Defining Good Architecture

Architects like to blather on about "good design" and "great architecture" often without being able to explain what makes it good or great. Too often what we really mean is that a project is novel or innovative in a way that calls attention to the building (and the architect.) What we should do is define good architecture in terms that mean something to the consumers of architecture -- those that live, work, play and worship in our buildings.

At Blue Ridge Architects, we've developed a list of characteristics that we believe constitutes "good architecture." The list is a work-in-progress and we would appreciate your feedback and comments. Over the next weeks we will highlight each of the following values. Stay tuned.

At Blue Ridge Architects we believe architecture should be:

• Lasting
• Meaningful 
• Authentic
• Site-specific
• Progressive
• Well-crafted
• Simple
• Sustainable
• Functional
• Affordable

Choose a Person, Not a Process

If you are board member, staff or stakeholder in an educational, religious, or community service agency, the prospect of tackling a building project can be both exciting and daunting. As a leader in a people-focused organization, you will likely turn to an outside company to guide you through the building process. Terms such as “design-build”, “construction management” and “collaborative design” will be tossed around as architects and contractors vie for the opportunity to lead and manage your project.

As a steward of your group’s resources, there are seven fundamental questions you need answered. Rather than worry about selecting the right process – focus on choosing the right person. The person who answers them the most directly, completely and clearly is the right person to be your project leader.

Do we need to build? Sometimes there are creative solutions that can postpone or eliminate the need for a new building. The best project leader can provide you with tools to objectively analyze whether a building project is the best solution for your needs.

What should I build? Anyone proposing to lead you through the building process not only needs to understand what you do but what you need to do it better. Look for a project leader with an understanding of the trends that will shape the way you operate for the next 15 to 20 years.

How should I build? The technology of building constantly evolves. Increasing material and labor costs, sustainability concerns and the desire for energy efficiency are fueling innovative products and methods. From this myriad of choices, the best project leaders will help you select the systems and processes that are right for your region and project.

What does it cost? Early in a project there are many unknowns that make estimating cost difficult. Experienced builders are cautious for good reason. But the right project leader knows you need financial information to make strategic decision and he or she should provide you with appropriate financial projections along with the understanding of how to interpret and use that information.

How long will it take? In our fast-paced, need-it-now, culture, time is a more precious commodity than money. If your services are in demand, you want to minimize the disruption to your operations. Expect a potential project leader to explain critical milestones and how they will impact your operations.

How should I pay for it? Can the architect or contractor you are talking to connect you to fundraisers, potential grants or lending institutions? Does he or she know what those who will fund your project are looking for?

What will it cost to operate? For not-for-profits, operational costs often trump first costs. Make sure a potential project leader understands how debt service, operational and staffing costs will impact your annual budget.

Sometimes the right person to lead your project will be an architect; sometimes a contractor. But once you’ve found that person, you can have the confidence their company will build the right team and craft the right process to deliver a building of high value that will stand the test of time.

We have built Blue Ridge Architects to answer these questions. If you are growing, community-focused organization, give us a chance to earn your trust and business.

Decision Fatigue

Recently, during a meeting in the later stages of designing a building, we had a client say, “I can’t make all these decisions right now. Can’t we just get started and work all this stuff out during construction?” We’ve heard variations on this from other clients on projects ranging from new homes to commercial projects. These comments illustrate that people have different capacities and processes for decision-making.

The number of decisions needed to design and construct a building has multiplied exponentially over the past ten to twenty years. Increased regulation to protect public safety, protect the environment and make buildings accessible is part of the equation. The amount of technology woven into the building’s fabric also demands more planning and decisions. In addition to data, communication, security and life-safety systems, we now have the ability for our buildings to “sense” and monitor usage and adjust heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting accordingly. Overarching all this is the ever-increasing cost of materials and labor to construct a building. As it becomes harder to get financing for projects, Owners need to know exactly what a building costs as soon as possible. All of this makes swift, precise and thorough decision-making an essential part of the design process.

Decision-fatigue also manifests itself with our residential clients. Most people start with a plan book and contractor. The plan book gives them ample, but finite choices and, other than selections of flooring, cabinets and paint, they leave decisions about the methods and materials of construction up to the contractor. Architects seek to get the most value out of every aspect of a home, so we tend to examine every component of the house and ask, “Will this material or system deliver the best performance, value our aesthetic impact for our client?” We try to discern early on whether a client wants to make decisions about insulated or un-insulated crawlspace, OSB sheathing or SIS panels, 13 or 14 SEER heat pumps and so on. Many clients are satisfied to tweak the layout, get the windows in the right location, pick exterior materials, pick cabinets, plumbing fixtures, lights, flooring and paint colors and move in. Busy work and family schedules make it hard for them to handle much more.

Blue Ridge Architects works hard to balance a thorough and efficient process with the unique decision-making style of each client. We guide you through efficient decision-making by:

• Leading a collaborative process where the architect, contractor and key consultants and trades work together to make the right decision at the right time. This results in critical, accurate information for high-value decision-making early in the process

• Knowing the market -- Whether it’s commercial space to leased or building a home we know what layouts and amenities hold value over time. This produces a solid return-on-investment

• Scaling our services – We listen carefully to find out what is important to you, and provide only the services you need. If you just need a plan to get a building permit and will make decisions about finishes on your own, we price our work accordingly. If you need some conceptual ideas to take to a builder, we focus options and ideas rather than details. This minimizes the cost of our services

We believe that good decision-making is essential to good design. Crafting a customized process that is in-sync with needs and personality of our client helps Blue Ridge Architects consistently deliver projects with lasting value.

Working Point: Values in Architecture

[A working point is the location in plan and elevation from which all the dimensions for a building originate. Similarly, the location of any other point in the building should be able to be defined by x, y and z values relative to the working point.]

In the layout and design of a building if dimensions are not place properly on the plans, a simple mistake can make all the dimensions irrelevant. A common mistake is to thoroughly dimension a room or area of a building, but not tie those dimensions to some fixed reference – a “working point”. When this happens, there is no way to know where to begin building the rooms because there is no stated relationship or relevance to something beyond those rooms.

Too often we architects speak only to each other. We confer rewards on one another, we strive to have our projects featured in journals and on websites only other architects monitor. We fail to link the value of what we do to a working point or set of values that belongs to those outside the architectural profession and the building industry.

Dana Cuff, a professor at UCLA states in her book, Architecture: The Story of A Practice, that design is a social art and the successful projects will be seen as such by: 1) Stakeholders – clients, designers, builder; 2) The public – as represented by press and general opinion and 3) The profession – in form of awards and publication in journals.

Why use the concept of “working point” as the title for our blog? Blue Ridge Architects wants to demonstrate the relevance of architecture by linking it to things that matter to those outside the building industry. We seek to better understand what the public values. That said, architecture has a prophetic role as well – it needs to constantly, respectfully, remind the public that there is a better way to live. This blog will seek connect the power and potential of architecture to needs and aspirations of those who live, work, play and worship in the buildings we design. Please join the discussion.