Fall Reflections: Part 3

One of the more fulfilling aspects of being an architect is, at least sometimes, talking about being an architect. Some of this admittedly stems from a sense of pride in my projects, but at least a small portion of it comes from an intuitive, deeply-human acknowledgement of the good that can come from sharing about one’s career and passions – the chance to inspire the next generation of architects and designers to maybe, just maybe, make that initial decision to consider architecture as a future career path.

Recently, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to do this very thing with 6th grade students at St. Mary elementary in Sioux Falls. On a couple Friday afternoons this fall, we’ve made our way through the construction site of a new office and rectory that is being built for the church. While the project isn’t related to the school building itself, it has made a major impact on drop-off and pick-up operations, as well as having temporarily taken out a playground for a few grade levels. The students, thus, will hopefully develop a stronger connection to and appreciation for this temporary inconvenience, in addition to potentially inspiring the next future architect(s) and hopefully provide some practical overlap with classroom learning

Our first visit was late September. By this point the foundation walls had been poured and some areas were being backfilled. I talked about the basics of forces in a building and how the weight of roofs and walls make their way down to the ground, and why the shapes of the foundations are the way they are. I talked about the reasoning behind why they go so deep underground and the unique quality of water in how it expands when it freezes unlike most other substances.

Many of the students were intrigued by the little caps on top of the rebar sticking up, and so I talked about the forces of tension vs. compression, and how concrete and steel complement one another. They were also intrigued by all the underground plumbing that was popping up through the ground so we got to talk about utilities like water and sanitary sewer systems (what 6th grader doesn’t appreciate a little potty talk?)

We went back to the classroom and I was able to share some of the drawings from the project with them, talk about the overall design concept based on balanced massings around the main church and how the angle of the rectory plan is oriented toward the Marian statue and belltower.

On our most recent visit, a couple weeks ago, much of the framing on the rectory was complete, and they were able to see just how tall the rectory was going to be. Fr. Doty had joined the 6th graders on this tour, and he brought up a good question about solar angles. We talked about how the height of the rectory was capped so as not to cast too many shadows on the existing stained glass of the church throughout the year. One student asked if triangles were truly the strongest shapes, so we got to spend some time talking about roof trusses and forces that were running down to those foundations, now concealed, that we saw on our first visit.

Back in the classroom, I treated the students to a virtual tour of the 3D model in Enscape, hoping that the “video-game” like interface might appeal to them. We talked about furnishings, fixtures, and equipment versus items that are typically part of the construction of a project. Then, one of the teachers asked an important question… “Do you ever have to work with people you don’t get along with?”

Easy answer; yes.

But I couldn’t leave it at that. So I shared about common disagreements that architects have with contractors, and how those conflicts are usually resolved. I gave a case-in-point on the specific project and how I was frustrated with an issue that popped up earlier in the week. I could easily blame it on the contractor making a mistake, but I told them I had to recognize that the issue cropped up due to a lack of clarity on my end. With conflict, it is important to remember that when you point a finger there are three more pointing back at you. Important lessons, not just in architecture.

At the end, I asked how many of the students were possibly, after two visits, interested in architecture as a potential career. Over half the class raised their hand. We’ve got several more tours throughout the year, but so far, so good.

_{(All photos used with permission of Divine Mercy Pastorate and St. Mary Elementary).}