I am starting a new thread that is about other threads. You can talk about other discussions taking a place in Archinect and make cross references to a particular link, picture, response and whatever else you deem necessary or entertaining or thought provoking about the other thread. thus the name: Thread Central
here are some examples of comments that comes to mind:
* hey did you read on --------- thread ------- thinks frank gehry is good. hahahaharhar..
or,
*i can't believe he said that. how stupid of him. asshole.on top of it he is got hundreds of posts. gimme a break.
or,
* this is the best thread.. fuck the others..
or,
*****Thread Alert******
read the -----thread yet??? there is a dog fight going on between ----- and-----.it is about gondolas and pollution in Venice..see you there.
or,
* yeaah, i don't read that thread either. its kind a boring.
or,
*i am thinking about starting a discussion about ------------- ---- ---- will you guys in Thread Central post in it and say wow it a great thread?. it was about time 'somebody' (insert my name please) picked up on it.. and discuss it?
like whatever..
vado retro
Aug 15, 06 2:14 pm
LB you'll be happy to know that i am listening to whyy on the internets as niether wfyi in indy nor wbez in chicago syndicate talk of the nation.
"i used to be a rolling stone you know..."
aml
Aug 15, 06 3:05 pm
i haven't contributed in a while, but reading the latest comments lead me to this diagram- and being a fan of diagrams, i just thought i'd post it [so the youtube guys do nice diagrams, i guess]:
data Valdez n. an accidental release of a large quantity of private or privileged information.
Johnny Jihad n. a Muslim combatant, usually a white guy convert.
vinyl village n. franchised architecture surrounded by seas of asphalt. ie; a shopping mall or business park surrounded by vast parking areas.
myriam
Aug 15, 06 5:19 pm
vado, wbur.org is basically all NPR, all the time, and since they themselves produce some of the syndicated NPR shows they have GREAT programming. Their website has faultless streaming in a variety of stream types. A+! Would do business with again!!
Erin Williams
Aug 15, 06 6:56 pm
speaking of doing business... I found somebody who wants the Tbird! So, immediately after work, I have to run to my bf's office and get the spare key back, get the last of my stuff (cd's, license plate frame) out/off of it, and get all the paperwork ready. Then I'll be car-free for a few days until I can go get my new little Jetta.
Apparently, there are people out there who just love those big 90's thunderbirds. I don't get it, myself, but I'm glad they're out there.
A Center for Ants?
Aug 15, 06 7:10 pm
myriam-
methinks you spend a little too much time on ebay...
rationalist-
congrats on selling the car! based on my experience on ebay, people will buy ANYTHING.
myriam
Aug 15, 06 7:13 pm
ha ha ha :) Actually to my recollection I have bought only one thing on ebay: an old postcard of CMU for my postcard collection. Totally nerdy, I know. This was back in... probably 1999.
vado retro
Aug 15, 06 8:34 pm
thanks myriam i used to live right down the street from gbh back in the day and my best friend from hi school worked at bur. so i am well versed in the world of national petroleum radio. i recommend this great show...http://www.thisishell.net/
broccolijet
Aug 15, 06 9:18 pm
damn...i missed the hot dog discussion (mmm...processed meat residuals)
AP - I have to catch up on all the Vado You Tube hijinks at home as well...damn proxy servers. My wife probably thinks I'm surfing porn, but this is better.
LostInSpace
Aug 15, 06 11:05 pm
Hey what happened to the drool thread, I tried to post this
...and it went haywire. I don't understand.
LostInSpace
Aug 15, 06 11:06 pm
Oh, and my robot's better than yours Vado.
Erin Williams
Aug 15, 06 11:08 pm
The person who bought my car ran it into a column before she even got it out of the garage. Obviously, we haven't turned in any of the paperwork to the DMV yet. I really, REALLY hope that doesn't go on my record if she decides to report it to insurance.
Katze
Aug 15, 06 11:15 pm
Ok, LostInSpace, this is the second night in a row that something haywire was happended on Archinect while you were on line - first your handle changes then the drool threat disappears! It's all your fault:) Wahts are you doing? And yes, your robot kicks butt compared to Vados.
myriam
Aug 15, 06 11:41 pm
Oh man, rationalist, that sucks... well at least know we know why she wanted to buy the boat! ;)
liberty bell
Aug 16, 06 6:29 am
Wait - LostInSpace's handle changed?? LostInSpace, are you also urbanspec? I need to make myself another identity.
rationalist that is such a pain - I don't even want to think about how to deal with that in terms of your insurance, ugh.
