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..
OddArchitect
Apr 16, 20 12:52 pm
I've been wondering what things other than architecture I could do with my experience and education.
citizen
Apr 16, 20 1:01 pm
Timely. How about set design; design review board; construction; curation; facilities/operations.... I also think flower-shirted clerk at TJs to be a noble alternate profession.
tduds
Apr 16, 20 2:06 pm
I've been reading up on development.
OddArchitect
Apr 16, 20 2:23 pm
Set design - did it in college - fun but really, really low pay and a very, very competitive job market.
Design Review Board - you can make a living doing this!?
Construction Curation - what is that?
Facilities / Operation: an option. Too bad it has only the things I don't like about being an architect. ;)
citizen
Apr 16, 20 3:05 pm
Not necessary a full living at any of these, but possible as income sources. Design review as paid agency work, not volunteer board; sorry for that error. Building construction and (exhibit) curation are two different items.
OddArchitect
Apr 16, 20 5:55 pm
How would one even get into the curation field? As for building construction I assume you mean like a site super and not a laborer. 8-)
tduds
Apr 16, 20 9:07 pm
Before all this happened I was toying with set design as a side hustle. More for fun than money. I don't think it could be a sustainable career for more than a handful of people in the world.
citizen
Apr 16, 20 10:00 pm
I'm just spitballing on the topic of transferable skill sets-- most successful career leaps would probably rely on some kind of existing connections/ contacts (what else is new?). Curation could assume gallery/museum affinity, or possibly the trade-show universe. Construction could be swinging a hammer on up to supervision.
OddArchitect
Apr 22, 20 10:08 am
Good points citizen. Why did that sound like a line from a dystopian fascist regime? 8-)
b3tadine[sutures]
Apr 16, 20 9:43 pm
I understand the need for masks in the healthcare field, however we need people to make masks for those in undeserved communities. Many in poorer communities can't shelter in place, and as we've seen, this b irus is hitting black communities harder, precisely due to the racism and economic disparities. We need the design community to produce for these Frontline communities, so that health-care workers can catch a break.
Non Sequitur
Apr 21, 20 9:48 pm
Found TC on bottom of 2nd page... all lonely. Giving it a loving boost.
Also, and unrelated to the zombie apocalypse but there is a blizzard outside my door tonight...
OddArchitect
Apr 22, 20 10:06 am
Actually the blizzard IS related to the zombie apocalypse. SNOW ZOMBIES!
J. James R.
Apr 22, 20 9:50 am
Another update: I'm launching a custom porch/stoop/step outdoor furniture company that makes semi-affordable outdoor furniture with a focus on using lumber and material from construction waste, recycled pallets and sustainably sourced wood.
OddArchitect
Apr 22, 20 10:03 am
What does 'semi-affordable' mean? Do you mean the price point is 50, 60, 70%?
J. James R.
Apr 22, 20 10:17 am
About 30%-60% of the cost of EGO Paris or West Elm who charge a couple of grand for a small simple setee.
J. James R.
Apr 22, 20 10:18 am
I also itemize every foot of board, every bracket, nail, oz of paint, solvent et cetera plus labor cost... so if they want to swap out pressure treated pine for teak, there's not a surprise on pricing.
J. James R.
Apr 22, 20 10:20 am
If the wood was salvaged, I charge a small milling fee and donate about half of what they would have paid for wood to forest conservation.
OddArchitect
Apr 22, 20 10:35 am
Cool! Good luck with this! Do you have a link to any of your products?
tduds
Apr 22, 20 12:30 pm
Very cool. I'd also love to see a portfolio or some photos.
JLC-1
Apr 23, 20 3:46 pm
when did this forum became an outlet for fringe politics? kind of tiring to have to ignore a lot of people....
Non Sequitur
Apr 23, 20 3:48 pm
Here's an idea for the archinect big green heads, put in an option to ignore individual threads. I'd make use of it.
SneakyPete
Apr 23, 20 4:20 pm
Or, you know, moderate more strictly.
OddArchitect
Apr 24, 20 10:26 am
Or both?
b3tadine[sutures]
Apr 24, 20 11:31 am
Or, someone could start a Conspiracy Central, that way the kids throwing feces, could have a playpen all to themselves?
Non Sequitur
Apr 24, 20 11:32 am
^I like that one
b3tadine[sutures]
Apr 24, 20 11:40 am
Once that's done, all the feces flicking shit-gibbons can get tossed...
square.
Apr 24, 20 11:42 am
for real.. the occasional fringe opinion in tolerable.. but it's the manic back-to-back posts that are incredibly annoying (and worrisome)
Non Sequitur
Apr 24, 20 11:44 am
I'm imagining it'll be like watching an Ikea kids' ballroom play area from outside the sound-proof glass walls but the balls are a mixture of feces, balled-up tin foil, and rusty hammers. There is no adult supervision and the door to get in is like those weighted mouse traps. Once in, you're stuck. Oh, and there is a bar on the outside so we can have beers in silence.
midlander
Apr 24, 20 11:50 am
it's sort of a mental health thing though. the same lack of awareness and obsessive worry that keeps someone engaged with conspiracy theories also leads them to post unlimited sprawls of bitter ruminations.
midlander
Apr 24, 20 12:00 pm
it's also a common reaction to difficult circumstances. common sense and reasonableness are secondary victims of a crisis, sometimes causing as much harm as the initial event. i find it reassuring in some way to see all the regulars who usually shitpost turning into CT-believers, it shows they are as connected to the world as the rest of us, just less willingly.
wurdan freo
Apr 24, 20 1:11 pm
other forums limit politics to specific "areas" could be a good idea so every
thread doesn't turn into a dumpster fire...
wurdan freo
Apr 24, 20 1:13 pm
man... met with a railing guy yesterday and he was telling me about how he cleared two million last year and is forecasting 5 million this year... ayyy... why is the grass always greener? Somedays I just have to be reminded of stoicism and gratefulness... :) happy friday... at least i think its friday...
SneakyPete
Apr 24, 20 6:04 pm
Him or his business?
Wood Guy
Apr 25, 20 9:22 am
Yeah, "cleared" may not be what he meant. I could see gross revenue in that range but it would have to be quite an operation for him to make $2M in profit, or a combo of profit and income.
Wilma Buttfit
Apr 24, 20 1:51 pm
What's up dumpster divers?
I have never wanted a kegerator more than I do right now. Who has one?
curtkram
Apr 24, 20 2:19 pm
i have a kegerator
Wilma Buttfit
Apr 24, 20 5:36 pm
Is it the best thing ever?
SneakyPete
Apr 24, 20 6:03 pm
Don't buy one to save money, buy one to enjoy fresher beer. Then make sure you want to drink that beer for a while.
curtkram
Apr 25, 20 11:22 am
to be honest tintt, i slowed down on making new beers and have been drinking domestic. there is one on co2 now that's ready to drink and the fermenter is full for the next one, so maybe there will be fewer cans in my recycle box in the next couple weeks.
Enquiry
Apr 25, 20 12:44 pm
Is it usual that threads are being censored and taken down in this forum?
Non Sequitur
Apr 25, 20 1:04 pm
No. Read the posting TOS.
Enquiry
Apr 25, 20 1:09 pm
I made a post about the substandard level of education at a UK school of architecture. I understand that the Archinect staff would rather censor this type of posts due to PR reasons?
Non Sequitur
Apr 25, 20 1:32 pm
PR? Nope. New posts don’t get posted right away from new users.
liberty bell
Apr 28, 20 11:12 pm
You know that old saying about hitting yourself in the head with a hammer because it feels so good when you stop? That’s how this profession feels for me lately. I only feel good when I’ve beat the hell out of myself meeting some arbitrary pointless deadline. Wake up tomorrow and do it all over again.
curtkram
Apr 30, 20 11:18 pm
I feel like it will feel good when we skate through CA easy.
Donna Sink
Apr 30, 20 9:45 pm
Considering I just googled "what is the fastest chocolate chip cookie recipe" I think you guys can guess which way I'm headed during lockdown:
archanonymous
Apr 30, 20 9:52 pm
Donna, my recipe. They are tollhouse style, perfect mix of chewy inside with crunchy exterior and not puffy or flat. Ive made many, many times already during quarantine.
archanonymous
Apr 30, 20 9:52 pm
2 Sticks butter, softened
150 grams white sugar
140 grams brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp (5 grams) baking soda
½ tsp (3 grams, pinch) kosher salt, fine crystal
1 tsp vanilla, or more to taste
355 grams flour (best flour is mix of bleached white and unbleached whole-wheat for extra tooth)
330 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips
Technique:
Cream softened (but not melted) butter and white and brown sugar.
Cream in eggs on low speed. Add vanilla.
In a large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients (or stir with a fork). Add to sugar, butter, egg mixture on lowest speed, mixing as little as possible. Scrape sides frequently.
Remove whisk and scrape dough off. Add chocolate chips and fold in with spatula.
Place dough in airtight glass storage container and refrigerate overnight at minimum, 3 days for best cookies.
Use a spoon to ball cookies into irregularly shaped 1” balls, place on baking sheet with parchment or silpat, bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes depending on cookie size.
Donna Sink
Apr 30, 20 10:31 pm
Seriously, cold dough going into the oven makes cookie texture so much better.
curtkram
Apr 30, 20 11:19 pm
IMHO, has to be Crisco instead of butter
Donna Sink
May 1, 20 7:34 am
curtkram, I literally fell asleep last night wondering what vegetable is used to make Crisco. Or is it petroleum? Either way, half Crisco/half butter makes the best combination of texture and taste in a cookie IMO.
Volunteer
May 1, 20 9:22 am
Donna, Isn't that Brad Pitt in the right hand side of the photo?
Non Sequitur
May 1, 20 9:24 am
^still hawt. Picture had to crop out Pitt's bulge tho. Archinect can't support that many pixels.
Wood Guy
May 1, 20 10:40 am
Ingredients, from Crisco's site: "Soybean Oil, Fully Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Palm Oil, Mono And Diglycerides, TBHQ And Citric Acid." We have lard from pigs we raise, which is great for baking and less unhealthy than the oils in Crisco. Breakfast today included fresh bread made with lard; it had excellent flavor and crumb.
archanonymous
May 1, 20 10:42 am
Palm Oil is generally terrible for the environment and the people that harvest it. Plus butter tastes way better. Also yes to lard.
Donna Sink
May 1, 20 1:57 pm
Volunteer I never liked you and now I know why. ;-)
Donna Sink
May 1, 20 1:58 pm
I did google Crisco this morning and when I saw it's made from palm oil now, instead of soybean, it gave me pause. I haven't used Crisco in at least a decade, but thinking about good cookies lately has made me want to try it again to get that course crumb I never get with just butter. I've never done sweet baking with lard (only savory), but perhaps I'll try it instead!
archanonymous
May 1, 20 2:52 pm
Donna that's why my cookies are a mix of unbleached fine and whole wheat flour! Looking for that perfect chewy crumb but I'm not willing to use Crisco.
Donna Sink
May 1, 20 3:01 pm
That's also a good idea. I love the sweetness of whole wheat flour. My husband is not such a fan but I can sneak it in.
Speaking of which, one of these days I'm going to make some cookies with cricket flour and feed them unbeknownst to my family (LOL not really. That's not acceptable. But I joke about it.)
Everyday Architect
May 1, 20 6:58 pm
Trying not to laugh out loud as I read through the paid advertisement for a competition to design an airport. This was obviously written pre-COVID-19, and it has not aged well in the past few months.
Its amazing how quickly our ideas about design have shifted! I just sat on virtual final reviews and the project (started at the beginning of the semester) was co-living style housing... can't imagine that such an idea will survive this.
liberty bell
May 1, 20 9:50 pm
You guys, the movie Good Boys is SO adorably wonderful!
b3tadine[sutures]
May 2, 20 1:47 pm
My first thumbs down!
randomised
May 2, 20 2:36 pm
I’m pretty sure I was your first thumbs down ;-)
Donna Sink
May 2, 20 12:38 pm
OH MY GOD WE NOW HAVE THUMBS UP OR DOWN OPTIONS!!!!!
randomised
May 2, 20 12:39 pm
what’s with the ‘like’ and ‘dislike’ button all of a sudden?
Non Sequitur
May 2, 20 1:17 pm
The thumb down feature works.
Donna Sink
May 2, 20 12:42 pm
I'M GOING ON A THUMBS UP SPREE RIGHT NOW ALL THROUGH THE FORUM WHEEEEEEEE
Paul Petrunia
May 2, 20 12:55 pm
We've been planning the comment reactions feature for a long time. I'm glad to finally get it out. While it seems very simple and trivial (and nothing new for comments on the internet), I think it will provide a powerful new way for people to get a better idea about how their comments are received from members of the community.
Non Sequitur
May 2, 20 1:18 pm
Are these link to email notifications? My inbox can only take so much love.
Archinect
May 2, 20 1:26 pm
you can set your preferences for reaction update notifications in your settings
SneakyPete
May 4, 20 5:49 pm
Please keep the ability to see who up / down voted visible for all to see.
b3tadine[sutures]
May 2, 20 3:14 pm
I'm looking for MN licensed Mechanical Engineers, well me and Liberty Bell are looking for them, anyone got any sole proprietors looking to steal from rich people?
OddArchitect
May 4, 20 2:58 pm
Let me make a few texts. I'll see what I can find in my home turf of northern Minnesota.
What type of work are you needing done and what size of the proeject?
b3tadine[sutures]
May 4, 20 4:55 pm
I'm thinking about negative pressure vestibules, and staff changing rooms, to guard against rona, h1n1, other viruses...essentially cleanroom level of protection from infectious products, clothing, food, packages, etc.
archi_dude
May 4, 20 8:21 pm
And you all are calling Jlax the crazy paranoid one here.....
b3tadine[sutures]
May 4, 20 8:38 pm
you're dumb, i'm not paranoid, far from it, but i know rich people are; walls, protests, immigrants, chinese, soy, vegans....all things really wealthy families fear. i'm offering a service, to take away those fears, to protect, their precious family.
since we have up and down votes now thought the forum might support emojis, but alas no aubergine :-(
OddArchitect
May 4, 20 2:57 pm
I find is funny and a bit pathetic that j-lax created a second account to up vote is own posts and down vote people who disagree with him.
Non Sequitur
May 4, 20 2:59 pm
I suspected something like that too when I got a strong of down votes from a user account I've not seen before. It's probably the liberals/chinese/aliens tho.
Everyday Architect
May 4, 20 3:19 pm
Which user?
OddArchitect
May 4, 20 5:55 pm
'we are in this together'
OddArchitect
May 4, 20 5:57 pm
NS - it's the Canadians, we all know it so any denial just proves it was your brethren.
SneakyPete
May 4, 20 5:58 pm
To be specific, 'we're in this together' . I blocked that one already, good to know that it's just another version of a known quantity, would hate to think the stupid was multiplying.
Non Sequitur
May 4, 20 6:46 pm
Went through email trash. Can confirm that’s the one I saw earlier.
OddArchitect
May 4, 20 7:01 pm
Is j-lax really that sensitive and pathetic to do such a thing? At first I thought it was just a troll but now I'm thinking he actually belies the crap it posts.
Non Sequitur
May 4, 20 7:09 pm
^makes Ricky look like an academic.
Everyday Architect
May 4, 20 7:55 pm
"we're in this together" is "FRaC" and "Wine CaveMAN" and "interpol" and probably a bunch of others. They like to change names quite a bit. Probably most widely known as FRaC, but I don't think they are the same person as jla-x.
OddArchitect
May 5, 20 9:56 am
I stand corrected - jla-x is just a sensitive an pathetic troll with one account.
CodesareFUN
May 5, 20 12:02 am
How many Thumbs Down notifications does Balkins get in a day now?
