It is a crazy thing, the relationship between an architect and his or her pens. We all have our favorites. We all have those we loath. This article from NY Magazine popped up on my news feed this week: 100 Best Pens Oh, the joy! I’m like a kid in […]
What an Architect does
64 posts
It is that time of year. The trees are dropping their leaves. There is a crispness in the air. Mountains of enormous turkeys have appeared in the grocery stores. Pumpkin spice has permeated almost every food group. Yup. It is Thanksgiving week! I want to take this opportunity to offer […]
The question is often asked, if not out loud, at least in people’s minds, “what does an architect do?” Most of us don’t have any experience dealing with architects. Sometimes we see them on TV or in the movies. The work in barns and talk to horses (Mr. Ed), or […]
What do architects do when they travel? Mostly we look at buildings. We want to see something wonderful, beautiful, different. We want to see how problems were solved in elegant ways, or how materials were detailed. We want to be inspired. I was in Boston for a day recently. I […]
You have been thinking about remodeling or adding on to your house. You called you’re local building department and described what you wanted to do. They said, “You’ll need plans prepared by an architect for that in order to get a permit.” You had a contractor come over to discuss […]
I was flipping through my sketch books looking for something, and found this page. I paused to look at it. I don’t recall sketching these ideas out. Given the title of the page, I was clearly just getting an idea out of my head and on to paper. Some times […]
The American Institute of Architects (AIA), one of the professional organizations for architects, has a program they call “look up” to encourage non-architects to look up at the buildings around them to see what architects do. I recently had reason to visit the San Francisco City Hall, to record a […]
I recently took on a project helping a client who had started work without a permit and was consequently sighted by the local jurisdiction. It turned out that the scope of work he was performing did not require a full set of drawings, just a site plan. Easy-peasy, I thought. […]
I have shared images of this project before. We are wrapping up schematic design right now. The design we came up with worked very well, but came in over budget. Working with the Church to set and determine their priorities, they determined that the new structure that will define the […]
People have preconceptions about what architects do. Some people think we are “diva designers” who swoop in and impose our personal style on others. Some people think that all we do is draw, making pretty pictures of buildings. Some people think we work in barns and talk to horses (Mr. […]
The San Francisco Building Department sponsors an event called the San Francisco Seismic Safety Fair. This year the fair will be held this Wednesday, June 13. It is being held at the Bill Graham Auditorium at the Civic Center from 10am until 4pm. The fair will have exhibitors from various […]
The process of getting a permit for construction in the Bay Area can be onerous, lengthy, and seemingly expensive. Believe me: I know. Helping people get permits is part of what architects do. The degree of onerousness, how long it can take, and how expensive it will be will vary […]
It isn’t all accessory dwellings and roses here in my studio. I also take on some other types of work, including Accessibility consulting. Right now I am helping a client complete the audit forms for San Francisco’s Accessible Business Entrance Program. The Accessible Business Entrance Program is San Francisco’s way […]
I try to keep up with technology. I am a luddite at heart. I just need a good book, a sketchbook, and fountain pens to be happy. I am also a realist. Technology makes my life easier. Keeping up with technology is essential to ensure that my work is the […]
This post is my digital May Basket for you! There was a time, like when I was growing up, when on May 1st, we would go and hang home made baskets full of flowers on the doors of friends and neighbors. It was a way to welcome Spring by offering […]
One of the things that architects do is provide site inspection services. In most cases, when we go to visit a project under construction, we are there to observe. If we see anything that is not according to the documents, we raise the issue with the contractor and with the […]
UPDATE (4/18/18): After much wailing and gnashing of teeth, this is it: my new website design! Woo hoo! It looks pretty darn good, if I say so myself. I still may tweak a few things as time goes by, but for now, we’re done. Welcome to my interim website. If […]
Last week, I wrote about three different kinds of sketches that architects do. I mentioned that I would share the computer drawings that the drafter created from my hand sketches. Well, here they are! These drawings are done in a computer program called Revit. Revit is a Building Information Modeling […]
I’ve had my head down, literally at the drafting table, working on the design of a couple of projects. One is a small backyard cottage for a client in Berkeley. The other is some improvements and expansions for a church in Oakland. I have been spending lots of time sketching. […]
You may have heard about accessory dwelling units – sometimes referred to as ADUs, Secondary dwelling units, or in-law units – and you’ve been wondering if you could build one at your property. But you don’t know where to start. Here’s what you can do: Call your local Planning or […]