My week is so freakin' overly busy you guys - that's what happns whaen you take a week vacation, apparently!
liberty bell
Aug 16, 06 7:47 am
Congrats on 2500 Steven!
How's that for a start to your morning!
Steven Ward
Aug 16, 06 7:49 am
pretttty...
LostInSpace
Aug 16, 06 9:49 am
LB - shsshhh...don't tell anyone. I'm hiding.
George Jetson
Aug 16, 06 10:09 am
Hello there everybody! I'm new to this forum, but this discussion seemed like the place to introduce myself.
so, Hi.
Steven Ward
Aug 16, 06 10:34 am
hey marion! cheers! [burp.]
liberty bell
Aug 16, 06 10:56 am
It's ok Marion we're not all really hard-drinking hard-working architect carousers and complainers. Mostly though. That's why I'm racing to the printers now to get the drawings I'll be delivering 1/2 hour late to the contractor at site, so I can then race to the bar to celebrate another deadline (almost) met with a bourbon, the drink of hard-working-hard-drinking architects. Which we all really aren't. Really. Anyway, welcome.
later kids.....
Erin Williams
Aug 16, 06 11:58 am
I was wondering why everyone seemed to know LostinSpace except me. Who is he really? or, who was he, formerly?
Yeah, I'm going to cancel the tbirds insurance today, so I'll ask them about it, as a hypothetical situation.
I found out last night that my mom is probably coming back to the states in a few weeks. She's miserable, and it's not helping the business any, so she's staying with me for a week while I help her with job apps and such, and then she'll go live with one of her sisters until she can get back on her feet. Any job suggestions for someone who is a great programmer and debugger, knows about 20 different computer languages, but is just not management material? We're thinking that some sort of government/university setup would be great for her because the benefits are always so good there. Maybe I could teach her to plan check, as god knows the B&S people don't know what they're doing either.
garpike
Aug 16, 06 12:34 pm
rational, what about teaching computer programming? Maybe just for the interim. Sorry about your car. That situation really sucks.
I do not know LostInSpace.
A Center for Ants?
Aug 16, 06 4:41 pm
seriously... one the weirdest threads i've read yet...
Oh my god that is the funniest thread I've read in a long time but I didn't get to actually bust-out-loud hilarious laughter until reading Steven's comment:
now i don't believe in either evolution or intelligent design.
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL I adore you Steven!
And I have absolutely no idea who Ben Harper is.
I'm punchy because I've worked a 12 hour day with no lunch AND I got majorly sunburned while driving around from tile place to jobsite and back again today! I love my Miata! Right now I'm going to walk the dog, and whilst outside pick some fresh mint to make myself a yummy mint julep. Aah, summer.
broccolijet
Aug 16, 06 5:14 pm
Really...apparently, if you stack enough non-sequiturs in sequence you can go from concert tees to coital defecation in less than 30 comments.
plus...mint julep even sounds yummy (i've never actually tried one)
liberty bell
Aug 16, 06 5:23 pm
Aah, yes, I do recognize that music.
broccolijet I need to revive the favorite archinecters thread again to add you. Also, broccoli is my desert island food, and a fun word to say, so you're a fave in more ways than one.
broccolijet
Aug 16, 06 5:36 pm
hey thanks lb...how kind!
many people fail to appreciate the complex bouquet of flavors broccoli brings to the palate...they got too hung up on remembering being grossed out by it as kids. plus, the ABL (Anti-Broccoli Lobby) is pretty strong on Capitol Hill from what i hear. give it another chance people!
will galloway
Aug 16, 06 7:44 pm
mmmm, broccoli.
surprised you din know ben harper, LB.
i jes saw a bit of american news and was saddened to see a 16 year old boy choose to die rather than fight cancer with chemo-therapy. it is absolutely his right to die, but still...
jealous of the world
Aug 16, 06 9:52 pm
B is for Bad Brains - yeaaaah!!
just bought a new hard drive and starting the mega project of transfering all my cd's to digital format. not much else to do but surf archinect while i make my way through the alphabet.