Everyday Architect
May 5, 20 1:08 am
Best part of the thumbs up and down voting is seeing who is consistently up or down voting the same users’ posts. In my mind people are forming little alliances. It’s especially telling when someone has gone back to vote on posts a few days old.
Next, I’d like to see who is following me so they can get notifications every time I post. I have a hunch, but it would be great to confirm it.
Non Sequitur
May 5, 20 7:52 am
It is interesting to see reactions. Below is a quick chart of the reactions I've received over the last 24hrs (ish). Not that the downvotes from King and Koww are related to my comments on the unpaid gig post.
SneakyPete
May 5, 20 12:04 pm
How did you gather that data?
Non Sequitur
May 5, 20 12:10 pm
I filtered my inbox trash and made the chart. real low-tech. I still have notifications turned on.
SneakyPete
May 5, 20 12:49 pm
Gotcha. Archinect, if you're willing, I'd be interested to see that data. Probably not useful in a wholesome, positive way, though. :)
Everyday Architect
May 5, 20 12:59 pm
Even to just see on someone's profile the total number of up or down votes would be interesting. But yeah, probably not helpful in a positive way.
archanonymous
May 5, 20 1:09 pm
EA, isn't that how Reddit works essentially?
Everyday Architect
May 5, 20 1:14 pm
Probably, I don't really frequent Reddit though. I've seen it on other forum platforms, but it was only based on up votes ... no down vote capability. It offered a quick check on people who make substantive posts, or humorous posts.
Non Sequitur
May 5, 20 1:18 pm
Reddit works on karma points... which goes up or down based on up-votes and down-votes. Your karma can swing dramatically if you're commenting in popular /r forums. I think comments get automatically hidden if the karma goes too far below zero. I don't frequent /r much because unlike archinect, I'm not confident that I'm interacting with mostly adults.
Everyday Architect
May 5, 20 1:45 pm
I just wouldn't want to see the up/down vote total become a popularity contest or a measure of how "mainstream" or "contrarian" your viewpoints are.
I think it works for Reddit because you can mostly stay in a particular topic that matches your views. But it probably becomes more of an echo chamber than I would like to see on archinect.
liberty bell
May 5, 20 8:13 am
Non, this chart, I adore you!! I keep forgetting to ask if you listen to the Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe podcast? The hosts and Science Based Medicine guy are buddies.
Non Sequitur
May 5, 20 8:34 am
I used to, back when I listened to podcasts (had a 4.5km walk to office twice per day). Now my commute is far less and I can't keep up. It was a great show. Cheers.
molten
May 5, 20 10:23 am
Serious question: Why do people on the internet argue about things knowing they will never change the others' mind?
OddArchitect
May 5, 20 10:32 am
Ego.
tduds
May 5, 20 10:40 am
I've said this before in the midst of such arguments but my goal in a debate is not to win over your opponent but to win over the audience.
I'm not trying to change my opponents mind, I'm trying to protect suggestible newcomers from seeing my opponents ideas go
unchallenged and assuming it means they're good ideas.
Non Sequitur
May 5, 20 10:55 am
everyone needs a hobby
citizen
May 5, 20 12:06 pm
Insecurity, in some cases.
midlander
May 5, 20 12:07 pm
entertainment and exercise. sometimes in tracing out a line of thought; other times in exploring the personas presented by people i'll never meet.
Everyday Architect
May 5, 20 12:36 pm
I reject the premise and will argue with you about it if you're game
Wood Guy
May 5, 20 5:29 pm
All of the above, except what EA says (for me)--although many people enjoy debate for the sake of debate, I do not. But my engineer-y brain can't scroll past blatent misstatements without wanting to correct them, especially if I know the person, believe I know the correct answer and know they should know better.
Everyday Architect
May 6, 20 9:52 am
hard to get across in written form apparently, but my comment earlier was made with humorous intent.
liberty bell
May 5, 20 10:43 pm
I’m losing it, so close to total burnout. This profession is bonkers.
curtkram
May 5, 20 11:45 pm
this is hard times. seriously, take a couple days of pto. take naps. if you need to get out of the house, go for a drive (in the country is better because we have sky and trees and more than 6' between people). if you don't stop what's building up in you now before it gets bad, it could become uncontrollable, so get out ahead of it and focus on you.
Non Sequitur
May 6, 20 12:01 am
my (almost) 4y old threw his shoes out of the window of the car while my wife was taking a drive earlier today. Now we're scrambling looking for a place that's open because his other shoes are getting too small. Not related to your situation or this profession but we're laughing pretty hard about it. Hope all is well and that you can split work and home long enough to catch your breath.
liberty bell
May 6, 20 9:02 am
I hear you, curt, but it is so hard to override decades of training in believing that we architects are super humans who can keep going no matter what.I can’t take a break, because the mechanical engineer needs my drawing, so that the contractor can price it, so that the client can decide to change it all again to save money, so I can spend more time fighting for fees to cover the changes than I actually spend designing a damn thing, and I do it 60 hours a week while getting paid for 32. It’s a fucking hamster wheel and frankly I’ve been looking for a new career for a while but this pandemic may just push me right into it! (I should be clear that it is not my firm‘s fault that it’s working this way, it’s a culture that sees architects as lackeys to the almighty client, a position we have put ourselves into. My firm is awesome but the system is a meat grinder.)
liberty bell
May 6, 20 9:03 am
And Non thank you for that story, yes, a child throwing shoes out a car window is somehow hilarious!
midlander
May 6, 20 9:35 am
it's tough with so many disparate things crowding for time and especially attention. wish you luck in finding space to get away and peacefully disengage from it all.
square.
May 6, 20 9:38 am
i've had my eye on the door for quite some time. unfortunately it feels like this pandemic is putting that on pause, but i'm looking to the other side. i hear you though- it really feels like a lot of this profession is becoming unsustainable, and frankly unenjoyable. regardless of the expectations school sets, the fact is like you said the architect is generally at the bottom of the pile, and we have more and more to manage every year with all this shit that they keep piling into buildings, while consultants somehow manage to keep their scope very narrow/reasonable. i'm hopeful that automation could really help with some of this stuff, but the rate at which things change in architecture i'm also skeptical.
CodesareFUN
May 6, 20 9:41 am
Same. Fuck this profession. All I ever wanted to be, sacrificed for it only to serve owners’ ROI and hate it more and more each day.
curtkram
May 6, 20 10:06 am
let's start learning from and acting like our clients and consultants then. somehow they are able to put a project on hold for a couple days without the world crashing down. we can do it to. manage expectations. communicate clearly. have a solid project plan and stick to it.
square.
May 6, 20 10:12 am
curtkram i agree this helps, and a lot of offices don't do this, but the problem i'm talking about is the fact that we have to oversee every single consultant, and the list keep growing every year, not to mention the things they do also get technologically more complicated (this problem isn't necessarily always there if your work is on the smaller scale). my point is the way in which architecture operates needs to change or the only thing we will be doing is putting out fires, like liberty is describing.
archanonymous
May 6, 20 10:38 am
When it is worth it, it is really worth it - opening up a new building to see the students/ residents/ users move in, start interacting with the architecture, making it their own... it's incredibly gratifying.
archanonymous
May 6, 20 10:40 am
But those moments seem to get lost among the spreadsheets, the bullshit codes, the developer clients, the value engineering, the systemic elimination of any uncertainty or risk (the foundations of innovative architecture) in pursuit of higher profits for the builders, the owners, the developers, but never for us.
Donna Sink
May 6, 20 11:10 am
Exactly - everything is in pursuit of higher profits for developers and owners, and usually at the expense of normal people in the community. I said on an online panel discussion about public space yesterday that as architects our clients are not just the people paying us, but the communities in which the project exists, too. I mean, I *could* become an automaton who spits out ROI, but that's not why I went into architecture!
archanonymous
May 6, 20 11:20 am
I often think it would be easier if we were just looking to make more money on projects - then you are talking a language the owner/ builder understands. "Why are you dissatisfied" "I need more money on our contract to make this worthwhile." "Ok, here's more money." versus "Why are you dissatisfied" "I need to work on projects in a way that address the social and cultural needs of our changing society." "..... um, ok. I guess i'll find another architect."
Everyday Architect
May 6, 20 12:41 pm
Thought experiment: Would it be easier to be an automaton spitting out ROI if we didn't have to worry about the public's health, safety, or welfare? How can we best tell our client that we have to serve both their interest as well as the public's HSW, and that quite frankly they are being selfish with their own interest?
archanonymous
May 6, 20 1:37 pm
It was at one point the job of our professional organizations to do that and to uphold those interests by eliminating competition on fees from the profession, among other approaches.
archi_dude
May 6, 20 7:30 pm
So a few years back I left architecture 6 months after getting my license to go work at a GC. I got the shiny license but found no raise and remained a BIM monkey that was left alone but still very much a BIM monkey. EVERYTHING was/is better and I would NEVER go back. Designing my own projects for sure but never in a firm again. However the hours were longer and if you divide salary by hours worked it's sort of the same. What this pandemic has done is show me that once again my career could be decimated by a recession (started in 2010). While my friends in tech and sales are just fine, this whole thing has been a vacation, they work 100% remote, 20-30hrs a week and make way more. I'm proud of what I do and enjoy it and now 10 years in to my career feel as though I can contribute alot. But job insecurity, the hours that seem to create a divorce factory and the pretty average pay...I think I'm throwing in the towel on the AEC industry after this one and selling out. But what a ridiculous guilt, "selling out" it's a career, the whole point is to sell out.
SneakyPete
May 6, 20 7:42 pm
Work to live.
b3tadine[sutures]
May 6, 20 7:58 pm
I gave notice last Monday! FUCK YEAH!
square.
May 7, 20 2:21 pm
sticking with arch? something new?
Chad Miller
May 7, 20 2:31 pm
This discussion of long hours makes me rather thankful that the first firm I worked at out of college didn't have a culture of long hours. In fact you had to get permission to work overtime - even if you where salaried. It was a nice place to work.
Now I'm in Colorado and the culture here seems to be that unpaid overtime is normal. I refuse to work more that 120 hours of unpaid overtime a year (about 2 hours a week). I did the math and beyond those 120 hours my overall pay rate is too low to justify it.
Wilma Buttfit
May 7, 20 10:14 pm
This burned-out architect spent the day on the couch. I was very successful at avoiding everything.
b3tadine[sutures]
May 8, 20 12:08 am
square., i am going to a new firm, plus they wfh exclusively, even before rona.
SneakyPete
May 8, 20 12:21 pm
You're in the Bay Area?
b3tadine[sutures]
May 8, 20 9:57 pm
No, I wish!
SneakyPete
May 9, 20 9:02 pm
It's fest or famine out here at the moment it seems.
proto
May 6, 20 11:40 am
Donna, my mantra is "there are no emergencies in architecture"
repeat that to yourself a few times
when your client decides to offer you a slice of the risk/reward pie, then you can adopt his urgency as your own...until then, it's just a contract. If they want urgency, they can figure how to build that into their pro forma
"there are no emergencies in architecture"
"there are no emergencies in architecture"
"there are no emergencies in architecture"
curtkram
May 6, 20 11:42 am
we should all put Donna first today! Especially Donna
tduds
May 7, 20 12:37 pm
THUMBS UP FOR DONNA
Non Sequitur
May 6, 20 10:11 pm
This thumb up/down feature is awesome. Just noticed one user go on a down-vote spree on me. Doubt it they even know it sends me an email with their user name.
tduds
May 7, 20 12:37 pm
I thumbs up only. Spread the positivity!
Everyday Architect
May 7, 20 12:54 pm
NS, I can't wait to see the next iteration of your thumbs up and down graph per user. The only reason I haven't turned off notifications for it is so I can do the same at some point.
Non Sequitur
May 7, 20 1:01 pm
I may, or may not have created a gmail filter to store reaction notifications. We'll see how that works out in a few weeks.
Non Sequitur
May 7, 20 10:12 pm
EA, I just discovered that if you mouse-over a thumbs up/down icon, a list of user names appears. Neat feature.
Everyday Architect
May 8, 20 2:01 am
If you click on the number a pop up shows the likes, dislikes, and who they are from
archanonymous
May 8, 20 10:18 am
Anyone else's 'Rona anxiety especially bad today? Or not so much anxiety specifically about the virus, just the deep ideological and partisan divide it has opened up in the USA.
Non Sequitur
May 8, 20 10:30 am
It's snowing right now where I am... so yes, a little.
Wood Guy
May 8, 20 10:36 am
Yes, less about the virus, though that is troubling. More anxious about the state of the world and especially the US. The machines are supposed to be taking over anytime now, right? Or maybe they already have and we just haven't realized it yet.
Wilma Buttfit
May 8, 20 10:52 am
Yes. Agree the anxiety isn't about the rona anymore but politicks.
Donna Sink
May 8, 20 11:06 am
Exactly there with you, archanonymous. I've definitely become one of those people who is so confused by hearing so many opposing ideas that are all supposed to be true that I just want to give up and stop listening or even caring. But I can't. My curiosity about the world leads me to want to hear everything, but it's so hard to know what to believe these days.
Non Sequitur
May 8, 20 11:09 am
A local quarry owner sent out a facebook message yesterday telling parents with young kids that they can go forage the quarry for stones to paint and whatnot for free as this is a popular community scavenger hunt activity atm. Anyways, that lasted less than 24hr because adults without kids came with buckets and pillaged the quarry for their own landscaping. People suck and are selfish. This situation is just making it even more obvious.
archi_dude
May 8, 20 11:11 am
Spoken like a true fascist Non!
Non Sequitur
May 8, 20 11:32 am
^Thank you.
Wilma Buttfit
May 8, 20 11:54 am
Fascist?
Non Sequitur
May 8, 20 12:01 pm
Tintt, it's ignorant speak for "don't agree with my vary specific and narrow pov".
curtkram
May 8, 20 12:11 pm
i stopped listening. for better or worse, it looks like i'm supposed to put on pants and go back to the office o
n the 20th.
It came up again today, in a professional situation, that I really love working directly with the owner/user (sometimes they are the same party ) of the space. I’m really good at listening to what people say they want and being able to interpret what that really means and how it can actually work for them. Also I love doing renovation projects. Sadly I’m hardly doing any of this in my current project, and I am missing it hard.
Wood Guy
May 11, 20 3:55 pm
I thought your new job was supposed to be more client-facing than your last job? Can you do anything to get back to that? Clients can wear me out, but not working directly with them wears me out even more.
tduds
May 11, 20 4:00 pm
I very much identify with this. Frankly, there's just more to pull from people's emotions than their pro formas.
To your other point, I think the projects I'm most proud of have all been renovations + additions. Personally, I like to have extremely constrained conditions that I can find creative ways to break out of. Given a blank slate, I feel lost at sea without a creative "anchor" to grab onto.
randomised
May 11, 20 4:09 pm
I hate working with/for people with very particular requests or demands that will never use the project themselves.
Ironically, the project of mine they used as an example is one of the most traditional-looking homes I've designed. The other examples are more typical Dwell. I love the house Jeff Adams of Atmosphere Design/Build designed (and built) for his family, the one with Cor-Ten siding.
randomised
May 11, 20 4:16 pm
pretty good article!
Wood Guy
May 11, 20 5:24 pm
We had to make some corrections but I think he has it close enough to accurate now.
Chad Miller
May 11, 20 5:37 pm
Nice work! I've always wanted to get into doing custom residential work. All the architects that don't do it all tell me it's impossible to make any money though. I have to wonder about that though as there are people like you Wood Guy who seem to be doing rather well. I'm so confused. ;)
liberty bell
May 11, 20 10:48 pm
Well one, Wood Guy!! Your focus on low carbon means I’m feeling guilty about designing a Quonset hut but my husband is really enamored with the idea. And I’m pretty enamored with him, so...anyway, it’s a great article and kudos for sharing knowledge just to make the world a better place!
