ARCHITECTURE VALENTINES
We think you’ll LOVE these clever valentines.
Call to Action: “Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again”?
It was 8:49 on Tuesday evening when an email notification came across my phone. I was watching a movie but decided I’d see what the email had to say. It was from a colleague regarding an article in the Architectural Record. The article by Cathleen McGuigan (editor-in-chief of Architectural Record) was about a preliminary draft of an executive order rewriting the Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture (a document written by the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan and issued in 1962 that mandates Federal architecture standards). According to Architectural Record, the new Guiding Principles will be rewritten and will be called “Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again.”
Myth Busted: Documents from Architect are not Direct Contractor Instructions
The Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice explicitly addresses the limited content of the architect’s drawings this way: “It is important that all parties understand that construction documents are not intended to be a complete set of instructions on how to construct a building. Construction means, methods, techniques, sequences, procedures, and site safety precautions are customarily assigned as responsibilities of the contractor to give the contractor full latitude in preparing bids and carry out the construction phase.”
Details Designers Notice
Image Credit: Watercolor of Villa d’Este Spring 2011 Liz Meyer I was waiting in the doctor’s office this morning in one of the exam rooms. I looked up at the ceiling and noticed the track for a curtain around the door. I saw diffusers (one supply and one return), a speaker, and a light fixture…
2019 Posts: A Year in Review
As we begin a new year, it is important to take a retrospective look at the previous one. We celebrate the high points and learn from the low. Happy New Year to our readers. We thank you for your continued support and can’t wait to read what 2020 has in store for Blueprint South Dakota and the architecture community. So, in case you missed it, here are the highlights from 2019.
AIA Architectural Media Scan
By Matt Tinder The AIA Media Scan is a daily email sent to AIA members and leaders showcasing 3-5 recent news pieces about architecture or issues impacting architecture. How it started As the publishing industry evolved at the beginning of this century, issues discussed in the media had an ever-growing impact on the way the…
Avera Addiction Care Center – Architect as Owner Representative
Within the last two weeks, Avera has started receiving patients at the newly constructed 32-bed inpatient addiction care facility located near the Avera Specialty Hospital on 69th St. and Louise Ave. in Sioux Falls. This 2-building facility has been completed in a time of need as our communities start to more openly discuss and address…
Architects in Space
My initial plan for today didn’t come together, so a quick, shareable, fluffy video post is on tap instead; One of my favorite designers, illustrates how, at the core, an architect’s skill set is valuable outside of the regular realm of professional practice – in this instance specifically, in regards to “systems” thinking at a…
A Debt to LEGO
When CNN (or any other mainstream news agency) shares something about architecture, I’m always interested. This was an nice “fluffy” find this weekend: https://www.cnn.com/style/article/lego-architecture-design/index.html I’m one of those architects who owe a debt to LEGO for sparking and fostering a curiosity about the built environment from an early age. This sentiment is fairly pervasive in…
When to hire an architect – This Old House
Happy November! The cold temps are truly upon is as we’ve seen this past week, and for me that gets me inwardly focused on my house as I get it buttoned up and ready for winter. Fall is my favorite time to look through one of my favorite magazines – This Old House. Recently I…