hardwick1010
Mar 29, 20 2:23 pm
Thanks for the answer and good questions.
Hardwick1010
Mar 29, 20 2:29 pm
To be more clear, the intent would be to (1) teach myself and myself only, in order to (2) be able to communicate well enough with trained architects, by understanding a rough 80% of considerations that inform the process and (3) even draw some by hand / Sketchup / CAD to clarify ideas while working together
Hardwick1010
Mar 29, 20 2:40 pm
@Bloopox Understood, your point about reducing the scope and simplifying. Though, if you did want to touch on these other skills, simply to gain exposure to them - i.e. hand-drawing the concept, drawing the CDs for a shed - and leaving aside all management skills relevant to an architectural practice, how might you design that self-development project?
How might you design an 80/20 path to learning at a high-level the critical steps of the architectural process?
Would the below be a good path, assuming starting from a near-zero understanding? Note, considering more the lessons learned following this path, rather than whether the path is the quickest or most efficient path.
If one were to accomplish the steps above and realize such a modest project, would it be a worthwhile and thorough high-level introduction to 80% +/- the activities of the architectural process?
Or how might you amend it otherwise, looking to yield an 80/20 understanding?
Wishin' you the best in these times,
James
Drugs are bad mmkay.
Which drugs specifically ?
a project simple enough for this to work doesn't need an architect. what you'll have learned are the skills of drafting.
Please expand on that - 'simple enough for this to work'? Seemingly 'having learned drafting skills' would be a good start no?
it's the suggestion this is 80% of architecture i particularly disagree with - see bloopbox's response below. the hard part of architecture is developing effective plans for complex buildings, and figuring out how to create a buildable design that looks appealing. something this simple doesn't actually deal with any of this; it is just a drafting exercise. drafting is involved in a large part of the work architects do, but it's not the value-add part. i'd say it's 20% of our value. many big firms actually outsource drafting when they can for this reason. but if you're planning to study architecture in the future, sure modeling and drafting a shed will help you get some practice using the tools.
An "80/20 plan" is the idea that you can structure a teaching exercise that actively requires mastery of 20% of the specifics of the concept, in order to expose the student to a broad overview of 80% of the concept. But, in this case I don't think this project anywhere near approaches 20% of "the architectural process" - or that the person proposing it has enough understanding of that process to design an academic project around it. The architectural process is much too large of a concept to design any one project around. The teaching goals need to be much more narrowly defined, to something like "the schematic design process as it applies to a garden shed".
@Midlander
Thanks, that's clear and brings up a follow-up question, perhaps more to-the-point than the first:
What sort of 80/20 project - again, a modest starter project to get some forward momentum - might you recommend if the intent was to develop the skill-set required to move a project through concept and schematic considerations before outsourcing the drafting to a more efficient, more highly-trained and capable drafts person, and to be able to read and consider their work thereafter?
what is the purpose of this introduction? architecture like most professions is too broad to capture in any single course - a bachelor's degree takes 5 years of study and most graduates would agree leaves them less than 80% prepared for the real world work. there isn't going to be some singular self-directed course that gets someone 80% ready for what i'd say is the core responsibility of a lead designer.
but i think for giving someone an exercise in what architects do, practice designing and modeling a single house is perfect. everyone has a good understanding how houses work and how big they are. the thing is to be able to do this a student will need some basic skills in sketching, modeling and drafting. it's hard. i've tutored high school students who are interested in studying architecture, and 30 hours of instruction results in only a very crude ability to model simple houses, almost no independent design ability.
Thanks for taking the time in response!
Your proposed project seems to be mostly about software and drafting - not about "the architectural process". It touches on no more than 5% or so of what an architect does on a typical project. There's nothing in here about finances - no development of probable project costs, no firm's fee calculations; no project management; no risk analysis; no staffing or utilization; no code or zoning analysis; no contracts; nothing about detailing nor understanding of construction; no entire CA phase... this list could go on for pages.
What are you trying to accomplish with this project? Is if for teaching yourself, or teaching others? Is the intent to teach prospective drafters, or to teach prospective architects? What's the point of hand drafting orthographic projections? Are you teaching this in 2020, or in 1980?
Thanks for the answer and good questions.
To be more clear, the intent would be to (1) teach myself and myself only, in order to (2) be able to communicate well enough with trained architects, by understanding a rough 80% of considerations that inform the process and (3) even draw some by hand / Sketchup / CAD to clarify ideas while working together
@Bloopox Understood, your point about reducing the scope and simplifying. Though, if you did want to touch on these other skills, simply to gain exposure to them - i.e. hand-drawing the concept, drawing the CDs for a shed - and leaving aside all management skills relevant to an architectural practice, how might you design that self-development project?