Non Sequitur
May 11, 20 11:37 pm
Looking good.
Bench
May 11, 20 11:49 pm
Well done WG! I’ve been tuning into the show for a few weeks now as well; I have to say that it’s way over my head for the most part but my game plan is to acclimatize via osmosis and soon be on your level... enjoying it regardless!
Wood Guy
May 12, 20 8:36 am
Thanks Chad! I can't say that residential is easy, and because I generally serve the middle class I'm not sure what the economic future will look like. I've never designed or built anything commercial and I'm probably too old to change at this point. For the last few years I've tried to do both construction and design, and haven't done particularly well at either, so now I'm focusing on building up my design work. I live in a rural area so I have to be flexible to keep the mortgage paid.
Wood Guy
May 12, 20 8:39 am
Liberty Bell, every project is a series of tradeoffs. I am drawn to the simplicity of Quonset hut forms. I think we need to reduce the carbon footprints of the buildings we design, but that's not going to get us where we need to be regarding climate change, so it also make sense to plan for a less stable future. I'm working on a new concept, building on the work of Alex Wilson, called Passive Resilience and incorporating a Passive Resilience Index. I think a well-designed, well-built Quonset hut could fare well on the Passive Resilience scale, even if it's not the best from a carbon emissions viewpoint.
Wood Guy
May 12, 20 8:44 am
Bench, I'm glad you've been tuning in! With my lifelong stutter I never thought I'd be hosting a talk show, but here we are. We debated whether we should focus on entry-level education but the idea is for it to seem like we're all having beers at a pub, talking at the level we would normally, and that there should be at least something for listeners at all levels. I'm sure it's not the best way for everyone to learn, but hopefully you glean a few nuggets that will add up over time. I learn stuff on every show so far. I would be interested in knowing if we should scale back the discussion level. Much of the discussion on our mini-split show was over my head, but we have received more compliments on that show than any other, so it's hard to know. Maybe we'll do a poll this week.
Bench
May 12, 20 9:20 am
Minisplits was one of the first i tuned into, which in hindsight was probably an unfortunate coincidence. That was heavy. The one on concrete this week sounds much more approachable in my mind.
Wood Guy
May 12, 20 9:34 am
Yeah that was a deep one! One of my favorites so far was the one we did on concrete-free slabs: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvAmHSecglp-u-DTFQlU8Tw. I think the information is pretty accessible in that one. We did not have the format dialed in yet (and maybe still don't) and the panel was too big but we had fun.
Chad Miller
May 12, 20 10:42 am
Thanks for the candid response Wood Guy. I've done a few residential projects in my career and they where NOT easy. In my limited opinion the clients are more demanding than commercial work. Very satisfying to help create a home for someone though. :)
Wilma Buttfit
May 11, 20 4:26 pm
Just took a call from a contractor who worked on my very first project when I was a (teenage) student intern. He's got work for me.
proto
May 11, 20 5:29 pm
congrats, wood guy!
good read
Wood Guy
May 11, 20 5:31 pm
Thanks!
liberty bell
May 12, 20 10:47 pm
So here is what is happening in my COVID lockdown world. There are so many zoom meetings and requests for me to comment from podcasts, online panel discussions etc. that whenever a calendar invite comes in I just respond “yes”. And then I assume when the event happens, that I will wing it. *I don’t want to be that person.* I want to be the person who is thoughtful and generous and prepares for everything so I can give my best. But there are so many sources of input right now, I can’t seem to plan ahead more than 15 minutes.
b3tadine[sutures]
May 12, 20 10:56 pm
Let me know if you want to practice saying no with me.
Wilma Buttfit
May 13, 20 9:40 am
I need help saying no. Actually, I say it but it is not heard. I said no to a job. I got pics this morning showing they already did demo and where are the drawings of the new layout? I need an email equivalent of taking the phone off the hook.
archanonymous
May 13, 20 9:53 am
tintt, sounds like you should always say yes to these, but with increasingly escalated fees. Job already started? sure, i'll do it, its 4x.
archanonymous
May 13, 20 9:56 am
Donna, I said yes to everything for 4ish or so years and only in the past 1-2 have i become OK with saying no... the important realization is that if you do say no, you can do the things you really care about better. (which you seem to know at some level per your post) My favorite strategy is to give them the "no, I can't do it, but how about X person." and recommend someone a little younger/ less experienced with less commitments and a want to grow.
Wilma Buttfit
May 13, 20 10:01 am
Ah, here's another detail. This is a family friend who expects free services. Anybody want a free job? You can have it. It's free.
archanonymous
May 13, 20 10:28 am
lol. there's no fee high enough to work for a friend.
Non Sequitur
May 13, 20 10:34 am
I'm currently working on a small residential project. No fee and the client is a real asshole. The end user is really awesome tho, so it makes it all worth while knowing my son will (hopefully) have a wicked backyard fort for the summer.
Wood Guy
May 13, 20 11:27 am
On the last job I did for a friend I lost $7K and the friend. No good deed goes unpunished...
Non, a backyard fort sounds amazing! Some projects are worth doing even if the client is challenging.
Chad Miller
May 13, 20 6:39 pm
I wouldn't mind building a fort for my nieces and nephews!
Non Sequitur
May 13, 20 6:52 pm
Did I forget to mention that I’m the asshole client? I’m totally going to bail on my architect’s bill. His fault for not asking for a retainer.
randomised
May 14, 20 3:26 am
architects are the worst clients
citizen
May 14, 20 11:56 am
^ Some good comments on the subject of "no." It gets easier to say after some very painful "yes" aftermaths. (See the chart noting all the work while crying and panic stages that someone ;o] posted)
Non Sequitur
May 14, 20 11:07 am
So, it's not big surprised but my wife and I officially pulled the plug on our Disney summer 2020 plans. I think she held on for about 8 weeks longer than was reasonable. We'll have to try for next summer.
Everyday Architect
May 14, 20 11:13 am
We pulled the plug mentally on our summer travel plans a few weeks ago, but yesterday I started cancelling reservations, etc.
Bench
May 14, 20 11:23 am
Did the kiddo's know already? Or was it a surprise? Honestly I think its for the best - you don't want all of your photos from the trip to be covered in facemasks everywhere ...
Non Sequitur
May 14, 20 11:32 am
We had (they were sent home this week) friends in Orlando and one of my good friends is a Disney rep, so we don't have anything to cancel. We had our quotes and were waiting. Converting those trip monies into backyard landscaping.
Bench, the kiddo is almost 4. He's not aware of anything.
threeohdoor
May 14, 20 2:50 pm
Hey Friends,
So I got my job back, at least temporarily, at full pay. PPP application was originally denied, but then approved in the second batch. The principals re-hired everyone. Remains to be seen if there are enough projects on the vine to keep the staff through to the Fall, but here's hoping.
At the very least, I have a subsidized period of time to look for work and/or figure out my future in architecture.
Cheers.
Everyday Architect
May 14, 20 5:53 pm
Feeling pretty burned out this week and I'm looking for things to keep me from doing work ... so I was curious and put together my thumbs up, thumbs down chart (h/t Non Sequitur). Apparently I need to start posting more things people dislike to balance things out.
I debated whether or not to combine user's actual names and pseudonyms where they are known, but for now I've left them separate to 'protect the innocent.'
Chad Miller
May 14, 20 6:00 pm
Why are you burned out this week?
By the way, you need to NOT protect the innocent.
Everyday Architect
May 14, 20 6:06 pm
Ha ha, that sounds more interesting than it actually is. I only know of one person it would change anything for on my chart. This particular user is quick to clarify their real name when asked about it. I think they'd prefer to post under their real name all the time, but for whatever reason when they do anything from their phone's browser it shows up under their old screen name.
If you look at the first two posts at the top of this page, you can figure it out.
Chad Miller
May 14, 20 6:11 pm
I think my screen is bigger than yours NS. The first two posts on my screen are liberty bell and yourself and I know that's not your real name.
Re: burnout ... mostly just a crappy month of project deadlines springing up out of nowhere, less ability to focus on work at home due to a 3-year-old running around, not having taken some time off for anything other than family medical issues in the past 1.5-2 years, canceling summer travel plans this week, etc. I just need a vacation.
citizen
May 14, 20 6:17 pm
Don't worry, EA. I hate your posts ;O]
Chad Miller
May 14, 20 6:25 pm
Yeah EA, I'll thumbs down a post for you right now 'cuz I'm a good person. :)
archanonymous
May 14, 20 6:38 pm
Just tested it an apparently you can't give a post BOTH a thumbs up and a thumbs down.
Non Sequitur
May 14, 20 9:41 pm
EA, I appreciate you putting the names in alphabetical order.
liberty bell
May 14, 20 10:20 pm
Chad, I’m both liberty bell and Donna. Same person. I will point out that if you combined the two bars under my name and my pseudonym I do the most liking of your posts, Everyday! Non and nam are both second place right behind me.
curtkram
May 14, 20 10:59 pm
get out. Go for a drive. Somewhere about three states away. take hand sanitizer with you
randomised
May 15, 20 3:55 am
.
Everyday Architect
May 15, 20 6:54 pm
A lot changes in a day. I decided to stop 'protecting the innocent' when I realized there were more that should be combined / got more likes from people who had changed pseudonyms.
Wood Guy
May 17, 20 5:31 pm
Has anyone watched The Watchmen TV series on HBO? I'm finding it well done--thoroughly fantastical but somehow not campy. In it much of the population wears masks all of the time. I wonder if we'll do the same eventually? As facial recognition becomes ubiquitous and we veer toward anarchy, it may be helpful for reasons other than health.
Also, bump--TC was almost off the front page.
tduds
May 18, 20 2:41 pm
Watchmen was fantastic! I think Episode 6 ("This Extraordinary Being") might be the finest single episode of television I've ever seen.
Wood Guy
May 18, 20 3:43 pm
We just watched that one last night--I agree that it was excellent.
Donna Sink
May 17, 20 10:09 pm
I haven't watched The Watchmen but I just watched Guy Ritchie's The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and it was a delightful skewering of masculine tropes in action films! Loved it. Silly fun.
tduds
May 18, 20 2:40 pm
We watched Ritchie's new film (The Gentlemen) on Friday. It wasn't bad. Not as good as his classics though. I'll add Man From UNCLE to the list!
Donna Sink
May 19, 20 9:02 am
LOVED The Gentlemen, and that was what then led me to U.N.C.L.E. I still haven't shown Snatch to my 16yo, maybe this weekend. The greatest initial appearance onscreen ever by Brad Pitt - he's pooping behind a trailer ("caravan")!
randomised
May 18, 20 4:43 am
Still recovering from watching ‘Years and Years’...Great soundtrack and Emma Thompson is just so spot on!
Donna Sink
May 18, 20 6:04 am
Years and Years was so good.
randomised
May 18, 20 5:49 pm
Scarily so...should not have watched it during this pandemic on lockdown
Everyday Architect
May 18, 20 10:07 pm
COVID-19 Lay-off Thread reads like a government document that has been redacted so it could be declassified. Mods aren't playing around anymore.
tduds
May 19, 20 12:31 am
You love to see it.
Donna Sink
May 19, 20 9:00 am
THANK YOU to whoever did that. I love it and support that level of moderation on the threads that are trying to be serious.
square.
May 19, 20 9:21 am
thank god. would be interesting if there was also a way of labeling users based on how many of their posts have been hidden, on a scale - a sort of "parental advisory warning" for dumbass content
Chad Miller
May 19, 20 10:56 am
It's a much better read now. Thanks to who ever did that.
randomised
May 19, 20 10:56 am
One person’s dumbass content is the other person’s thesis or...the beauty of this place is or was that it is all out there, nowhere to hide but behind a smartass username or two. I miss that ‘nect...
Chad Miller
May 19, 20 10:59 am
Only a coward hides behind an anonymous username or two.
archanonymous
May 19, 20 11:03 am
i don't know about that. Those of us who work at larger firms enjoy some measure of anonymity unrelated to shit-posting.
Non Sequitur
May 19, 20 11:40 am
Gotta disagree with ya there Chad. Some of us want some sheltering between our real professional lives and other internet wankers. I get enough PMs from one-post-ponies looking for employment tips as it is... I can't imagine what would happen if it could be traced back to my linkedin or office emails.
Everyday Architect
May 19, 20 11:44 am
And some of us just want to be able to communicate with others without fear that Balkins will stalk us online.
I'll probably get an email from him about this too. I got one the last time I posted something about people following me here in order to get notified of when I post.
archanonymous
May 19, 20 11:47 am
Great points also - I don't need one of the nutters here filing a complaint with my state board just because i typed out something that offended them.
Bench
May 19, 20 11:53 am
Also agreed. Balkins bizarro comments about Donna a few years back only underscored my desire for anonymity here. I think maybe three other posters know who I am IRL, and that is plenty.
Everyday Architect
May 19, 20 12:03 pm
I know of two that know who I am IRL: 1) Everyday Intern, and 2) that guy who occasionally posts under his/my real name.
Non Sequitur
May 19, 20 12:13 pm
Fine EA, i'll take you off the xmas card mailing list then.
Everyday Architect
May 19, 20 1:02 pm
Sorry NS, I had know idea your investigative skills were so good.
There is probably enough information that I've put out there that if someone really wanted to, they could figure out who I am ... I just doubt anyone cares that much. The bad part is, the person who does care, isn't going to care because they want to send a x-mas card. They'd probably have more nefarious motives.
Non Sequitur
May 19, 20 1:06 pm
It's ok EA, I don't send out xmas cards anyways. Come to think of it, I've communicated in one way or another with my real email with half of the users in this particular comment chain.
Everyday Architect
May 19, 20 1:18 pm
I'm more paranoid than you are. I created a separate email account to use for archinect so it can't be tied back to my real email.
Non Sequitur
May 19, 20 1:21 pm
I have a tongue-in-cheek email I use to reply to one-post-ponies for that reason too. I turn it on & off depending on who PM me.
Chad Miller
Jun 2, 20 6:09 pm
I'm not worried about people stalking me online since my presences here is rather small. FB is locked down, my LinkedIn page is open to only limited people. I'm not any other social media besides this site. I don't post anything I wouldn't say to someone in person. Also I'm not that good looking that I'd get a stalker (joking).
CodesareFUN
May 19, 20 12:05 am
As they shouldn’t be. A couple jackasses derailed that thread. Oddly enough, I don’t mean Balkins.
Chad Miller
May 19, 20 10:55 am
You mean me?
randomised
May 19, 20 11:00 am
It’s the jackasses that make this place im(h)o, otherwise the circlejerk is just too much. [insert iconic Apple commercial here]
square.
May 19, 20 11:07 am
sure, the fringe opinions are fine. but hijacking a thread devoted to layoffs stemming from the coronavirus is extremely unhelpful for people who are looking for information regarding the subject. it's not different than someone moderating a panel discussion about a specific subject so that any random person can't just yell out their thoughts whenever they please. people seem to think that the internet's creation of a space where people are able to say anything they want all the time is a direct reflection of our reality, when in fact conversations are moderated all the time- whether through an actual person like the example i mentioned, through physical ques, office policies, or through a hesitation to be a complete ass to a person when talking to them face to face. so, no, hiding people's irrelevant comments on a very specific thread is not creating a circle-jerk per your words, it's focusing the conversation so it's actually fruitful.
midlander
May 19, 20 11:08 am
i agree actually. i like the salty unintellectual bent of the commentariat, it's a good contrast to the aspirations of the editorial content.
Everyday Architect
May 19, 20 11:39 am
+1 square. I can't help but point out that most of the stuff that got hidden would have been fine in the COVID-19 Thread Central discussion, but it was too far off topic for the lay-off thread.
CodesareFUN
May 19, 20 12:12 pm
Exactly - spout shit all you want, but do it in the right spot.
