10 Classic Misconceptions of Architects

While every profession contains certain stereotypes, architects tend to be right up there with engineers when it comes to misconstrued notions. 

When you think of an architect, what is the first thing that comes to mind? We bet it is one of these top ten classic misconceptions that we have compiled below. While every profession contains certain stereotypes (and some may be valid), architects tend to be right up there with engineers when it comes to misconstrued notions.
Look at our list of ten classic misconceptions of architects to see if any are ones you hold, and perhaps consider if these are truly valid ideas or are they are myths that need to be debunked?

Look at our list of ten classic misconceptions of architects. Consider if these are truly valid ideas or perhaps they are myths that need to be debunked? Image Source: Hammer and Hand

1) Architecture Is For Men

There are so many misconceptions of architects, but perhaps this is the first one that should be debunked. While it is true that architecture is a male-dominated field, it is not true that it is a career solely for men.
Great female architects are finally getting their due attention with female architects such as Teresa Borsuk receiving the 2015 Woman Architect of the Year award.  Women certainly have a place in this field of design.

While it is true that architecture is a male-dominated field, it is not true that it is a career solely for men. Image Source: Manson

 2) Architects Are Wealthy

Sadly, this is not true. Despite the years of hardwork in school, all of their studies do not pay off in the sense of the bank balance. Despite the mainstream thought, architects are not paid like doctors, they earn a good income, but not one that will make them wealthy.
The median annual wage in 2013 was $74, 110 USD, with the top 10% earning $119,370 USD annually, and the bottom 10% earning $44, 930 USD annually. As you can see, you will certainly not be poor, but you won’t be wealthy either.

Despite the mainstream thought, architects are not paid like doctors, they earn a good income, but not one that will make them wealthy. 

 3) Architects Are Builders

Architects use tools but not hammers. Architects design the buildings, they do not build them. Their designs and blueprints are passed off to the builders/developers who then bring the design to fruition.
Yes, this requires a close relationship between the architects and the builders, but the final structure is created by the developer/builder. Should we mention the salary of a developer? No, that might depress the architects reading this.

Architects use tools but not hammers. Architects design the buildings, they do not build them.

 4) Architects Are James Bond Cool

While many architects don’t want us to debunk this classic misconception—everyone wants to be sleek and cool like James Bond—but architects are not the eccentric, cool, cigar smoking characters that the general public has envisioned them to be.
Sorry, they are just average people like the rest of us, sitting at desks (perhaps in a cubicle), hunched over computers, and usually working on the minute details of a project.

Architects are not the eccentric, cool, cigar smoking characters that the general public has envisioned them to be.

 5) Architects Are Introverts

Wrong! Architects can’t afford to be introverts—their design ideas would never leap from blueprint to reality if they were quiet and shy.

In order to have their designs accepted and taken seriously, and to have the builders follow their designs—architects must be loud and proud.  A shy architect will struggle in this field since the job relies heavily on communication skills with clients, designers, builders, contractors, public etc…

In order to have their designs accepted and taken seriously, and to have the builders follow their designs—architects must be loud and proud. 

 6) It Is A Glamorous Job

Becoming the next Frank Lloyd Wright seems glamorous, right? Yes, it must have been glamorous to be a famous architect who created some of the most ingenious structures, but this is not the reality for the everyday architect.
Most architects are busy working out the details; meeting city officials; trying to leap through bureaucratic red tape; dealing with building codes; constrained by a client’s budget, or visiting contractor sites—nothing about these tasks is glamorous. While some architects do have the chance to travel, it is not as common as some may think.

While it may be glamorous to be a famous architect, this is not the reality for the everyday architect. Image Source: Markoff-Fullerton

 7) Architects Are Creative Artists

While many architects entering school think they need amazingly creative artistic skills—it is simply not a job requirement. Architects do need to be creative problem solvers, but they don’t need the skills of Picasso.
In fact, a lot of their work involves basic geometry skills which are by no means creative. And Computer Aided Design (CAD) has pretty much taken over the pencil and paper, so most times architects are hunched over computers rather than drawing their own design.

Architects do need to be creative problem solvers, but they don’t need the skills of Picasso. 

 8) Architects Work Alone

Like most projects—architecture is not the work of one sole person—it takes a team. There are usually dozens of people involved in the larger projects (interns, modelers, the CAD designers, people in the field etc)
While most design firms have a managing principle: a person who facilitates the design; they are not usually the actual designers. Rather it is the lower totem staff who create the design, but sometimes the managing principle becomes ‘The Architect” who designed said building.  We see how this could be frustrating for the rest of the team. Just know that when you read in a magazine about ‘so and so was the architect’ , there was probably a lot more people involved than that one person mentioned in the article.

Like most projects—architecture is not the work of one sole person—it takes a team.