Read any good threads lately?
treekiller
Aug 16, 06 10:24 pm
B-jet: do you mean the stink when your namesake is overcooked? I only like it when sauted with garlic and ginger and still crispy raw!
yeah I know it's good for me, but there are other green things I'd rather eat- like fava beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and collard greens to name a few of my faves.
LB- enjoy the sunshine with the top down!
liberty bell
Aug 16, 06 10:34 pm
treekiller try this: chop broccoli into 1/2" pieces (stems too), steam it just a little, til still crunchy, mix it with rice, and dress with the following: olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice. Broccoli is a total power food. I miss it if I don't eat it every few days.
Is it over the top to bring some of the cookies I made tonight to my contractor, who held my hand through a very tricky framing issue today?
Actually, this raises a question I've been meaning to ask: I have one job right now for which the Owner selected a contractor I'd never met before. He's OK, but of course there are some predictable results wherein he's ignoring my specs, not understanding why I cannot tolerate a penetration in the main large roof slope, etc. So I'm spending a lot of time on site explaining to him and his subs what I want and why.
This other job is with a contractor we've used on several good jobs: he understands our work, his carpenters are smart and actually help me resolve how things should look via the smart way to build them, hires subs who understand our high end fixture selection, etc. He's a little more expensive but his work and work process are so worth it.
So here's my question: Is it either unethical or illegal to say to my future clients: If you hire the contractor I like, I'll charge 7%, but if you work with someone I don't know, I'll have to charge 10%? It seems like it's collusion or pricefixing or something, but it also just makes sense for me. (And actually I think I need to start charging higher percentages anyway, but that's another discussion.)
Orhan Ayyüce
Aug 16, 06 11:37 pm
i'd charge clients the same price if not more.
actually you are doing them a better service by bringing in a contractor who is familiar with your work and relatedly will build a more better, timely and economical project with less guesswork bidding 'your' design because he/she understands more of what you put down on paper and how you will want the project to look and come together.
you should charge more than 10% donna, because people like yourself do a lot more than just design, cd's and permits (i just gave myself a raise to 14%). you put your soul in the projects, concern yourself with every detail and available at all times on time for the success of the project.
most people hire contractors based on price and recommendation and think that since they have the 'plans', everything is gonna be alright regardless. its like that because most people never built anything before and really gullable to certain type of contractor talk and easily veered from good decisions based on price offerings. its a familiar story that a low bidder's work, (i am not saying people build bad buildings automatically because they charge less), almost always costs more and quality is always borderline if not unacceptable and you have to use crowbar or pistol as an architect to get what you are after for your clients and for yourself...
i talk of low bidders that don't read the specs, have alternative but totally wrong for the project stuff left over from their other projects stored somewhere and know they can convince certain clients install their stuff instead by using the cost card, there are contractors who are masters of alinating the architect and having the clients follow them instead, not inspecting the existing situation good enough thinking there will be hefty extras down the line etc.. and those people know, once they get the contract, it is their show and also know how to make architect look nervus and incompitant in front of clients who are presented a minor descrepency as a major reason to panic and throw themselves in the contractors arms. yes, among many wonderful contractors, there are also these types that most demaging in architect-building relationship and process.
if you give clients a breake on your fees, because they are using your contractor, they'll think you are getting a cut under the table from the contractor and that is not a good relationship.
there all types of contractors in residential projects and the ones ultimetly cost clients more money for bad end results are the ones who want to bypass the architect soon after the permitted drawings.
somewhat they like to take the position of the designer so they can make more money and streamline their decision making process. there are jobs that i walked out of because of contractors like that and clients who listened them more than me. it is very important to educate the client in the get go about what architect does and who architect is in the building process, if the clients don't know it.
ahh, the residendial work, the sewage treatment room of architecture that smell like a rose from the distance...
Smokety Mc Smoke Smoke
Aug 17, 06 12:00 am
Tonight, I had a hankering to hear "Street Fighting Man" by the Stones. Wireless was down, so I went to the nearest Wal-Mart and bought the Stones' Beggars Banquet ("Street Fighting Man" is track 6 on the CD.
Anyways, how un-revolutionary -- going to Wal-Mart to buy the Stones' clarion call to hit the streets and stick it to the man.