Chad Miller
May 19, 20 12:13 pm
Is here the right spot? Asking for a friend. . .
CodesareFUN
May 19, 20 1:16 pm
Last I knew Thread Central was always the right spot.
randomised
May 19, 20 1:34 pm
I don’t know, square, it’s not really a conversation to begin with. it’s multiple monologues repeating the same thing over and over again, I thought the initial post that caused the stir was a breath of fresh air in a thread full of near-identical sob stories
square.
May 19, 20 1:41 pm
randomised- are you going to a lay-off related thread for entertainment? quite a bizarre statement. i'm sure those who are concerned about their livelihoods and abilities to provide for themselves and their families, what you call "sob-stories," are worried about providing you some excitement. again, if that's what you're looking for go for it in another thread, not at the expense of people who are struggling right now
randomised
May 19, 20 3:16 pm
It is just people venting...and yes their struggles and concerns are sob-stories, or tear-jerkers, doesn’t make them less true or real, they are just depressing because reality is depressing...and if someone vents their concerns in a little bit different way, a bit more poetic or revolutionary, that is suddenly such a big issue? Come on...don’t blow this out of proportion.
liberty bell
May 19, 20 11:17 am
I’m pretty sure I just yelled Fuck you! at my phone for not connecting to the 15-person Zoom meeting that my computer was already connected to and for which I had not yet muted my mic.
Everyday Architect
May 19, 20 11:47 am
If that doesn't earn you Friday off for a four-day weekend, I'm not sure what will.
gibbost
May 19, 20 11:49 am
Too funny. I had nearly the same thing happen last week. The call kept asking me for my access ID. After typing it in multiple times and feeling my blood pressure rise, i shouted 'well, fuck off then I didn't want to join the call anyway.' to which someone on the call replied, 'i think you've already joined--we can hear you.'
liberty bell
May 19, 20 11:56 am
gibbost that’s exactly what happened LOL.
Chad Miller
May 19, 20 12:14 pm
Could of been worse. You could of been in the bathroom and thought you where on mute. :)
Marc Miller
May 19, 20 5:50 pm
Was on the other side of that unmuted “conversation.” The camera went off, but bathroom fans are louder that what one would hope. That was the prelude to the rest...
Chad Miller
May 19, 20 6:10 pm
That's unfortunate.
citizen
May 19, 20 6:46 pm
Tip: smart phones have an amazing ability to amplify the sound of urination while standing.
Well- there’s precedent for appropriateness, and it’s already been taken to the highest level.
randomised
May 19, 20 3:20 pm
Should it maybe be visible next to the username who moderates discussions on here, can be done very tasteful and minimal: randomised (moderator) or something like that.
Chad Miller
May 19, 20 4:24 pm
I think most of the mods here are quite up front in their postings who they are. It's good idea though.
Everyday Architect
May 19, 20 4:50 pm
I'm not so sure. I think I've really only ever seen Paul, Donna and b3ta make reference to their moderating ability. Most of the other moderators I know of haven't advertised it.
randomised
May 19, 20 5:42 pm
“ Most of the other moderators I know of haven't advertised it.” exactly!
citizen
May 19, 20 6:43 pm
There are moderators here?
Chad Miller
May 19, 20 6:45 pm
I thought it was just the big green head.
Non Sequitur
May 19, 20 6:54 pm
big green head.
Chad Miller
May 19, 20 6:57 pm
That's the one! Now barf up my gunz!
Non Sequitur
May 19, 20 7:01 pm
Chad, I see you're a fine cinema connaisseur.
Everyday Architect
May 19, 20 7:08 pm
I always thought of this as the BGH
Everyday Architect
May 19, 20 7:58 pm
LOL at citizen's hidden comment above ^
citizen
May 19, 20 8:34 pm
Oh, dear. Hidden? Really? I'd better start putting my affairs in order.
Chad Miller
May 20, 20 10:05 am
NS - I'm all about the red mankini.
b3tadine[sutures]
May 19, 20 7:25 pm
Any American Ex-Pats working in Canada now? Let me hear your kill scream!
Donna Sink
May 20, 20 7:18 am
randomized and FRaC:
On the Maya Lin thread: can you please just give it a break. This sounds to be someone who wants to do a serious project.
randomised
May 20, 20 8:28 am
A serious project by excluding one gender completely? This is 2020 not the 1980s, I thought we're passed such openly blatant sexism already, apparently not :(
Donna Sink
May 20, 20 8:42 am
randomized I just don't fucking have time to deal with you today. Your use of "sexism" in the above comment is wrong. It's OUT OF DATE. The culture has moved beyond your use of that word in that way. I beg you: Go do some research about contemporary cultural norms because I, and tduds, don't have time to keep trying to teach you when your refuse to learn.
square.
May 20, 20 9:36 am
randomised, i'm so sorry you feel excluded from this student's project. disregard the fact that women have only been allowed to vote in this country for 100 years, but who's counting?
randomised
May 20, 20 10:13 am
whatever...can't really learn if i'm excluded from the conversation because of my fucking gender now can I? Guess that deplatforming really does work, good job(!)
Chad Miller
May 20, 20 10:45 am
I guess randomised is an incel.
square.
May 20, 20 10:46 am
the fact that you think you're supposed to gain something from that interaction shows how self-centered and insecure your response is- the student is asking to learn from role models, which is their prerogative to choose who that might be. there's no anti-male conspiracy going on here. are you shedding your crocodile tears when kids look up to only male athletes at the exclusion of women, "deplatforming" as you call it (?) because that's who society has historically deemed more valuable?
SneakyPete
May 20, 20 11:58 am
randomised, upon hearing a child ask a question beginning with "Mom...," launches into a diatribe about how the kid is excluding people and others opinions and suppressing their right to free speech.
Wood Guy
May 20, 20 4:36 pm
Seems like an excellent learning opportunity for randomised, actually. When claims like theirs are valid, we will finally have actual equality among genders. I hope we're headed there but we certainly aren't there yet.
b3tadine[sutures]
May 20, 20 8:38 pm
Give it another millennia Wood.
b3tadine[sutures]
May 20, 20 8:39 pm
random, take it as though she is doing a zoom session, where you only listen, learn, and can't comment.
randomised
May 21, 20 5:06 pm
Nice one Chad...very classy. Must feel really emboldened with all those thumbs up your ass, got to love the new feature Paul, you've created a monster.
On a different note, no I'm not an incel...but a happy father of two little boys that I have to tell that some people on archinect told them it is okay to be excluded from the conversation simply because of their gender. While I'm actually trying to teach them the opposite...my little boy who actually loves to dance around the house to Michael Jackson & Justin Timberlake, makes beautiful drawings (better than that fugly brick facade of yours Chad), and who happens to have his toenails painted red this week because he so looks up to his amazing mother, and she painted hers too. So fuck you Chad, I wish you 4 more years of Donald Trump and that your workspace and shortcuts reset to default.
randomised
May 21, 20 5:11 pm
Thanks b3ta, nice spin on it, good to keep in mind...but then what does the student get out of this transaction? She'll miss my invaluable input(!)
Non Sequitur
May 21, 20 5:28 pm
Rando, respectfully, there is a big difference between teaching equality and freedom of self-expression to kids than interjecting politics for the sake of politics in an otherwise benign discussion. You might as well have asked why not consider another monument/designer if that's the angle you're sticking with.
randomised
May 21, 20 5:30 pm
Not really Sneaky, couldn't be farther from the truth. I actually take care of my kids and raise them to be loving and caring individuals that respect both men and women equally. I took 6 months off after both my sons were born...stayed with them and cared for them and when their mother already had to go back to work I was there for them. And now both of us stay at home one day a week with them, so both of us are part of their upbringing and share the parenting equally. So there's that...I only have issue with the fact I couldn't even ask a question that I thought it was unfair and perhaps sexist to exclude men when discussing the impact of Maya Lins work, and I have to shut up and listen, just because I am a guy? And that my posts were deleted just sucks, censorship is never the answer, if you can't even discuss sexism ( or whatever definition of sexism is allowed on here)...that's not going to end sexism, it will only support the status quo. But apparently that is not (allowed to be) my problem.
Non Sequitur
May 21, 20 5:38 pm
I share the same parenting goals as you and often get compliments that I, as the father, take on such an involved role. (We have many dr. and therapists to deal with so many apps to share). That’s tangential to the point. What you’ve done is derail the basis of the posters hypothesis to make an unrelated point and then you turned it up to 11 in the same way the #whitelivesmatter crowd did a few months back.
randomised
May 21, 20 5:53 pm
Not really derailed I think, I only asked a seat at the table and asked if it wasn't sexist to only invite women. It was totally related until Donna didn't have the FUCKING TIME to school me (or something), I don't have screenshots and now it has all been censored and deleted. I do get angry when being censored, yes, and being wrongly accused of stuff also doesn't really help. Ah well, you should've been there maybe, or better not ;-)
Chad Miller
May 21, 20 6:06 pm
rando - if you post crap that reads like a page from an incel playbook I'll call you as such. You can post what you want but part of that is dealing with the repercussions of others that don't agree with you. If you can't handle that then don't post such things.
b3tadine[sutures]
May 21, 20 8:23 pm
what the student get's out of the transaction is two-fold; first, she get's to talk the group she solicited, and she gets to do that in way that isn't mansplained. you know, you are coming across as a guy that wants to explain to a young girl what it means to have a period, when her mom could do that. So unless women just drop off the planet, which right now they might want to, I'm going to pretend anything I might have to offer would be best delivered when solicited.
randomised
May 22, 20 5:21 am
Chad, I didn't even know there was an incel playbook to begin with, you've been using this whole lockdown situation wisely or did you perhaps contribute to it? ;)
randomised
May 22, 20 5:40 am
b3ta, maybe it is because I am from a country and a continent where it is totally normal for a father to take part in the upbringing of their offspring, where it is normal for men to take time off after they've become a parent, where there is much greater equality between men and women and governments take active measures to promote part-time working for parents, where there's very little tokenism. So when people try to school me about sexism, well you know, I'm simply lightyears ahead and it just rubs me the wrong way when people are excluded because of gender, you should be passed that already in the States...but instead you elect a guy like Trump. You know you can't fight the patriarchy by promoting a matriarchy, they didn't fight the enslavement of black people by promoting enslaving white people either. If you can't even criticise or question possible sexism coming from women, if you are censored for even daring to ask such a questions, that's just not helping at all and creates a divisive atmosphere rather than one of unity. But hell, maybe the US will get there one day too, fingers crossed!
Non Sequitur
May 22, 20 6:51 am
Rando, I also hail from a land with superior social progress than our American friends. Regardless, gender is still an important variable and as much as everyone wants everything to be squeaky-clean... it's not. So let's not ignore this in favour of this very short censorship podium you're screaming from.
Time for a classic Simpsons throwback:
randomised
May 22, 20 7:46 am
I'm not ignoring anything nor am I screaming, although I do feel like talking to a wall on archinect these days...I just don't like to be censored and deplatformed for obvious (reverse?) sexist reasons, that's all, and if only people would acknowledge that, that'd be great...And I'm not digging the hole, I've been pushed into the hole and they keep throwing dirt on top of me, but like the donkey in the pit I will get out eventually!
b3tadine[sutures]
May 22, 20 8:27 am
Ok, so that tack didn't work, let me try this. Teacher asked Audrey a question, Audrey's ready to answer, and random runs into the class and says I know the answer. You weren't asked, your hand wasn't raised, you don't get the privilege of responding.
randomised
May 22, 20 8:38 am
But if the teacher only asks Audrey because Audrey is a woman and random is not allowed to answer, or not even asked (although he is in the same classroom paying the same tuition as everybody else) only because he is a man, but let's say Donna is allowed to answer only because she is not a man, that is still sexist. There is no privilege of responding, there's the privilege of banning responses solely because of gender, and the privilege of erasing questions that question such possible sexist practices.
Non Sequitur
May 22, 20 8:50 am
It's a classic Simpsons morning folks.
randomised
May 22, 20 9:03 am
.
SneakyPete
May 22, 20 6:13 pm
How are you teaching anyone about respect when you can't even respect someone's request to hear from women without feeling personally attacked?
SneakyPete
May 22, 20 6:14 pm
Oh, and if you're so censored and deplatformed why are we still being subjected to your inanity? Your victim envy is showing and it isn't a good look.
randomised
May 22, 20 6:40 pm
I don't feel personally attacked by that request but by the censorship that came after my questioning the request. And about that victim envy, I am
the victim here, I'm the one being censored and got my posts removed(!) So yeah, nice one blaming and shaming the victim...
SneakyPete
May 22, 20 6:57 pm
You're not the victim, I'm the victim!
SneakyPete
May 22, 20 6:59 pm
But then again I am from a progressive utopia where everything is perfect. Maybe someday you'll be lucky enough to be from somewhere so great that merely mentioning it is enough to shut down any counter arguments. Maybe. Someday.
randomised
May 23, 20 12:16 pm
That day was yesterday
SneakyPete
Jun 5, 20 2:42 pm
Damn, that just barely managed to fly over your head. You could have been KILLED.
Chad Miller
May 20, 20 2:38 pm
OK, lets talk about something less icky . . ..
Exterior sunshades!
More specifically how much a pain in the arse it is to design and install them on your own home. Between keeping the better half happy, finding a way to keep maintenance low, and appeasing the home owners association I'm ready to not only pull out my hair but my beard as well.
Uhg. ::head - desk - thump::
Non Sequitur
May 20, 20 2:52 pm
home owners association? why bother with that load of nonsense. Glad I don't have one of those to deal with.
Chad Miller
May 20, 20 3:41 pm
They are all over out here due to the strict water rights. Without a home owners association it's pretty much impossible for a new development to get irrigation water.
Chad Miller
May 20, 20 3:53 pm
I'm pretty much forced into using wood. I wanted to do steel. Now I have to figure out a wood species and a good stain to protect it. :(
Non Sequitur
May 20, 20 3:57 pm
Why stop there? Go full perforated panel:
atelier nobody
May 20, 20 4:22 pm
Chad - I've been spec'ing a lot of Black Locust lately.
Chad Miller
May 20, 20 4:24 pm
NS - I'm sure both my wife and the HOA would love that.
Chad Miller
May 20, 20 4:24 pm
atelier - never worked with black locust wood
atelier nobody
May 20, 20 4:55 pm
Chad, it's similar in may ways to Ipe, but is native to the SE US, and is not endangered. It has very good natural insect and decay resistance, comparable to Ipe, Red Cedar, all-heart Redwood, etc.
Wood Guy
May 21, 20 8:51 am
I've been wanting to use black locust for years but haven't had the opportunity. Hard to get here in New England, but it's possible. I even planted a small grove for myself. Good for pollinators too. From what I've heard, it can be gnarly stuff, prone to twisting, checking and splitting. But if the trees were straight and it was carefully dried it will last forever.
JLC-1
May 21, 20 11:29 am
composite? not trex, but I'm sure there's something nicer out there.
Everyday Architect
May 21, 20 11:52 am
I've mentioned this before, but I've really enjoyed watching the progress of these guys (Stephen and Alix) in New England on YouTube building a wooden boat from scratch. They've mentioned using black locust for a variety of things in the boat. Most recently it was to create butt blocks for the planking. I do recall that it wasn't the easiest for them to source.
Another guy, Leo (a shipwright from England), has been restoring a wooden boat in Washington state. He's also been using black locust for some things, but I don't recall exactly what at the moment. If you're bored and looking for something to watch. I've found both channels extremely fascinating.
Chad Miller
May 21, 20 11:57 am
JLC-1, I looked at using composite and ran into a couple of issues. The first is the cost - the second is any manufacturer I talk to will not warranty their product for end supported use. I was basically told that the composite stuff will melt and sag in this heat. :(
Chad Miller
May 21, 20 11:59 am
FYI - Here is what we're doing for the sun shades. Don't laugh - it's still in progress . . .