 9) Architects Can Get You The Materials

Architects design, as we mentioned above, they are not the builders of their designs; therefore, they are not brokers for the materials used in a project.
They can only suggest which materials are best suited for the design, and perhaps mention a possible source of such material to the builders, but the builders probably already have their own  material sources, and perhaps their own ideas of what materials will work best.

Architects design, as we mentioned above, they are not the builders of their designs— they are not brokers for the materials used in a project.

 10) All Architects Are Equally Qualified

They all went to school to get the same degree, right? So they should all be equally qualified for the task at hand? Wrong. Yes, architecture is a science, but there are numerous ideologies that can change the way an individual firm approaches your job.
Look to their individual past experiences: What are they predominant in–Commercial or housing or green design etc? Ask how they approach a job, what is their workflow process, what do their past projects look like? No two architects or architectural firms are alike, so choose one that best suits your individual needs.

Architecture is a science, but there are numerous ideologies that can change the way an individual firm approaches your job. Image Source: DTC Portland

Wow! There are a lot of misconceptions about architects. Do any of these ring true for you?  We think that despite all the ups and downs of this field of study, architecture still remains an amazing job whereby you can become well-known for your unique and creative design abilities.
What do you think the most common misconception of architects is?

Read more: http://freshome.com/10-classic-misconceptions-of-architects/#ixzz3XDFvyxgp
 

For consultations: www.architectwhyte.com

Design Workshop: The Shed Roof

This popular — and versatile — form straddles the divide between contemporary and traditional styles.

There are few architectural elements in a home that suggest “traditional” or “contemporary” as strongly as roof shape. Ask a child to draw a house and you’re likely to get a box capped with the classic gabled roof. So too the flat roof and its association with contemporary architecture. The shed, or single-slope, roof lies between. Neither entirely contemporary nor completely traditional, it brings to mind images of the woodshed or toolshed — classically informed, but contemporary in its utility.

For an architect, the selection and design of a roof form has less to do with signifying modern or traditional and more to do with determining what that roof can do for the interior space, how it can actively respond to the local climate and site conditions, and the specific requirements of the homeowner. The shed roof happens to be a particularly adaptable solution — and here’s why.

Structural Simplicity

Shed roof forms are inherently simple from a structural standpoint. The roof loads are transferred to the exterior walls, which either act as load-bearing walls or, as in this example, are supported by simple beams and columns. Depending on the interior room shape desired, the shed roof can transfer these loads to the bearing points using trusses, a combination of beams and purlins, or simple roof rafters spanning from eave to eave.

Each variation offers more or less interior detail. A series of regularly spaced rafters (spaced roughly 24 inches apart on center) across the ceiling here displays the structural logic and lends a richly textured cap to the room. It’s also great for a room’s acoustics.

Here the architect has hidden the structural framing to create a clean, minimalistic aesthetic that helps to maximize the amount of reflected light.

Choosing whether to express the structure inside has an impact on the insulation too. In this example the depth of the framing members can be filled with insulation, and it’s concealed by the ceiling finish. Exposed framing requires the insulation to be placed above the plane of the interior ceiling, resulting in a thicker roof build-up.

Site Responsive

When architects talk about a building being site responsive, we mean that its shape and layout are informed by the particulars of a given place. Depending on the site, that can mean many different things. A sloping topography, distant views, a significant boulder or tree, the climate and solar exposure are all things to which we can respond, and the shed roof offers unique opportunities for each.

Topography. Mirroring the surrounding topography with the roof form, as this project does, reduces the scale and visual impact of a home on the site. It fits an overall idea about fitting a home to a place.

Using the roof form to oppose the slope distinguishes the building form and opens up different spatial opportunities. Here it’s used to insert two full floor levels on the downhill side.

Passive solar. The shed shape is an efficient means of addressing a given latitude’s solar concerns. In northern climates, positioning the low eave of the shed toward the north minimizes the building’s surface area and heat loss on a cold exposure. The tall wall — the shed’s peak — would face south to collect the sun and passively heat the space.

In hot climates the shed can be oriented to minimize heat gain from southern and western exposures while still permitting plenty of indirect daylight.

With large amounts of south-facing glass, special care must be taken to prevent overheating. This is true for all climates, as these windows can introduce great quantities of heat into a home year-round.

Adding louvered slats to the exterior, as in this project, can thoughtfully modulate the heat gain. The slats here are designed for a specific latitude to cut off the high angle of the summer sun and admit the low angle of the winter sun.

Using an interior light shelf with a shed roof is an excellent means of controlling both daylight and heat gain. The shelf helps to diminish the scale of the tall exterior wall and provides a comfortable frame of reference near eye level inside.

Overhangs are another passive design element that can help keep the heat from reaching the interior. They can be sized to shield direct heat gain during the hottest parts of the day while allowing light in and views out. This large overhang with expressed framing is a thoroughly modern, honest and functional aesthetic.