(I also bought a stick of deodorant and a toothbrush as well).
myriam
Aug 17, 06 12:28 am
I haven't read Orhan's comments, lb, but two quick thoughts:
a) this is EXACTLY the problem that has dogged the firm I work for in the last year, and the principle just decided to institute the same exact clause, but worded differently. He actually got the idea from this awesome business-savvy contractor we know, who writes a similar clause into his contracts.
b) 7-10%?! Isn't that ridiculously, insanely low???????????????
myriam
Aug 17, 06 12:54 am
Oh Orhan, your response is a masterpiece and dead-on. Truer words I have never read on archinect. You've hit the nail on the head of my last few years of work. Sheesh.
myriam
Aug 17, 06 1:03 am
I have a huuuuge deadline tomorrow at noon. I wish to heavens my boss had made it Friday, but it was kind of a random scheduling fluke. I've been working out this crazy design using parts from McMaster Carr all night... tons of fun but I'm dead tired and still have interior elevations, details, and plan revisions to do. ACK!!! I feel like I'm back in school... but I'm oooold.
Steven Ward
Aug 17, 06 8:02 am
our floors might be ready this evening! and they look great. finally talked to the (formerly incommunicado) floor contractor.
also got the a/c that was flooding the basement fixed.
...and scored a great big piece of greyish pink marble - formerly a toilet partition - from a school project i'm working on, that we will cut to use as a new hearth at the new house. right now it has about half of the white ceramic bathroom tile that it once had. the rest has chipped out.
the mother is coming in tomorrow. since we're still camping on my brother's floor, we got her a hotel.
in other news - all three of my summer school renovation jobs have opened successfully with no major oh-shits. (some minor ones, sure.)
everybody's so BUSY! i guess that's good. good luck lb and myriam.
smoke, sounds like you're attending your first meeting of walmarters anonymous. hang strong, man. try to resist the pull. you've recognized the problem and that's a huge step.
will galloway
Aug 17, 06 8:15 am
lb, i agree with orhan and all, 7% is too low. 10% really should be the minimum.
i think orhan is also correct when he suggests charging equally...and explain why you would like to work with contractor a over contractor b. it is in the client's best interest not to hire a dingbat horror-story, so no need to feel guilty.
damn, orhan, that talk about contractor's who try to get tween architect and client brought back bad memories. i thought it was just me...
liberty bell
Aug 17, 06 9:12 am
Thanks you guys. Every word is true, Orhan. And yes we do need to up our rate overall regardless of who we work with. 7-10% IS low for the kind of work we do, but it's the midwest, and in a small pool of clients like Indy there are only a few who are willing to go that high. Some of them are our clients, too, and we often also work on furniture selection, which is typically under a separate contract, and can take hours and hours and hours to do!
Good luck with that deadline, myriam!
treekiller
Aug 17, 06 12:00 pm
lb- setting a %age for the design through permits makes good business sense. If your client is choosing you based on the lowest fee, then your in trouble- push that fee up!!!! your reputation is worth more then a low fee. DON'T be afraid.
Instead of cutting back on your fee for CA with a known contractor- set your CA contract to be hourly(and/or a not to exceed price). That way you can roll with whatever choices the client makes with the bid/contractor. IF you tell the client streight out that there will be more CA work with hammerswinger G versus hammer M - this may pursuade the client to pick the better contractor over the lowest bid.
M- 'luck with the deadline. don't read anymore posts till your done!
larslarson
Aug 17, 06 1:58 pm
i was gonna say what treekiller said.
you could either charge hourly for CA..or write into your contract
a certain number of site visits, with an increased number/
increased fee for contractors you're not familiar with.
myriam
Aug 17, 06 3:30 pm
I just got back to the office after the big meeting I was preparing for all night long. And guess what? It went beautifully! The client loved the concept (my boss's) and the execution (half him, half me) and I had all the right drawings ready. Not only that, but it was actually a fun little personal charrette--I learned a lot about pipe fittings and stuff! :D yay!
liberty bell
Aug 17, 06 3:40 pm
Yay myriam!! So glad it went well - there is nothing so satisfying as working hard and then knowing that you did it well. Now take a break!