SneakyPete
May 21, 20 12:12 pm
2x4? have 'em run through a planer for nice crisp edges (that will splinter off if you don't buy good wood)
SneakyPete
May 21, 20 12:14 pm
A thermally treated wood like Arborwood might fit the bill tho.
archanonymous
May 21, 20 12:18 pm
I always thought it was criminal that these stupid Home Owner's Associations try to regulate all this shit, but then they let the houses themseleves be constructed with shitty materials and cavity insulation (instead of exterior CI), use vast water-intensive plantings, and put the garages in the front where they kill street life. Anything to uphold the status quo! (not a criticism of your choice to live there, Chad, I know housing is extremely limited in Colorado)
Everyday Architect
May 21, 20 12:31 pm
Hadn't heard of Arborwood Sneaky, thanks. My office is always looking at Thermory or Kebony for this type of thing.
Chad Miller
May 21, 20 12:44 pm
Yup 2 x 4's. They have the right massing and provide enough shade. I wanted to go with a metal fin type shade and have it powder coated but the wife and HOA where both like 'errrrrr'
This HOA is rather chill. They just have issue with the metal not fitting into the overall material pallet of the neighborhood. I find that odd since our home has corrugated metal siding that is intended to rust.
Non Sequitur
May 21, 20 12:48 pm
What's the penalty for not following the HOA?
JLC-1
May 21, 20 12:49 pm
All cedar? we've had a lot of issues with clear coats, make sure you put some tint or even paint them, UV up here turns those puppies black in a year.
Chad Miller
May 21, 20 12:56 pm
JLC-1 - Cedar was just a placeholder. It actually dose quite well up here but you have to stain it every 2-3 years . I think that TMT wood archanonymous mentioned would be a nice choice. I jsut contacted Arborwood about more product information.
Chad Miller
May 21, 20 12:57 pm
NS - I'm not sure about the HOA but my wife's penalty would be severe.
Everyday Architect
May 21, 20 1:14 pm
For finishes, I've had the older architects at work swear by the Sikkens Cetol 123 system. Longer lasting than most that require refinishing every 2-3 years. I've been told it should be more like 7 years with the Sikkens product. Downside I've heard is that it's not everyone's cup of tea in terms of aesthetics.
Care to comment on what the application process is like for the Sikkens/PPG is like? A typical opaque stain or thicker?
proto
May 21, 20 3:58 pm
sim to other penetrating stains. our local siding provider offers pre-stained, so for my personal efforts, it's only been cut ends. the other product we've spec'ed is messmer's uv plus
also, consider semi-transparent in the "wood look" colors, in lieu of transparent
Chad Miller
May 21, 20 4:04 pm
Thanks for the info. I will definitely use a semi-transparent on any wood in my area.
Chad, I couldn't tell you anything the product data sheet couldn't for application ... my HOA requires us to paint all exposed wood on the exterior of our home. In the case of fences, we can paint it or leave it to weather naturally.
randomised
May 22, 20 8:04 am
Haven't seen a passiv house with air-conditioning before, maybe the unit can be put on a similar wooden rack as the shading ;)
Wood Guy
May 22, 20 9:16 am
Sorry, I'm not sure what air conditioning design solution you're referring to? The house is heated and cooled with ductless mini-splits, a common approach in New England where I work--I've only seen one Passive House here in Maine without one.
The outdoor units are hung on manufacturer-supplied brackets, not my favorite solution because vibration can transfer through the wall, but these are 18" thick walls full of cellulose so not much gets through. The view shown is not visible upon arrival, and the house is 1/2 mile up a driveway on a mountainside so the aesthetics of the outdoor units was not important. The linesets run through a gasketed sleeve to maintain airtightness.
Together the house and studio use about $500 of electricity per year for all energy needs.
The house wasn't my design; I worked for the builder and supervised the shop drawings (panelized Passive House), including filling in a lot of missing details. I did design the porch and brise soleil.
Non Sequitur
May 22, 20 9:21 am
WG, I was referring to the outside unit. One of my triggers is HVAC stuff that appears glued to the exterior on a well designed building. Seems odd to not give it some attention. Don't get me started on white PVC dryer vents in cladding... don't. 8-)
Wood Guy
May 22, 20 9:28 am
Got it, yeah not my favorite either. They are ubiquitous in my world and I've been trying to think of ways to make them look intentional, such as a full-height alcove built into the wall just for the outdoor units. In high performance homes we need one outdoor unit for each indoor unit, typically one on each floor, so there may be 2-3 outdoor units to deal with.
randomised
May 22, 20 9:48 am
:)
Wood Guy
May 22, 20 11:09 am
I thought you were joking, but that actually looks great!
Non Sequitur
May 22, 20 11:15 am
I’ll admit, it took me a minute or two to notice the change. Well played.
randomised
May 22, 20 4:30 pm
.
b3tadine[sutures]
May 22, 20 9:49 pm
Where's the shadow?
randomised
May 23, 20 12:15 pm
Taken by the magic wand.
Nam Henderson
Jun 11, 20 9:19 pm
Bit late to the discussion, but regarding Black Locust, MVVA put together a report on this back in 2011 with related discussion at ASLA. At the time, it read like an industry growth report so it's interesting to hear of its mixed "adoption" since. Is it cost or as some referenced availability?
Non Sequitur
May 20, 20 3:58 pm
This new Cyrus wanker is my new favorite chew toy... too busy to really play tho. Now, who's alter-ego is this character anyways?
Non Sequitur
May 20, 20 3:59 pm
Ah... he/she was just nuked.
Non Sequitur
May 20, 20 10:16 pm
No shit...
Non Sequitur
May 21, 20 7:41 am
well, consider me fooled then. That Cyrus chap had the same level of intelligence in their posts as you do.
archanonymous
May 21, 20 5:24 pm
Wow i just put on a collared shirt for a go-to meeting... and I'm wearing pants! First time both those things happened at once in like 70 days... feeling so professional!
citizen
May 22, 20 12:55 am
Hmmm..... what are these mysterious "pants" of which you speak?
archanonymous
May 22, 20 9:50 am
(found in future history textbook) prior to 2020, what we now call "overpants" were just called pants, and what we call pants were called "underpants". Some people remember there was a similar linguistic tradition in the former United Kingdom involving something called "trousers", but no one survivors have been found to confirm what piece of contemporary clothing this corresponded with.
Since this began I'm calling anything on my lower body that involves a zipper or buttons "hard pants". Elastic or drawstring are soft pants. Yesterday I had to put on hard pants and I didn't enjoy it. When we go back to office work I think I'll just wear dresses.
tduds
May 22, 20 2:06 pm
I think I'm the only American who's still showering and putting on real clothes every morning. I just love my routines too much to go full pajama-casual.
CodesareFUN
May 22, 20 2:23 pm
I’m showering, but real clothes are non-existent.
Non Sequitur
May 22, 20 2:25 pm
My work to casual clothing ratio is 20:1
randomised
May 22, 20 5:24 pm
The Corona-mullet: business on top, party on the bottom.
CodesareFUN
May 22, 20 5:31 pm
We don’t need to know about your freeballin’
liberty bell
May 22, 20 5:40 pm
randomized, for an online panel discussion I wore a dress that was really too small for my current lockdown body, but the colors were exactly what I wanted on screen and they only saw my top half anyway. Style mullet.
citizen
May 22, 20 6:01 pm
Love the 'hard pants' designation, Donna. Ever since I was little I've hated 'hard shoes' that we had to wear to church, weddings, etc. Uncomfortable to run around in, never worn enough to really break in... but they were suitably dressy, so that settled that. My adult footing experience has long involved the search for comfortable shoes that manage to look good.
SneakyPete
May 22, 20 6:09 pm
Might I suggest Redwing Iron Rangers or Thousand Mile Wolverines?
citizen
May 22, 20 6:27 pm
You may! I really like their looks... are they super-duper comfy?
SneakyPete
May 22, 20 6:30 pm
Eventually. Takes a week or two of daily wear, but they eventually are more comfy than anything other than plush sneaks. If you take care of them and resole them when they need it (before wearing through to the insole) they can last pretty much forever. Even beat to shit they look great. There's a few threads and videos where people buy destroyed redwings and bring them back to wearable shape.
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..
I've been wondering what things other than architecture I could do with my experience and education.
Timely. How about set design; design review board; construction; curation; facilities/operations.... I also think flower-shirted clerk at TJs to be a noble alternate profession.
I've been reading up on development.
Set design - did it in college - fun but really, really low pay and a very, very competitive job market.
Design Review Board - you can make a living doing this!?
Construction Curation - what is that?
Facilities / Operation: an option. Too bad it has only the things I don't like about being an architect. ;)
Not necessary a full living at any of these, but possible as income sources. Design review as paid agency work, not volunteer board; sorry for that error. Building construction and (exhibit) curation are two different items.
How would one even get into the curation field? As for building construction I assume you mean like a site super and not a laborer. 8-)
Before all this happened I was toying with set design as a side hustle. More for fun than money. I don't think it could be a sustainable career for more than a handful of people in the world.
I'm just spitballing on the topic of transferable skill sets-- most successful career leaps would probably rely on some kind of existing connections/ contacts (what else is new?). Curation could assume gallery/museum affinity, or possibly the trade-show universe. Construction could be swinging a hammer on up to supervision.
Good points citizen. Why did that sound like a line from a dystopian fascist regime? 8-)
I understand the need for masks in the healthcare field, however we need people to make masks for those in undeserved communities. Many in poorer communities can't shelter in place, and as we've seen, this b irus is hitting black communities harder, precisely due to the racism and economic disparities. We need the design community to produce for these Frontline communities, so that health-care workers can catch a break.
Found TC on bottom of 2nd page... all lonely. Giving it a loving boost.
Also, and unrelated to the zombie apocalypse but there is a blizzard outside my door tonight...
Actually the blizzard IS related to the zombie apocalypse. SNOW ZOMBIES!
Another update: I'm launching a custom porch/stoop/step outdoor furniture company that makes semi-affordable outdoor furniture with a focus on using lumber and material from construction waste, recycled pallets and sustainably sourced wood.
What does 'semi-affordable' mean? Do you mean the price point is 50, 60, 70%?
About 30%-60% of the cost of EGO Paris or West Elm who charge a couple of grand for a small simple setee.
I also itemize every foot of board, every bracket, nail, oz of paint, solvent et cetera plus labor cost... so if they want to swap out pressure treated pine for teak, there's not a surprise on pricing.
If the wood was salvaged, I charge a small milling fee and donate about half of what they would have paid for wood to forest conservation.
Cool! Good luck with this! Do you have a link to any of your products?
Very cool. I'd also love to see a portfolio or some photos.
when did this forum became an outlet for fringe politics? kind of tiring to have to ignore a lot of people....
Here's an idea for the archinect big green heads, put in an option to ignore individual threads. I'd make use of it.
Or, you know, moderate more strictly.
Or both?
Or, someone could start a Conspiracy Central, that way the kids throwing feces, could have a playpen all to themselves?
^I like that one
Once that's done, all the feces flicking shit-gibbons can get tossed...
for real.. the occasional fringe opinion in tolerable.. but it's the manic back-to-back posts that are incredibly annoying (and worrisome)
I'm imagining it'll be like watching an Ikea kids' ballroom play area from outside the sound-proof glass walls but the balls are a mixture of feces, balled-up tin foil, and rusty hammers. There is no adult supervision and the door to get in is like those weighted mouse traps. Once in, you're stuck. Oh, and there is a bar on the outside so we can have beers in silence.
it's sort of a mental health thing though. the same lack of awareness and obsessive worry that keeps someone engaged with conspiracy theories also leads them to post unlimited sprawls of bitter ruminations.
it's also a common reaction to difficult circumstances. common sense and reasonableness are secondary victims of a crisis, sometimes causing as much harm as the initial event. i find it reassuring in some way to see all the regulars who usually shitpost turning into CT-believers, it shows they are as connected to the world as the rest of us, just less willingly.
other forums limit politics to specific "areas" could be a good idea so every thread doesn't turn into a dumpster fire...
man... met with a railing guy yesterday and he was telling me about how he cleared two million last year and is forecasting 5 million this year... ayyy... why is the grass always greener? Somedays I just have to be reminded of stoicism and gratefulness... :) happy friday... at least i think its friday...
Him or his business?
Yeah, "cleared" may not be what he meant. I could see gross revenue in that range but it would have to be quite an operation for him to make $2M in profit, or a combo of profit and income.
What's up dumpster divers?
I have never wanted a kegerator more than I do right now. Who has one?
i have a kegerator
Is it the best thing ever?
Don't buy one to save money, buy one to enjoy fresher beer. Then make sure you want to drink that beer for a while.
to be honest tintt, i slowed down on making new beers and have been drinking domestic. there is one on co2 now that's ready to drink and the fermenter is full for the next one, so maybe there will be fewer cans in my recycle box in the next couple weeks.
Is it usual that threads are being censored and taken down in this forum?
No. Read the posting TOS.
I made a post about the substandard level of education at a UK school of architecture. I understand that the Archinect staff would rather censor this type of posts due to PR reasons?
PR? Nope. New posts don’t get posted right away from new users.
You know that old saying about hitting yourself in the head with a hammer because it feels so good when you stop? That’s how this profession feels for me lately. I only feel good when I’ve beat the hell out of myself meeting some arbitrary pointless deadline. Wake up tomorrow and do it all over again.
I feel like it will feel good when we skate through CA easy.
Considering I just googled "what is the fastest chocolate chip cookie recipe" I think you guys can guess which way I'm headed during lockdown:
Donna, my recipe. They are tollhouse style, perfect mix of chewy inside with crunchy exterior and not puffy or flat. Ive made many, many times already during quarantine.
2 Sticks butter, softened
150 grams white sugar
140 grams brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp (5 grams) baking soda
½ tsp (3 grams, pinch) kosher salt, fine crystal
1 tsp vanilla, or more to taste
355 grams flour (best flour is mix of bleached white and unbleached whole-wheat for extra tooth)
330 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips
Technique:
Cream softened (but not melted) butter and white and brown sugar.
Cream in eggs on low speed. Add vanilla.
In a large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients (or stir with a fork). Add to sugar, butter, egg mixture on lowest speed, mixing as little as possible. Scrape sides frequently.
Remove whisk and scrape dough off. Add chocolate chips and fold in with spatula.
Place dough in airtight glass storage container and refrigerate overnight at minimum, 3 days for best cookies.
Use a spoon to ball cookies into irregularly shaped 1” balls, place on baking sheet with parchment or silpat, bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes depending on cookie size.
Seriously, cold dough going into the oven makes cookie texture so much better.
IMHO, has to be Crisco instead of butter
curtkram, I literally fell asleep last night wondering what vegetable is used to make Crisco. Or is it petroleum? Either way, half Crisco/half butter makes the best combination of texture and taste in a cookie IMO.
Donna, Isn't that Brad Pitt in the right hand side of the photo?
^still hawt. Picture had to crop out Pitt's bulge tho. Archinect can't support that many pixels.
Ingredients, from Crisco's site: "Soybean Oil, Fully Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Palm Oil, Mono And Diglycerides, TBHQ And Citric Acid." We have lard from pigs we raise, which is great for baking and less unhealthy than the oils in Crisco. Breakfast today included fresh bread made with lard; it had excellent flavor and crumb.
Palm Oil is generally terrible for the environment and the people that harvest it. Plus butter tastes way better. Also yes to lard.
Volunteer I never liked you and now I know why. ;-)
I did google Crisco this morning and when I saw it's made from palm oil now, instead of soybean, it gave me pause. I haven't used Crisco in at least a decade, but thinking about good cookies lately has made me want to try it again to get that course crumb I never get with just butter. I've never done sweet baking with lard (only savory), but perhaps I'll try it instead!