Daylighting (clerestories). With its raised peak, the clerestory window band is one of the most common types of glazing used with shed roofs. They make passive solar heating and daylighting strategies possible.

With floor-to-ceiling glass, the roof appears to hover and the entire room seems to be a part of the outdoors. The more daylight we can capture, the less we have to rely on artificial lighting sources.

Weather protection. While we can design any roof to adequately keep out the weather, the shed has a few benefits that other shapes don’t. The wedge shape has a clear front and back side that can be used to buffer prevailing wind patterns, and to direct water and snow away from walkways, entry points and gathering places. In this way the roof form delivers on its name, shedding the undesirable elements from the places we use most often.

The depth of the roof overhang affects just how much weather the nearby interior spaces are subject to as well. Deep overhangs can help mitigate the risk of water infiltration, especially at the more vulnerable large glazed areas we see in many of these examples.

Rainwater harvesting. While the roof protects, it can also provide. It can efficiently gather rainwater and direct it to a single point of collection to be used for irrigation, or can simply channel it away from the building’s foundation.

Directional (views). The form of the roof as viewed from inside naturally directs our eyes up and outward. Here the roof is used as a dynamic directional element, focusing us toward a spectacular view. Contrast this with gabled and flat roofs, which are inherently more static and inward looking.

This directional effect can be leveraged to refocus interior spaces away from less desirable views (or neighbors) and toward more optimal ones.

Roof Slope
The slope of the shed roof has important design impacts. For any given horizontal room dimension, there’s a delicate balance between the shorter structural members required for a lower slope and the longer structure required for a steeper slope. Longer spans require deeper framing members, heavier sections or both. When the roof plane becomes thick, it can feel too heavy and hat-like. This project maintains a lean section befitting the proportions of the thin architectural elements used elsewhere.

The roof slope affects the headroom at the high and low eaves inside, as well as how grand the space will feel.

It’s good practice to consider the slope alongside the building’s latitude to achieve the optimal solar exposure, as discussed earlier. Steeper pitches are better in higher latitudes; lower pitches in lower altitudes.

Steep sheds require careful planning inside to maintain headroom clearances at the eaves. In snow country very steep pitches will shed snow even if they’re shingled. Remember to take this into account and use the shape to do the shoveling for you.

With this shed, attic space has been traded for living space, opening up some opportunities, like the loft seen here.

Materials
The roof slope has a direct effect on the materials a shed roof can be covered with. Any slope less than 2 inches in 12 inches is considered flat and must be waterproofed as such. Slopes between 2:12 and 4:12 are generally considered low slope, while those between 4:12 and 12:12 are considered conventionally sloped. Each roof material has its own limitation with respect to roof slope, beyond which it’s either not advisable to use, or special procedures must be followed to install that material. Having said this, with the right budget, (almost) anything is possible.

Modern and Traditional

The formal ambiguity of the shed roof can be a real benefit to those who prefer the look of a more modern aesthetic but aren’t willing to fully embrace the idea of the flat roof. The shed form has both a traditional identity and a contemporary feel, which is why it’s such a widely embraced and versatile design element.

Eric Reinholdt

Houzz Contributor, Residential Architect, Founder 30X40 Design Workshop

Thinking "Sustainably"

 

Building construction and operations can have extensive direct and indirect impacts on the environment, society, and economy, which are commonly referred to as the 3 P's ('People', 'Planet', 'Pocketbook').

The field of sustainable design seeks to balance the needs of these areas by using an integrated approach to create win-win-win design solutions.

The main objectives of thinking sustainably are to reduce, or completely avoid, depletion of critical resources like energy, water, and raw materials; prevent environmental degradation caused by facilities and infrastructure throughout their life cycle; and create built environments that are livable, comfortable, safe, and productive.

Buildings use resources (energy, water, raw materials, and etc.), generate waste (occupant, construction and demolition), and emit potentially harmful atmospheric emissions. Building owners, designers, and builders face a unique challenge to meet demands for new and renovated facilities that are accessible, secure, healthy, and productive while minimizing their impact on society, the environment, and the economy. Ideally, building designs should result in net positive benefits to all three areas.

In addition to including sustainable design concepts in new construction, sustainable design advocates commonly encourage retrofitting existing buildings rather than building anew. Retrofitting an existing building can often be more cost-effective than building a new facility. Designing major renovations and retrofits for existing buildings to include sustainable design attributes reduces operation costs and environmental impacts, and can increase building resiliency. The embodied energy of the existing building, a term expressing the cost of resources in both human labor and materials consumed during the building's construction and use, are squandered when the building is allowed to decay or be demolished. (http://www.wbdg.org/design/sustainable.php)

While the definition of sustainable building design is constantly changing, six fundamental principles persist.We'll look further at these axioms in our next post. Stay tuned...