AP
Aug 17, 06 3:45 pm
congratulations myriam! now get some rest.
smokety, my wal-mart confession - I was given a $50 Wally World gift card for Christmas. I held on to the card for a while, not wanting to set foot in the wretched place...after a couple of months I caved.
my list of purchases:
soap (valu-pack)
toothbrush (x2)
toothpaste (x2)
bathroom tissue (valu-pack)
deoderant
dish towels (2)
universal remote
broccolijet
Aug 17, 06 3:45 pm
congrats myriam -- go take a swim ;)
liberty bell
Aug 17, 06 3:49 pm
Here's my wallyworld confession: I hadn't been in one in at least 5 years - the one in South Philly where I lvied was so skeevy I swore to never go in again - but when I was in Kentucky in June I really had no choice. I got the school supplies I needed for the students, then bought a few toiletries, like AP and Smokety. And a 6-pack of Ale* for my husband.
The confessional part: I was shocked at how ridiculously inexpensive the price was when I got to the cashier! Those toiletry items were 2/3 what I would pay for them regularly!
But in the end I felt the icky-ness of the place wasn't worth the savings. I hope to never go into a WalMart again.
I am starting a new thread that is about other threads. You can talk about other discussions taking a place in Archinect and make cross references to a particular link, picture, response and whatever else you deem necessary or entertaining or thought provoking about the other thread. thus the name: Thread Central
here are some examples of comments that comes to mind:
* hey did you read on --------- thread ------- thinks frank gehry is good. hahahaharhar..
or,
*i can't believe he said that. how stupid of him. asshole.on top of it he is got hundreds of posts. gimme a break.
or,
* this is the best thread.. fuck the others..
or,
*****Thread Alert******
read the -----thread yet??? there is a dog fight going on between ----- and-----.it is about gondolas and pollution in Venice..see you there.
or,
* yeaah, i don't read that thread either. its kind a boring.
or,
*i am thinking about starting a discussion about ------------- ---- ---- will you guys in Thread Central post in it and say wow it a great thread?. it was about time 'somebody' (insert my name please) picked up on it.. and discuss it?
like whatever..
LB you'll be happy to know that i am listening to whyy on the internets as niether wfyi in indy nor wbez in chicago syndicate talk of the nation.
"i used to be a rolling stone you know..."
i haven't contributed in a while, but reading the latest comments lead me to this diagram- and being a fan of diagrams, i just thought i'd post it [so the youtube guys do nice diagrams, i guess]:
argh! the main site is down again!!!!
Now how will I get my archinect fix????!!!
my new hang out after u-tube.
few gems from doubletongued.org:
data Valdez n. an accidental release of a large quantity of private or privileged information.
Johnny Jihad n. a Muslim combatant, usually a white guy convert.
vinyl village n. franchised architecture surrounded by seas of asphalt. ie; a shopping mall or business park surrounded by vast parking areas.
vado, wbur.org is basically all NPR, all the time, and since they themselves produce some of the syndicated NPR shows they have GREAT programming. Their website has faultless streaming in a variety of stream types. A+! Would do business with again!!
speaking of doing business... I found somebody who wants the Tbird! So, immediately after work, I have to run to my bf's office and get the spare key back, get the last of my stuff (cd's, license plate frame) out/off of it, and get all the paperwork ready. Then I'll be car-free for a few days until I can go get my new little Jetta.
Apparently, there are people out there who just love those big 90's thunderbirds. I don't get it, myself, but I'm glad they're out there.
myriam-
methinks you spend a little too much time on ebay...
rationalist-
congrats on selling the car! based on my experience on ebay, people will buy ANYTHING.
ha ha ha :) Actually to my recollection I have bought only one thing on ebay: an old postcard of CMU for my postcard collection. Totally nerdy, I know. This was back in... probably 1999.
thanks myriam i used to live right down the street from gbh back in the day and my best friend from hi school worked at bur. so i am well versed in the world of national petroleum radio. i recommend this great show...http://www.thisishell.net/
damn...i missed the hot dog discussion (mmm...processed meat residuals)
AP - I have to catch up on all the Vado You Tube hijinks at home as well...damn proxy servers. My wife probably thinks I'm surfing porn, but this is better.
Hey what happened to the drool thread, I tried to post this
...and it went haywire. I don't understand.