Donna that's why my cookies are a mix of unbleached fine and whole wheat flour! Looking for that perfect chewy crumb but I'm not willing to use Crisco.
That's also a good idea. I love the sweetness of whole wheat flour. My husband is not such a fan but I can sneak it in. Speaking of which, one of these days I'm going to make some cookies with cricket flour and feed them unbeknownst to my family (LOL not really. That's not acceptable. But I joke about it.)
Trying not to laugh out loud as I read through the paid advertisement for a competition to design an airport. This was obviously written pre-COVID-19, and it has not aged well in the past few months.
https://archinect.com/news/article/150194862/fentress-global-challenge-invites-students-to-push-the-boundaries-for-public-architecture
Its amazing how quickly our ideas about design have shifted! I just sat on virtual final reviews and the project (started at the beginning of the semester) was co-living style housing... can't imagine that such an idea will survive this.
You guys, the movie Good Boys is SO adorably wonderful!
My first thumbs down!
I’m pretty sure I was your first thumbs down ;-)
OH MY GOD WE NOW HAVE THUMBS UP OR DOWN OPTIONS!!!!!
what’s with the ‘like’ and ‘dislike’ button all of a sudden?
The thumb down feature works.
I'M GOING ON A THUMBS UP SPREE RIGHT NOW ALL THROUGH THE FORUM WHEEEEEEEE
We've been planning the comment reactions feature for a long time. I'm glad to finally get it out. While it seems very simple and trivial (and nothing new for comments on the internet), I think it will provide a powerful new way for people to get a better idea about how their comments are received from members of the community.
Are these link to email notifications? My inbox can only take so much love.
you can set your preferences for reaction update notifications in your settings
Please keep the ability to see who up / down voted visible for all to see.
I'm looking for MN licensed Mechanical Engineers, well me and Liberty Bell are looking for them, anyone got any sole proprietors looking to steal from rich people?
Let me make a few texts. I'll see what I can find in my home turf of northern Minnesota.
What type of work are you needing done and what size of the proeject?
I'm thinking about negative pressure vestibules, and staff changing rooms, to guard against rona, h1n1, other viruses...essentially cleanroom level of protection from infectious products, clothing, food, packages, etc.
And you all are calling Jlax the crazy paranoid one here.....
you're dumb, i'm not paranoid, far from it, but i know rich people are; walls, protests, immigrants, chinese, soy, vegans....all things really wealthy families fear. i'm offering a service, to take away those fears, to protect, their precious family.
wtf.
since we have up and down votes now thought the forum might support emojis, but alas no aubergine :-(
I find is funny and a bit pathetic that j-lax created a second account to up vote is own posts and down vote people who disagree with him.
I suspected something like that too when I got a strong of down votes from a user account I've not seen before. It's probably the liberals/chinese/aliens tho.
Which user?
'we are in this together'
NS - it's the Canadians, we all know it so any denial just proves it was your brethren.
To be specific, 'we're in this together' . I blocked that one already, good to know that it's just another version of a known quantity, would hate to think the stupid was multiplying.
Went through email trash. Can confirm that’s the one I saw earlier.
Is j-lax really that sensitive and pathetic to do such a thing? At first I thought it was just a troll but now I'm thinking he actually belies the crap it posts.
^makes Ricky look like an academic.
"we're in this together" is "FRaC" and "Wine CaveMAN" and "interpol" and probably a bunch of others. They like to change names quite a bit. Probably most widely known as FRaC, but I don't think they are the same person as jla-x.
I stand corrected - jla-x is just a sensitive an pathetic troll with one account.
How many Thumbs Down notifications does Balkins get in a day now?
Best part of the thumbs up and down voting is seeing who is consistently up or down voting the same users’ posts. In my mind people are forming little alliances. It’s especially telling when someone has gone back to vote on posts a few days old.
Next, I’d like to see who is following me so they can get notifications every time I post. I have a hunch, but it would be great to confirm it.
It is interesting to see reactions. Below is a quick chart of the reactions I've received over the last 24hrs (ish). Not that the downvotes from King and Koww are related to my comments on the unpaid gig post.
How did you gather that data?
I filtered my inbox trash and made the chart. real low-tech. I still have notifications turned on.
Gotcha. Archinect, if you're willing, I'd be interested to see that data. Probably not useful in a wholesome, positive way, though. :)
Even to just see on someone's profile the total number of up or down votes would be interesting. But yeah, probably not helpful in a positive way.
EA, isn't that how Reddit works essentially?
Probably, I don't really frequent Reddit though. I've seen it on other forum platforms, but it was only based on up votes ... no down vote capability. It offered a quick check on people who make substantive posts, or humorous posts.
Reddit works on karma points... which goes up or down based on up-votes and down-votes. Your karma can swing dramatically if you're commenting in popular /r forums. I think comments get automatically hidden if the karma goes too far below zero. I don't frequent /r much because unlike archinect, I'm not confident that I'm interacting with mostly adults.
I just wouldn't want to see the up/down vote total become a popularity contest or a measure of how "mainstream" or "contrarian" your viewpoints are.
I think it works for Reddit because you can mostly stay in a particular topic that matches your views. But it probably becomes more of an echo chamber than I would like to see on archinect.
Non, this chart, I adore you!! I keep forgetting to ask if you listen to the Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe podcast? The hosts and Science Based Medicine guy are buddies.
I used to, back when I listened to podcasts (had a 4.5km walk to office twice per day). Now my commute is far less and I can't keep up. It was a great show. Cheers.
Serious question: Why do people on the internet argue about things knowing they will never change the others' mind?
Ego.
I've said this before in the midst of such arguments but my goal in a debate is not to win over your opponent but to win over the audience.
I'm not trying to change my opponents mind, I'm trying to protect suggestible newcomers from seeing my opponents ideas go unchallenged and assuming it means they're good ideas.
everyone needs a hobby
Insecurity, in some cases.
entertainment and exercise. sometimes in tracing out a line of thought; other times in exploring the personas presented by people i'll never meet.
I reject the premise and will argue with you about it if you're game
All of the above, except what EA says (for me)--although many people enjoy debate for the sake of debate, I do not. But my engineer-y brain can't scroll past blatent misstatements without wanting to correct them, especially if I know the person, believe I know the correct answer and know they should know better.
hard to get across in written form apparently, but my comment earlier was made with humorous intent.
I’m losing it, so close to total burnout. This profession is bonkers.
this is hard times. seriously, take a couple days of pto. take naps. if you need to get out of the house, go for a drive (in the country is better because we have sky and trees and more than 6' between people). if you don't stop what's building up in you now before it gets bad, it could become uncontrollable, so get out ahead of it and focus on you.
my (almost) 4y old threw his shoes out of the window of the car while my wife was taking a drive earlier today. Now we're scrambling looking for a place that's open because his other shoes are getting too small. Not related to your situation or this profession but we're laughing pretty hard about it. Hope all is well and that you can split work and home long enough to catch your breath.
I hear you, curt, but it is so hard to override decades of training in believing that we architects are super humans who can keep going no matter what.I can’t take a break, because the mechanical engineer needs my drawing, so that the contractor can price it, so that the client can decide to change it all again to save money, so I can spend more time fighting for fees to cover the changes than I actually spend designing a damn thing, and I do it 60 hours a week while getting paid for 32. It’s a fucking hamster wheel and frankly I’ve been looking for a new career for a while but this pandemic may just push me right into it! (I should be clear that it is not my firm‘s fault that it’s working this way, it’s a culture that sees architects as lackeys to the almighty client, a position we have put ourselves into. My firm is awesome but the system is a meat grinder.)
And Non thank you for that story, yes, a child throwing shoes out a car window is somehow hilarious!
it's tough with so many disparate things crowding for time and especially attention. wish you luck in finding space to get away and peacefully disengage from it all.
i've had my eye on the door for quite some time. unfortunately it feels like this pandemic is putting that on pause, but i'm looking to the other side. i hear you though- it really feels like a lot of this profession is becoming unsustainable, and frankly unenjoyable. regardless of the expectations school sets, the fact is like you said the architect is generally at the bottom of the pile, and we have more and more to manage every year with all this shit that they keep piling into buildings, while consultants somehow manage to keep their scope very narrow/reasonable. i'm hopeful that automation could really help with some of this stuff, but the rate at which things change in architecture i'm also skeptical.
Same. Fuck this profession. All I ever wanted to be, sacrificed for it only to serve owners’ ROI and hate it more and more each day.
let's start learning from and acting like our clients and consultants then. somehow they are able to put a project on hold for a couple days without the world crashing down. we can do it to. manage expectations. communicate clearly. have a solid project plan and stick to it.
curtkram i agree this helps, and a lot of offices don't do this, but the problem i'm talking about is the fact that we have to oversee every single consultant, and the list keep growing every year, not to mention the things they do also get technologically more complicated (this problem isn't necessarily always there if your work is on the smaller scale). my point is the way in which architecture operates needs to change or the only thing we will be doing is putting out fires, like liberty is describing.
When it is worth it, it is really worth it - opening up a new building to see the students/ residents/ users move in, start interacting with the architecture, making it their own... it's incredibly gratifying.
But those moments seem to get lost among the spreadsheets, the bullshit codes, the developer clients, the value engineering, the systemic elimination of any uncertainty or risk (the foundations of innovative architecture) in pursuit of higher profits for the builders, the owners, the developers, but never for us.
Exactly - everything is in pursuit of higher profits for developers and owners, and usually at the expense of normal people in the community. I said on an online panel discussion about public space yesterday that as architects our clients are not just the people paying us, but the communities in which the project exists, too. I mean, I *could* become an automaton who spits out ROI, but that's not why I went into architecture!
I often think it would be easier if we were just looking to make more money on projects - then you are talking a language the owner/ builder understands. "Why are you dissatisfied" "I need more money on our contract to make this worthwhile." "Ok, here's more money." versus "Why are you dissatisfied" "I need to work on projects in a way that address the social and cultural needs of our changing society." "..... um, ok. I guess i'll find another architect."
Thought experiment: Would it be easier to be an automaton spitting out ROI if we didn't have to worry about the public's health, safety, or welfare? How can we best tell our client that we have to serve both their interest as well as the public's HSW, and that quite frankly they are being selfish with their own interest?
It was at one point the job of our professional organizations to do that and to uphold those interests by eliminating competition on fees from the profession, among other approaches.
So a few years back I left architecture 6 months after getting my license to go work at a GC. I got the shiny license but found no raise and remained a BIM monkey that was left alone but still very much a BIM monkey. EVERYTHING was/is better and I would NEVER go back. Designing my own projects for sure but never in a firm again. However the hours were longer and if you divide salary by hours worked it's sort of the same. What this pandemic has done is show me that once again my career could be decimated by a recession (started in 2010). While my friends in tech and sales are just fine, this whole thing has been a vacation, they work 100% remote, 20-30hrs a week and make way more. I'm proud of what I do and enjoy it and now 10 years in to my career feel as though I can contribute alot. But job insecurity, the hours that seem to create a divorce factory and the pretty average pay...I think I'm throwing in the towel on the AEC industry after this one and selling out. But what a ridiculous guilt, "selling out" it's a career, the whole point is to sell out.
Work to live.
I gave notice last Monday! FUCK YEAH!
sticking with arch? something new?
This discussion of long hours makes me rather thankful that the first firm I worked at out of college didn't have a culture of long hours. In fact you had to get permission to work overtime - even if you where salaried. It was a nice place to work. Now I'm in Colorado and the culture here seems to be that unpaid overtime is normal. I refuse to work more that 120 hours of unpaid overtime a year (about 2 hours a week). I did the math and beyond those 120 hours my overall pay rate is too low to justify it.
This burned-out architect spent the day on the couch. I was very successful at avoiding everything.
square., i am going to a new firm, plus they wfh exclusively, even before rona.
You're in the Bay Area?
No, I wish!
It's fest or famine out here at the moment it seems.
Donna, my mantra is "there are no emergencies in architecture"
repeat that to yourself a few times
when your client decides to offer you a slice of the risk/reward pie, then you can adopt his urgency as your own...until then, it's just a contract. If they want urgency, they can figure how to build that into their pro forma
"there are no emergencies in architecture"
"there are no emergencies in architecture"
"there are no emergencies in architecture"
we should all put Donna first today! Especially Donna
THUMBS UP FOR DONNA
This thumb up/down feature is awesome. Just noticed one user go on a down-vote spree on me. Doubt it they even know it sends me an email with their user name.
I thumbs up only. Spread the positivity!
NS, I can't wait to see the next iteration of your thumbs up and down graph per user. The only reason I haven't turned off notifications for it is so I can do the same at some point.
I may, or may not have created a gmail filter to store reaction notifications. We'll see how that works out in a few weeks.
EA, I just discovered that if you mouse-over a thumbs up/down icon, a list of user names appears. Neat feature.
If you click on the number a pop up shows the likes, dislikes, and who they are from
Anyone else's 'Rona anxiety especially bad today? Or not so much anxiety specifically about the virus, just the deep ideological and partisan divide it has opened up in the USA.
It's snowing right now where I am... so yes, a little.
Yes, less about the virus, though that is troubling. More anxious about the state of the world and especially the US. The machines are supposed to be taking over anytime now, right? Or maybe they already have and we just haven't realized it yet.
Yes. Agree the anxiety isn't about the rona anymore but politicks.
Exactly there with you, archanonymous. I've definitely become one of those people who is so confused by hearing so many opposing ideas that are all supposed to be true that I just want to give up and stop listening or even caring. But I can't. My curiosity about the world leads me to want to hear everything, but it's so hard to know what to believe these days.
A local quarry owner sent out a facebook message yesterday telling parents with young kids that they can go forage the quarry for stones to paint and whatnot for free as this is a popular community scavenger hunt activity atm. Anyways, that lasted less than 24hr because adults without kids came with buckets and pillaged the quarry for their own landscaping. People suck and are selfish. This situation is just making it even more obvious.
Spoken like a true fascist Non!
^Thank you.
Fascist?
Tintt, it's ignorant speak for "don't agree with my vary specific and narrow pov".
i stopped listening. for better or worse, it looks like i'm supposed to put on pants and go back to the office o n the 20th.
Oh, like You need to be a patriot!
.
x-jla, that last statement had three
My last day went like this;
The Californians always slays me!
I’m 53 years old. Today I bought myself these:
Bell, you're the best!
Is your left foot really small?
Perfect joke is perfect.
will there be a video of your first use?
And happy belated birthday, of course!
-x
x-
https://youtu.be/vnXOAWoNADw
Maybe the x-lax joke got him?
It came up again today, in a professional situation, that I really love working directly with the owner/user (sometimes they are the same party ) of the space. I’m really good at listening to what people say they want and being able to interpret what that really means and how it can actually work for them. Also I love doing renovation projects. Sadly I’m hardly doing any of this in my current project, and I am missing it hard.
I thought your new job was supposed to be more client-facing than your last job? Can you do anything to get back to that? Clients can wear me out, but not working directly with them wears me out even more.
I very much identify with this. Frankly, there's just more to pull from people's emotions than their pro formas.
To your other point, I think the projects I'm most proud of have all been renovations + additions. Personally, I like to have extremely constrained conditions that I can find creative ways to break out of. Given a blank slate, I feel lost at sea without a creative "anchor" to grab onto.
I hate working with/for people with very particular requests or demands that will never use the project themselves.
My first time in Dwell magazine--an article on the Pretty Good House approach and also a mention of BS + Beer: https://www.dwell.com/article/pretty-good-house-building-standard-43dc021f.
Ironically, the project of mine they used as an example is one of the most traditional-looking homes I've designed. The other examples are more typical Dwell. I love the house Jeff Adams of Atmosphere Design/Build designed (and built) for his family, the one with Cor-Ten siding.
pretty good article!
We had to make some corrections but I think he has it close enough to accurate now.