Oh, and my robot's better than yours Vado.
The person who bought my car ran it into a column before she even got it out of the garage. Obviously, we haven't turned in any of the paperwork to the DMV yet. I really, REALLY hope that doesn't go on my record if she decides to report it to insurance.
Ok, LostInSpace, this is the second night in a row that something haywire was happended on Archinect while you were on line - first your handle changes then the drool threat disappears! It's all your fault:) Wahts are you doing? And yes, your robot kicks butt compared to Vados.
Oh man, rationalist, that sucks... well at least know we know why she wanted to buy the boat! ;)
Wait - LostInSpace's handle changed?? LostInSpace, are you also urbanspec? I need to make myself another identity.
rationalist that is such a pain - I don't even want to think about how to deal with that in terms of your insurance, ugh.
My week is so freakin' overly busy you guys - that's what happns whaen you take a week vacation, apparently!
Congrats on 2500 Steven!
How's that for a start to your morning!
pretttty...
LB - shsshhh...don't tell anyone. I'm hiding.
Hello there everybody! I'm new to this forum, but this discussion seemed like the place to introduce myself.
so, Hi.
hey marion! cheers! [burp.]
It's ok Marion we're not all really hard-drinking hard-working architect carousers and complainers. Mostly though. That's why I'm racing to the printers now to get the drawings I'll be delivering 1/2 hour late to the contractor at site, so I can then race to the bar to celebrate another deadline (almost) met with a bourbon, the drink of hard-working-hard-drinking architects. Which we all really aren't. Really. Anyway, welcome.
later kids.....
I was wondering why everyone seemed to know LostinSpace except me. Who is he really? or, who was he, formerly?
Yeah, I'm going to cancel the tbirds insurance today, so I'll ask them about it, as a hypothetical situation.
I found out last night that my mom is probably coming back to the states in a few weeks. She's miserable, and it's not helping the business any, so she's staying with me for a week while I help her with job apps and such, and then she'll go live with one of her sisters until she can get back on her feet. Any job suggestions for someone who is a great programmer and debugger, knows about 20 different computer languages, but is just not management material? We're thinking that some sort of government/university setup would be great for her because the benefits are always so good there. Maybe I could teach her to plan check, as god knows the B&S people don't know what they're doing either.
rational, what about teaching computer programming? Maybe just for the interim. Sorry about your car. That situation really sucks.
I do not know LostInSpace.
seriously... one the weirdest threads i've read yet...
bone the shit out
Oh my god that is the funniest thread I've read in a long time but I didn't get to actually bust-out-loud hilarious laughter until reading Steven's comment:
now i don't believe in either evolution or intelligent design.
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL I adore you Steven!
And I have absolutely no idea who Ben Harper is.
I'm punchy because I've worked a 12 hour day with no lunch AND I got majorly sunburned while driving around from tile place to jobsite and back again today! I love my Miata! Right now I'm going to walk the dog, and whilst outside pick some fresh mint to make myself a yummy mint julep. Aah, summer.
Really...apparently, if you stack enough non-sequiturs in sequence you can go from concert tees to coital defecation in less than 30 comments.
Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals
plus...mint julep even sounds yummy (i've never actually tried one)
Aah, yes, I do recognize that music.
broccolijet I need to revive the favorite archinecters thread again to add you. Also, broccoli is my desert island food, and a fun word to say, so you're a fave in more ways than one.
hey thanks lb...how kind!
many people fail to appreciate the complex bouquet of flavors broccoli brings to the palate...they got too hung up on remembering being grossed out by it as kids. plus, the ABL (Anti-Broccoli Lobby) is pretty strong on Capitol Hill from what i hear. give it another chance people!
mmmm, broccoli.
surprised you din know ben harper, LB.
i jes saw a bit of american news and was saddened to see a 16 year old boy choose to die rather than fight cancer with chemo-therapy. it is absolutely his right to die, but still...
B is for Bad Brains - yeaaaah!!
just bought a new hard drive and starting the mega project of transfering all my cd's to digital format. not much else to do but surf archinect while i make my way through the alphabet.
Read any good threads lately?
B-jet: do you mean the stink when your namesake is overcooked? I only like it when sauted with garlic and ginger and still crispy raw!
yeah I know it's good for me, but there are other green things I'd rather eat- like fava beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and collard greens to name a few of my faves.
LB- enjoy the sunshine with the top down!
treekiller try this: chop broccoli into 1/2" pieces (stems too), steam it just a little, til still crunchy, mix it with rice, and dress with the following: olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice. Broccoli is a total power food. I miss it if I don't eat it every few days.
Is it over the top to bring some of the cookies I made tonight to my contractor, who held my hand through a very tricky framing issue today?
Actually, this raises a question I've been meaning to ask: I have one job right now for which the Owner selected a contractor I'd never met before. He's OK, but of course there are some predictable results wherein he's ignoring my specs, not understanding why I cannot tolerate a penetration in the main large roof slope, etc. So I'm spending a lot of time on site explaining to him and his subs what I want and why.
This other job is with a contractor we've used on several good jobs: he understands our work, his carpenters are smart and actually help me resolve how things should look via the smart way to build them, hires subs who understand our high end fixture selection, etc. He's a little more expensive but his work and work process are so worth it.
So here's my question: Is it either unethical or illegal to say to my future clients: If you hire the contractor I like, I'll charge 7%, but if you work with someone I don't know, I'll have to charge 10%? It seems like it's collusion or pricefixing or something, but it also just makes sense for me. (And actually I think I need to start charging higher percentages anyway, but that's another discussion.)
i'd charge clients the same price if not more.
actually you are doing them a better service by bringing in a contractor who is familiar with your work and relatedly will build a more better, timely and economical project with less guesswork bidding 'your' design because he/she understands more of what you put down on paper and how you will want the project to look and come together.
you should charge more than 10% donna, because people like yourself do a lot more than just design, cd's and permits (i just gave myself a raise to 14%). you put your soul in the projects, concern yourself with every detail and available at all times on time for the success of the project.
most people hire contractors based on price and recommendation and think that since they have the 'plans', everything is gonna be alright regardless. its like that because most people never built anything before and really gullable to certain type of contractor talk and easily veered from good decisions based on price offerings. its a familiar story that a low bidder's work, (i am not saying people build bad buildings automatically because they charge less), almost always costs more and quality is always borderline if not unacceptable and you have to use crowbar or pistol as an architect to get what you are after for your clients and for yourself...
i talk of low bidders that don't read the specs, have alternative but totally wrong for the project stuff left over from their other projects stored somewhere and know they can convince certain clients install their stuff instead by using the cost card, there are contractors who are masters of alinating the architect and having the clients follow them instead, not inspecting the existing situation good enough thinking there will be hefty extras down the line etc.. and those people know, once they get the contract, it is their show and also know how to make architect look nervus and incompitant in front of clients who are presented a minor descrepency as a major reason to panic and throw themselves in the contractors arms. yes, among many wonderful contractors, there are also these types that most demaging in architect-building relationship and process.
if you give clients a breake on your fees, because they are using your contractor, they'll think you are getting a cut under the table from the contractor and that is not a good relationship.
there all types of contractors in residential projects and the ones ultimetly cost clients more money for bad end results are the ones who want to bypass the architect soon after the permitted drawings.
somewhat they like to take the position of the designer so they can make more money and streamline their decision making process. there are jobs that i walked out of because of contractors like that and clients who listened them more than me. it is very important to educate the client in the get go about what architect does and who architect is in the building process, if the clients don't know it.
ahh, the residendial work, the sewage treatment room of architecture that smell like a rose from the distance...
Tonight, I had a hankering to hear "Street Fighting Man" by the Stones. Wireless was down, so I went to the nearest Wal-Mart and bought the Stones' Beggars Banquet ("Street Fighting Man" is track 6 on the CD.
Anyways, how un-revolutionary -- going to Wal-Mart to buy the Stones' clarion call to hit the streets and stick it to the man.
(I also bought a stick of deodorant and a toothbrush as well).
I haven't read Orhan's comments, lb, but two quick thoughts:
a) this is EXACTLY the problem that has dogged the firm I work for in the last year, and the principle just decided to institute the same exact clause, but worded differently. He actually got the idea from this awesome business-savvy contractor we know, who writes a similar clause into his contracts.
b) 7-10%?! Isn't that ridiculously, insanely low???????????????