Nice work! I've always wanted to get into doing custom residential work. All the architects that don't do it all tell me it's impossible to make any money though. I have to wonder about that though as there are people like you Wood Guy who seem to be doing rather well. I'm so confused. ;)
Well one, Wood Guy!! Your focus on low carbon means I’m feeling guilty about designing a Quonset hut but my husband is really enamored with the idea. And I’m pretty enamored with him, so...anyway, it’s a great article and kudos for sharing knowledge just to make the world a better place!
Looking good.
Well done WG! I’ve been tuning into the show for a few weeks now as well; I have to say that it’s way over my head for the most part but my game plan is to acclimatize via osmosis and soon be on your level... enjoying it regardless!
Thanks Chad! I can't say that residential is easy, and because I generally serve the middle class I'm not sure what the economic future will look like. I've never designed or built anything commercial and I'm probably too old to change at this point. For the last few years I've tried to do both construction and design, and haven't done particularly well at either, so now I'm focusing on building up my design work. I live in a rural area so I have to be flexible to keep the mortgage paid.
Liberty Bell, every project is a series of tradeoffs. I am drawn to the simplicity of Quonset hut forms. I think we need to reduce the carbon footprints of the buildings we design, but that's not going to get us where we need to be regarding climate change, so it also make sense to plan for a less stable future. I'm working on a new concept, building on the work of Alex Wilson, called Passive Resilience and incorporating a Passive Resilience Index. I think a well-designed, well-built Quonset hut could fare well on the Passive Resilience scale, even if it's not the best from a carbon emissions viewpoint.
Bench, I'm glad you've been tuning in! With my lifelong stutter I never thought I'd be hosting a talk show, but here we are. We debated whether we should focus on entry-level education but the idea is for it to seem like we're all having beers at a pub, talking at the level we would normally, and that there should be at least something for listeners at all levels. I'm sure it's not the best way for everyone to learn, but hopefully you glean a few nuggets that will add up over time. I learn stuff on every show so far. I would be interested in knowing if we should scale back the discussion level. Much of the discussion on our mini-split show was over my head, but we have received more compliments on that show than any other, so it's hard to know. Maybe we'll do a poll this week.
Minisplits was one of the first i tuned into, which in hindsight was probably an unfortunate coincidence. That was heavy. The one on concrete this week sounds much more approachable in my mind.
Yeah that was a deep one! One of my favorites so far was the one we did on concrete-free slabs: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvAmHSecglp-u-DTFQlU8Tw. I think the information is pretty accessible in that one. We did not have the format dialed in yet (and maybe still don't) and the panel was too big but we had fun.
Thanks for the candid response Wood Guy. I've done a few residential projects in my career and they where NOT easy. In my limited opinion the clients are more demanding than commercial work. Very satisfying to help create a home for someone though. :)
Just took a call from a contractor who worked on my very first project when I was a (teenage) student intern. He's got work for me.
congrats, wood guy!
good read
Thanks!
So here is what is happening in my COVID lockdown world. There are so many zoom meetings and requests for me to comment from podcasts, online panel discussions etc. that whenever a calendar invite comes in I just respond “yes”. And then I assume when the event happens, that I will wing it. *I don’t want to be that person.* I want to be the person who is thoughtful and generous and prepares for everything so I can give my best. But there are so many sources of input right now, I can’t seem to plan ahead more than 15 minutes.
Let me know if you want to practice saying no with me.
I need help saying no. Actually, I say it but it is not heard. I said no to a job. I got pics this morning showing they already did demo and where are the drawings of the new layout? I need an email equivalent of taking the phone off the hook.
tintt, sounds like you should always say yes to these, but with increasingly escalated fees. Job already started? sure, i'll do it, its 4x.
Donna, I said yes to everything for 4ish or so years and only in the past 1-2 have i become OK with saying no... the important realization is that if you do say no, you can do the things you really care about better. (which you seem to know at some level per your post) My favorite strategy is to give them the "no, I can't do it, but how about X person." and recommend someone a little younger/ less experienced with less commitments and a want to grow.
Ah, here's another detail. This is a family friend who expects free services. Anybody want a free job? You can have it. It's free.
lol. there's no fee high enough to work for a friend.
I'm currently working on a small residential project. No fee and the client is a real asshole. The end user is really awesome tho, so it makes it all worth while knowing my son will (hopefully) have a wicked backyard fort for the summer.
On the last job I did for a friend I lost $7K and the friend. No good deed goes unpunished...
Non, a backyard fort sounds amazing! Some projects are worth doing even if the client is challenging.
I wouldn't mind building a fort for my nieces and nephews!
Did I forget to mention that I’m the asshole client? I’m totally going to bail on my architect’s bill. His fault for not asking for a retainer.
architects are the worst clients
^ Some good comments on the subject of "no." It gets easier to say after some very painful "yes" aftermaths. (See the chart noting all the work while crying and panic stages that someone ;o] posted)
So, it's not big surprised but my wife and I officially pulled the plug on our Disney summer 2020 plans. I think she held on for about 8 weeks longer than was reasonable. We'll have to try for next summer.
We pulled the plug mentally on our summer travel plans a few weeks ago, but yesterday I started cancelling reservations, etc.
Did the kiddo's know already? Or was it a surprise? Honestly I think its for the best - you don't want all of your photos from the trip to be covered in facemasks everywhere ...
We had (they were sent home this week) friends in Orlando and one of my good friends is a Disney rep, so we don't have anything to cancel. We had our quotes and were waiting. Converting those trip monies into backyard landscaping.
Bench, the kiddo is almost 4. He's not aware of anything.
Hey Friends,
So I got my job back, at least temporarily, at full pay. PPP application was originally denied, but then approved in the second batch. The principals re-hired everyone. Remains to be seen if there are enough projects on the vine to keep the staff through to the Fall, but here's hoping.
At the very least, I have a subsidized period of time to look for work and/or figure out my future in architecture.
Cheers.
Feeling pretty burned out this week and I'm looking for things to keep me from doing work ... so I was curious and put together my thumbs up, thumbs down chart (h/t Non Sequitur). Apparently I need to start posting more things people dislike to balance things out.
I debated whether or not to combine user's actual names and pseudonyms where they are known, but for now I've left them separate to 'protect the innocent.'
Why are you burned out this week?
By the way, you need to NOT protect the innocent.
Ha ha, that sounds more interesting than it actually is. I only know of one person it would change anything for on my chart. This particular user is quick to clarify their real name when asked about it. I think they'd prefer to post under their real name all the time, but for whatever reason when they do anything from their phone's browser it shows up under their old screen name.
If you look at the first two posts at the top of this page, you can figure it out.
I think my screen is bigger than yours NS. The first two posts on my screen are liberty bell and yourself and I know that's not your real name.
Check out the comments here: https://archinect.com/news/article/150188248/melania-trump-is-building-a-classically-inspired-tennis-pavilion-on-the-white-house-lawn
Re: burnout ... mostly just a crappy month of project deadlines springing up out of nowhere, less ability to focus on work at home due to a 3-year-old running around, not having taken some time off for anything other than family medical issues in the past 1.5-2 years, canceling summer travel plans this week, etc. I just need a vacation.
Don't worry, EA. I hate your posts ;O]
Yeah EA, I'll thumbs down a post for you right now 'cuz I'm a good person. :)
Just tested it an apparently you can't give a post BOTH a thumbs up and a thumbs down.
EA, I appreciate you putting the names in alphabetical order.
Chad, I’m both liberty bell and Donna. Same person. I will point out that if you combined the two bars under my name and my pseudonym I do the most liking of your posts, Everyday! Non and nam are both second place right behind me.
get out. Go for a drive. Somewhere about three states away. take hand sanitizer with you
.
A lot changes in a day. I decided to stop 'protecting the innocent' when I realized there were more that should be combined / got more likes from people who had changed pseudonyms.
Has anyone watched The Watchmen TV series on HBO? I'm finding it well done--thoroughly fantastical but somehow not campy. In it much of the population wears masks all of the time. I wonder if we'll do the same eventually? As facial recognition becomes ubiquitous and we veer toward anarchy, it may be helpful for reasons other than health.
Also, bump--TC was almost off the front page.
Watchmen was fantastic! I think Episode 6 ("This Extraordinary Being") might be the finest single episode of television I've ever seen.
We just watched that one last night--I agree that it was excellent.
I haven't watched The Watchmen but I just watched Guy Ritchie's The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and it was a delightful skewering of masculine tropes in action films! Loved it. Silly fun.
We watched Ritchie's new film (The Gentlemen) on Friday. It wasn't bad. Not as good as his classics though. I'll add Man From UNCLE to the list!
LOVED The Gentlemen, and that was what then led me to U.N.C.L.E. I still haven't shown Snatch to my 16yo, maybe this weekend. The greatest initial appearance onscreen ever by Brad Pitt - he's pooping behind a trailer ("caravan")!
Still recovering from watching ‘Years and Years’...Great soundtrack and Emma Thompson is just so spot on!
Years and Years was so good.
Scarily so...should not have watched it during this pandemic on lockdown
COVID-19 Lay-off Thread reads like a government document that has been redacted so it could be declassified. Mods aren't playing around anymore.
You love to see it.
THANK YOU to whoever did that. I love it and support that level of moderation on the threads that are trying to be serious.
thank god. would be interesting if there was also a way of labeling users based on how many of their posts have been hidden, on a scale - a sort of "parental advisory warning" for dumbass content
It's a much better read now. Thanks to who ever did that.
One person’s dumbass content is the other person’s thesis or...the beauty of this place is or was that it is all out there, nowhere to hide but behind a smartass username or two. I miss that ‘nect...
Only a coward hides behind an anonymous username or two.
i don't know about that. Those of us who work at larger firms enjoy some measure of anonymity unrelated to shit-posting.
Gotta disagree with ya there Chad. Some of us want some sheltering between our real professional lives and other internet wankers. I get enough PMs from one-post-ponies looking for employment tips as it is... I can't imagine what would happen if it could be traced back to my linkedin or office emails.
And some of us just want to be able to communicate with others without fear that Balkins will stalk us online.
I'll probably get an email from him about this too. I got one the last time I posted something about people following me here in order to get notified of when I post.
Great points also - I don't need one of the nutters here filing a complaint with my state board just because i typed out something that offended them.
Also agreed. Balkins bizarro comments about Donna a few years back only underscored my desire for anonymity here. I think maybe three other posters know who I am IRL, and that is plenty.
I know of two that know who I am IRL: 1) Everyday Intern, and 2) that guy who occasionally posts under his/my real name.
Fine EA, i'll take you off the xmas card mailing list then.
Sorry NS, I had know idea your investigative skills were so good.
There is probably enough information that I've put out there that if someone really wanted to, they could figure out who I am ... I just doubt anyone cares that much. The bad part is, the person who does care, isn't going to care because they want to send a x-mas card. They'd probably have more nefarious motives.
It's ok EA, I don't send out xmas cards anyways. Come to think of it, I've communicated in one way or another with my real email with half of the users in this particular comment chain.
I'm more paranoid than you are. I created a separate email account to use for archinect so it can't be tied back to my real email.
I have a tongue-in-cheek email I use to reply to one-post-ponies for that reason too. I turn it on & off depending on who PM me.
I'm not worried about people stalking me online since my presences here is rather small. FB is locked down, my LinkedIn page is open to only limited people. I'm not any other social media besides this site. I don't post anything I wouldn't say to someone in person. Also I'm not that good looking that I'd get a stalker (joking).
As they shouldn’t be. A couple jackasses derailed that thread. Oddly enough, I don’t mean Balkins.
You mean me?
It’s the jackasses that make this place im(h)o, otherwise the circlejerk is just too much. [insert iconic Apple commercial here]
sure, the fringe opinions are fine. but hijacking a thread devoted to layoffs stemming from the coronavirus is extremely unhelpful for people who are looking for information regarding the subject. it's not different than someone moderating a panel discussion about a specific subject so that any random person can't just yell out their thoughts whenever they please. people seem to think that the internet's creation of a space where people are able to say anything they want all the time is a direct reflection of our reality, when in fact conversations are moderated all the time- whether through an actual person like the example i mentioned, through physical ques, office policies, or through a hesitation to be a complete ass to a person when talking to them face to face. so, no, hiding people's irrelevant comments on a very specific thread is not creating a circle-jerk per your words, it's focusing the conversation so it's actually fruitful.
i agree actually. i like the salty unintellectual bent of the commentariat, it's a good contrast to the aspirations of the editorial content.
+1 square. I can't help but point out that most of the stuff that got hidden would have been fine in the COVID-19 Thread Central discussion, but it was too far off topic for the lay-off thread.
Exactly - spout shit all you want, but do it in the right spot.
Is here the right spot? Asking for a friend. . .
Last I knew Thread Central was always the right spot.
I don’t know, square, it’s not really a conversation to begin with. it’s multiple monologues repeating the same thing over and over again, I thought the initial post that caused the stir was a breath of fresh air in a thread full of near-identical sob stories
randomised- are you going to a lay-off related thread for entertainment? quite a bizarre statement. i'm sure those who are concerned about their livelihoods and abilities to provide for themselves and their families, what you call "sob-stories," are worried about providing you some excitement. again, if that's what you're looking for go for it in another thread, not at the expense of people who are struggling right now
It is just people venting...and yes their struggles and concerns are sob-stories, or tear-jerkers, doesn’t make them less true or real, they are just depressing because reality is depressing...and if someone vents their concerns in a little bit different way, a bit more poetic or revolutionary, that is suddenly such a big issue? Come on...don’t blow this out of proportion.
I’m pretty sure I just yelled Fuck you! at my phone for not connecting to the 15-person Zoom meeting that my computer was already connected to and for which I had not yet muted my mic.
If that doesn't earn you Friday off for a four-day weekend, I'm not sure what will.
Too funny. I had nearly the same thing happen last week. The call kept asking me for my access ID. After typing it in multiple times and feeling my blood pressure rise, i shouted 'well, fuck off then I didn't want to join the call anyway.' to which someone on the call replied, 'i think you've already joined--we can hear you.'
gibbost that’s exactly what happened LOL.
Could of been worse. You could of been in the bathroom and thought you where on mute. :)
Was on the other side of that unmuted “conversation.” The camera went off, but bathroom fans are louder that what one would hope. That was the prelude to the rest...
That's unfortunate.
Tip: smart phones have an amazing ability to amplify the sound of urination while standing.
Marc, you maybe saw this already https://www.npr.org/2020/05/07/851826555/toilet-flush-heard-during-supreme-courts-conference-call
Well- there’s precedent for appropriateness, and it’s already been taken to the highest level.
Should it maybe be visible next to the username who moderates discussions on here, can be done very tasteful and minimal: randomised (moderator) or something like that.
I think most of the mods here are quite up front in their postings who they are. It's good idea though.
I'm not so sure. I think I've really only ever seen Paul, Donna and b3ta make reference to their moderating ability. Most of the other moderators I know of haven't advertised it.
“ Most of the other moderators I know of haven't advertised it.” exactly!
There are moderators here?
I thought it was just the big green head.
big green head.
That's the one! Now barf up my gunz!
Chad, I see you're a fine cinema connaisseur.
I always thought of this as the BGH
LOL at citizen's hidden comment above ^
Oh, dear. Hidden? Really? I'd better start putting my affairs in order.
NS - I'm all about the red mankini.
Any American Ex-Pats working in Canada now? Let me hear your kill scream!
randomized and FRaC:
On the Maya Lin thread: can you please just give it a break. This sounds to be someone who wants to do a serious project.