Oh Orhan, your response is a masterpiece and dead-on. Truer words I have never read on archinect. You've hit the nail on the head of my last few years of work. Sheesh.
I have a huuuuge deadline tomorrow at noon. I wish to heavens my boss had made it Friday, but it was kind of a random scheduling fluke. I've been working out this crazy design using parts from McMaster Carr all night... tons of fun but I'm dead tired and still have interior elevations, details, and plan revisions to do. ACK!!! I feel like I'm back in school... but I'm oooold.
our floors might be ready this evening! and they look great. finally talked to the (formerly incommunicado) floor contractor.
also got the a/c that was flooding the basement fixed.
...and scored a great big piece of greyish pink marble - formerly a toilet partition - from a school project i'm working on, that we will cut to use as a new hearth at the new house. right now it has about half of the white ceramic bathroom tile that it once had. the rest has chipped out.
the mother is coming in tomorrow. since we're still camping on my brother's floor, we got her a hotel.
in other news - all three of my summer school renovation jobs have opened successfully with no major oh-shits. (some minor ones, sure.)
everybody's so BUSY! i guess that's good. good luck lb and myriam.
smoke, sounds like you're attending your first meeting of walmarters anonymous. hang strong, man. try to resist the pull. you've recognized the problem and that's a huge step.
lb, i agree with orhan and all, 7% is too low. 10% really should be the minimum.
i think orhan is also correct when he suggests charging equally...and explain why you would like to work with contractor a over contractor b. it is in the client's best interest not to hire a dingbat horror-story, so no need to feel guilty.
damn, orhan, that talk about contractor's who try to get tween architect and client brought back bad memories. i thought it was just me...
Thanks you guys. Every word is true, Orhan. And yes we do need to up our rate overall regardless of who we work with. 7-10% IS low for the kind of work we do, but it's the midwest, and in a small pool of clients like Indy there are only a few who are willing to go that high. Some of them are our clients, too, and we often also work on furniture selection, which is typically under a separate contract, and can take hours and hours and hours to do!
Good luck with that deadline, myriam!
lb- setting a %age for the design through permits makes good business sense. If your client is choosing you based on the lowest fee, then your in trouble- push that fee up!!!! your reputation is worth more then a low fee. DON'T be afraid.
Instead of cutting back on your fee for CA with a known contractor- set your CA contract to be hourly(and/or a not to exceed price). That way you can roll with whatever choices the client makes with the bid/contractor. IF you tell the client streight out that there will be more CA work with hammerswinger G versus hammer M - this may pursuade the client to pick the better contractor over the lowest bid.
M- 'luck with the deadline. don't read anymore posts till your done!
i was gonna say what treekiller said.
you could either charge hourly for CA..or write into your contract
a certain number of site visits, with an increased number/
increased fee for contractors you're not familiar with.
I just got back to the office after the big meeting I was preparing for all night long. And guess what? It went beautifully! The client loved the concept (my boss's) and the execution (half him, half me) and I had all the right drawings ready. Not only that, but it was actually a fun little personal charrette--I learned a lot about pipe fittings and stuff! :D yay!
Yay myriam!! So glad it went well - there is nothing so satisfying as working hard and then knowing that you did it well. Now take a break!
congratulations myriam! now get some rest.
smokety, my wal-mart confession - I was given a $50 Wally World gift card for Christmas. I held on to the card for a while, not wanting to set foot in the wretched place...after a couple of months I caved.
my list of purchases:
soap (valu-pack)
toothbrush (x2)
toothpaste (x2)
bathroom tissue (valu-pack)
deoderant
dish towels (2)
universal remote
congrats myriam -- go take a swim ;)
Here's my wallyworld confession: I hadn't been in one in at least 5 years - the one in South Philly where I lvied was so skeevy I swore to never go in again - but when I was in Kentucky in June I really had no choice. I got the school supplies I needed for the students, then bought a few toiletries, like AP and Smokety. And a 6-pack of Ale* for my husband.
The confessional part: I was shocked at how ridiculously inexpensive the price was when I got to the cashier! Those toiletry items were 2/3 what I would pay for them regularly!
But in the end I felt the icky-ness of the place wasn't worth the savings. I hope to never go into a WalMart again.
Sorry, that's supposed to be Ale-8