A serious project by excluding one gender completely? This is 2020 not the 1980s, I thought we're passed such openly blatant sexism already, apparently not :(
randomized I just don't fucking have time to deal with you today. Your use of "sexism" in the above comment is wrong. It's OUT OF DATE. The culture has moved beyond your use of that word in that way. I beg you: Go do some research about contemporary cultural norms because I, and tduds, don't have time to keep trying to teach you when your refuse to learn.
randomised, i'm so sorry you feel excluded from this student's project. disregard the fact that women have only been allowed to vote in this country for 100 years, but who's counting?
whatever...can't really learn if i'm excluded from the conversation because of my fucking gender now can I? Guess that deplatforming really does work, good job(!)
I guess randomised is an incel.
the fact that you think you're supposed to gain something from that interaction shows how self-centered and insecure your response is- the student is asking to learn from role models, which is their prerogative to choose who that might be. there's no anti-male conspiracy going on here. are you shedding your crocodile tears when kids look up to only male athletes at the exclusion of women, "deplatforming" as you call it (?) because that's who society has historically deemed more valuable?
randomised, upon hearing a child ask a question beginning with "Mom...," launches into a diatribe about how the kid is excluding people and others opinions and suppressing their right to free speech.
Seems like an excellent learning opportunity for randomised, actually. When claims like theirs are valid, we will finally have actual equality among genders. I hope we're headed there but we certainly aren't there yet.
Give it another millennia Wood.
random, take it as though she is doing a zoom session, where you only listen, learn, and can't comment.
Nice one Chad...very classy. Must feel really emboldened with all those thumbs up your ass, got to love the new feature Paul, you've created a monster.
On a different note, no I'm not an incel...but a happy father of two little boys that I have to tell that some people on archinect told them it is okay to be excluded from the conversation simply because of their gender. While I'm actually trying to teach them the opposite...my little boy who actually loves to dance around the house to Michael Jackson & Justin Timberlake, makes beautiful drawings (better than that fugly brick facade of yours Chad), and who happens to have his toenails painted red this week because he so looks up to his amazing mother, and she painted hers too. So fuck you Chad, I wish you 4 more years of Donald Trump and that your workspace and shortcuts reset to default.
Thanks b3ta, nice spin on it, good to keep in mind...but then what does the student get out of this transaction? She'll miss my invaluable input(!)
Rando, respectfully, there is a big difference between teaching equality and freedom of self-expression to kids than interjecting politics for the sake of politics in an otherwise benign discussion. You might as well have asked why not consider another monument/designer if that's the angle you're sticking with.
Not really Sneaky, couldn't be farther from the truth. I actually take care of my kids and raise them to be loving and caring individuals that respect both men and women equally. I took 6 months off after both my sons were born...stayed with them and cared for them and when their mother already had to go back to work I was there for them. And now both of us stay at home one day a week with them, so both of us are part of their upbringing and share the parenting equally. So there's that...I only have issue with the fact I couldn't even ask a question that I thought it was unfair and perhaps sexist to exclude men when discussing the impact of Maya Lins work, and I have to shut up and listen, just because I am a guy? And that my posts were deleted just sucks, censorship is never the answer, if you can't even discuss sexism ( or whatever definition of sexism is allowed on here)...that's not going to end sexism, it will only support the status quo. But apparently that is not (allowed to be) my problem.
I share the same parenting goals as you and often get compliments that I, as the father, take on such an involved role. (We have many dr. and therapists to deal with so many apps to share). That’s tangential to the point. What you’ve done is derail the basis of the posters hypothesis to make an unrelated point and then you turned it up to 11 in the same way the #whitelivesmatter crowd did a few months back.
Not really derailed I think, I only asked a seat at the table and asked if it wasn't sexist to only invite women. It was totally related until Donna didn't have the FUCKING TIME to school me (or something), I don't have screenshots and now it has all been censored and deleted. I do get angry when being censored, yes, and being wrongly accused of stuff also doesn't really help. Ah well, you should've been there maybe, or better not ;-)
rando - if you post crap that reads like a page from an incel playbook I'll call you as such. You can post what you want but part of that is dealing with the repercussions of others that don't agree with you. If you can't handle that then don't post such things.
what the student get's out of the transaction is two-fold; first, she get's to talk the group she solicited, and she gets to do that in way that isn't mansplained. you know, you are coming across as a guy that wants to explain to a young girl what it means to have a period, when her mom could do that. So unless women just drop off the planet, which right now they might want to, I'm going to pretend anything I might have to offer would be best delivered when solicited.
Chad, I didn't even know there was an incel playbook to begin with, you've been using this whole lockdown situation wisely or did you perhaps contribute to it? ;)
b3ta, maybe it is because I am from a country and a continent where it is totally normal for a father to take part in the upbringing of their offspring, where it is normal for men to take time off after they've become a parent, where there is much greater equality between men and women and governments take active measures to promote part-time working for parents, where there's very little tokenism. So when people try to school me about sexism, well you know, I'm simply lightyears ahead and it just rubs me the wrong way when people are excluded because of gender, you should be passed that already in the States...but instead you elect a guy like Trump. You know you can't fight the patriarchy by promoting a matriarchy, they didn't fight the enslavement of black people by promoting enslaving white people either. If you can't even criticise or question possible sexism coming from women, if you are censored for even daring to ask such a questions, that's just not helping at all and creates a divisive atmosphere rather than one of unity. But hell, maybe the US will get there one day too, fingers crossed!
Rando, I also hail from a land with superior social progress than our American friends. Regardless, gender is still an important variable and as much as everyone wants everything to be squeaky-clean... it's not. So let's not ignore this in favour of this very short censorship podium you're screaming from.
Time for a classic Simpsons throwback:
I'm not ignoring anything nor am I screaming, although I do feel like talking to a wall on archinect these days...I just don't like to be censored and deplatformed for obvious (reverse?) sexist reasons, that's all, and if only people would acknowledge that, that'd be great...And I'm not digging the hole, I've been pushed into the hole and they keep throwing dirt on top of me, but like the donkey in the pit I will get out eventually!
Ok, so that tack didn't work, let me try this. Teacher asked Audrey a question, Audrey's ready to answer, and random runs into the class and says I know the answer. You weren't asked, your hand wasn't raised, you don't get the privilege of responding.
But if the teacher only asks Audrey because Audrey is a woman and random is not allowed to answer, or not even asked (although he is in the same classroom paying the same tuition as everybody else) only because he is a man, but let's say Donna is allowed to answer only because she is not a man, that is still sexist. There is no privilege of responding, there's the privilege of banning responses solely because of gender, and the privilege of erasing questions that question such possible sexist practices.
It's a classic Simpsons morning folks.
.
How are you teaching anyone about respect when you can't even respect someone's request to hear from women without feeling personally attacked?
Oh, and if you're so censored and deplatformed why are we still being subjected to your inanity? Your victim envy is showing and it isn't a good look.
I don't feel personally attacked by that request but by the censorship that came after my questioning the request. And about that victim envy, I am the victim here, I'm the one being censored and got my posts removed(!) So yeah, nice one blaming and shaming the victim...
You're not the victim, I'm the victim!
But then again I am from a progressive utopia where everything is perfect. Maybe someday you'll be lucky enough to be from somewhere so great that merely mentioning it is enough to shut down any counter arguments. Maybe. Someday.
That day was yesterday
Damn, that just barely managed to fly over your head. You could have been KILLED.
OK, lets talk about something less icky . . ..
Exterior sunshades!
More specifically how much a pain in the arse it is to design and install them on your own home. Between keeping the better half happy, finding a way to keep maintenance low, and appeasing the home owners association I'm ready to not only pull out my hair but my beard as well.
Uhg. ::head - desk - thump::
home owners association? why bother with that load of nonsense. Glad I don't have one of those to deal with.
They are all over out here due to the strict water rights. Without a home owners association it's pretty much impossible for a new development to get irrigation water.
I'm pretty much forced into using wood. I wanted to do steel. Now I have to figure out a wood species and a good stain to protect it. :(
Why stop there? Go full perforated panel:
Chad - I've been spec'ing a lot of Black Locust lately.
NS - I'm sure both my wife and the HOA would love that.
atelier - never worked with black locust wood
Chad, it's similar in may ways to Ipe, but is native to the SE US, and is not endangered. It has very good natural insect and decay resistance, comparable to Ipe, Red Cedar, all-heart Redwood, etc.
I've been wanting to use black locust for years but haven't had the opportunity. Hard to get here in New England, but it's possible. I even planted a small grove for myself. Good for pollinators too. From what I've heard, it can be gnarly stuff, prone to twisting, checking and splitting. But if the trees were straight and it was carefully dried it will last forever.
composite? not trex, but I'm sure there's something nicer out there.
I've mentioned this before, but I've really enjoyed watching the progress of these guys (Stephen and Alix) in New England on YouTube building a wooden boat from scratch. They've mentioned using black locust for a variety of things in the boat. Most recently it was to create butt blocks for the planking. I do recall that it wasn't the easiest for them to source.
Another guy, Leo (a shipwright from England), has been restoring a wooden boat in Washington state. He's also been using black locust for some things, but I don't recall exactly what at the moment. If you're bored and looking for something to watch. I've found both channels extremely fascinating.
JLC-1, I looked at using composite and ran into a couple of issues. The first is the cost - the second is any manufacturer I talk to will not warranty their product for end supported use. I was basically told that the composite stuff will melt and sag in this heat. :(
FYI - Here is what we're doing for the sun shades. Don't laugh - it's still in progress . . .
2x4? have 'em run through a planer for nice crisp edges (that will splinter off if you don't buy good wood)
A thermally treated wood like Arborwood might fit the bill tho.
I always thought it was criminal that these stupid Home Owner's Associations try to regulate all this shit, but then they let the houses themseleves be constructed with shitty materials and cavity insulation (instead of exterior CI), use vast water-intensive plantings, and put the garages in the front where they kill street life. Anything to uphold the status quo! (not a criticism of your choice to live there, Chad, I know housing is extremely limited in Colorado)
Hadn't heard of Arborwood Sneaky, thanks. My office is always looking at Thermory or Kebony for this type of thing.
Yup 2 x 4's. They have the right massing and provide enough shade. I wanted to go with a metal fin type shade and have it powder coated but the wife and HOA where both like 'errrrrr'
This HOA is rather chill. They just have issue with the metal not fitting into the overall material pallet of the neighborhood. I find that odd since our home has corrugated metal siding that is intended to rust.
What's the penalty for not following the HOA?
All cedar? we've had a lot of issues with clear coats, make sure you put some tint or even paint them, UV up here turns those puppies black in a year.
JLC-1 - Cedar was just a placeholder. It actually dose quite well up here but you have to stain it every 2-3 years . I think that TMT wood archanonymous mentioned would be a nice choice. I jsut contacted Arborwood about more product information.
NS - I'm not sure about the HOA but my wife's penalty would be severe.
For finishes, I've had the older architects at work swear by the Sikkens Cetol 123 system. Longer lasting than most that require refinishing every 2-3 years. I've been told it should be more like 7 years with the Sikkens product. Downside I've heard is that it's not everyone's cup of tea in terms of aesthetics.
Edit: looks like PPG bought up the line...
Thanks EA!
+1 on the sikkens/ppg
(a YOUTHFUL +1, of course...I'M NOT OLD YET)
Care to comment on what the application process is like for the Sikkens/PPG is like? A typical opaque stain or thicker?
sim to other penetrating stains. our local siding provider offers pre-stained, so for my personal efforts, it's only been cut ends. the other product we've spec'ed is messmer's uv plus
also, consider semi-transparent in the "wood look" colors, in lieu of transparent
Thanks for the info. I will definitely use a semi-transparent on any wood in my area.
Looks good, Chad! I recommend using a rot-resistant wood with no finish. This one was reclaimed cypress: (https://www.ecocor.us/our-work/eastview-passivhaus)
Sweet air-con design solution.
Chad, I couldn't tell you anything the product data sheet couldn't for application ... my HOA requires us to paint all exposed wood on the exterior of our home. In the case of fences, we can paint it or leave it to weather naturally.
Haven't seen a passiv house with air-conditioning before, maybe the unit can be put on a similar wooden rack as the shading ;)
Sorry, I'm not sure what air conditioning design solution you're referring to? The house is heated and cooled with ductless mini-splits, a common approach in New England where I work--I've only seen one Passive House here in Maine without one.
The outdoor units are hung on manufacturer-supplied brackets, not my favorite solution because vibration can transfer through the wall, but these are 18" thick walls full of cellulose so not much gets through. The view shown is not visible upon arrival, and the house is 1/2 mile up a driveway on a mountainside so the aesthetics of the outdoor units was not important. The linesets run through a gasketed sleeve to maintain airtightness.
Together the house and studio use about $500 of electricity per year for all energy needs.
The house wasn't my design; I worked for the builder and supervised the shop drawings (panelized Passive House), including filling in a lot of missing details. I did design the porch and brise soleil.
WG, I was referring to the outside unit. One of my triggers is HVAC stuff that appears glued to the exterior on a well designed building. Seems odd to not give it some attention. Don't get me started on white PVC dryer vents in cladding... don't. 8-)
Got it, yeah not my favorite either. They are ubiquitous in my world and I've been trying to think of ways to make them look intentional, such as a full-height alcove built into the wall just for the outdoor units. In high performance homes we need one outdoor unit for each indoor unit, typically one on each floor, so there may be 2-3 outdoor units to deal with.
:)
I thought you were joking, but that actually looks great!
I’ll admit, it took me a minute or two to notice the change. Well played.
.
Where's the shadow?
Taken by the magic wand.
Bit late to the discussion, but regarding Black Locust, MVVA put together a report on this back in 2011 with related discussion at ASLA. At the time, it read like an industry growth report so it's interesting to hear of its mixed "adoption" since. Is it cost or as some referenced availability?
This new Cyrus wanker is my new favorite chew toy... too busy to really play tho. Now, who's alter-ego is this character anyways?
Ah... he/she was just nuked.
No shit...
well, consider me fooled then. That Cyrus chap had the same level of intelligence in their posts as you do.
Wow i just put on a collared shirt for a go-to meeting... and I'm wearing pants! First time both those things happened at once in like 70 days... feeling so professional!
Hmmm..... what are these mysterious "pants" of which you speak?
(found in future history textbook) prior to 2020, what we now call "overpants" were just called pants, and what we call pants were called "underpants". Some people remember there was a similar linguistic tradition in the former United Kingdom involving something called "trousers", but no one survivors have been found to confirm what piece of contemporary clothing this corresponded with.
I call 'em breeks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breeks
Since this began I'm calling anything on my lower body that involves a zipper or buttons "hard pants". Elastic or drawstring are soft pants. Yesterday I had to put on hard pants and I didn't enjoy it. When we go back to office work I think I'll just wear dresses.
I think I'm the only American who's still showering and putting on real clothes every morning. I just love my routines too much to go full pajama-casual.
I’m showering, but real clothes are non-existent.
My work to casual clothing ratio is 20:1
The Corona-mullet: business on top, party on the bottom.
We don’t need to know about your freeballin’
randomized, for an online panel discussion I wore a dress that was really too small for my current lockdown body, but the colors were exactly what I wanted on screen and they only saw my top half anyway. Style mullet.
Love the 'hard pants' designation, Donna. Ever since I was little I've hated 'hard shoes' that we had to wear to church, weddings, etc. Uncomfortable to run around in, never worn enough to really break in... but they were suitably dressy, so that settled that. My adult footing experience has long involved the search for comfortable shoes that manage to look good.
Might I suggest Redwing Iron Rangers or Thousand Mile Wolverines?
You may! I really like their looks... are they super-duper comfy?
Eventually. Takes a week or two of daily wear, but they eventually are more comfy than anything other than plush sneaks. If you take care of them and resole them when they need it (before wearing through to the insole) they can last pretty much forever. Even beat to shit they look great. There's a few threads and videos where people buy destroyed redwings and bring them back to wearable shape.
Great, Pete, thanks for the inside story.
i've got the Iron Rangers, need to get resoled.