#architecture process

Living, working and blogging in Seattle, it was only a matter of time before we felt obligated to post on floating houses. In doing our homework we spoke with Dan Wittenberg, president of International Floatation Systems Inc. (IMF), who was gracious enough to give us a bit of his time and expertise. In addition to designing and building floating homes all over the world, Dan previously lived in a floating home for 11 years. Here’s a bit of our conversation:

Are there any common misunderstanding that architects have about floating homes? Many architects think that we build hulls or vessels, but that’s not true, we build floating platforms. These platforms are solid construction made with a concrete shell and a Styrofoam core. The platform has positive flotation and will not sink under any conditions, whereas a hollow vessel can fill with water and sink. The technology is comparable to a cork in that it won’t sink regardless of how many holes you poke in it. What are the material options with a floating platform? The floating platforms are only built with concrete and Styrofoam; this is a common construction method that insures they won’t sink. It is possible to build a shell which offers interior space (like a basement) but since it’s possible for a shell to sink, insurance companies look at the situation differently. It is still an engineered product but has a different risk factor. Is there maintenance necessary for the platform floats? There is no maintenance necessary below the water line. Are the hulls made in Canada and brought down by tug boat? For a floating house in Seattle, yes – we build them in Vancouver B.C. and bring them down by tugboat.

Recrutement “Ingénieur Management de la Qualité Ferrage – Industrie Automobile” sur Rabat.

Le Engineering Quality Leader (EQL) ferrage s’occupe, spécifiquement pour les projets « ante »-RO : -Veiller à la définition d’une architecture process Ferrage conforme aux référentiels qualité (postes de contrôle et détection conformité). -Élaborer la liste des moyens de contrôle dimensionnel et assemblage,…

There is no doubt how the architecture is important to shape the solution and define its characteristics in the different architecture domains, and how this solution will be adaptable and dynamic to absorb new business needs and handle different stakeholders’ concerns.

In most architecture development processes, different decisions are taken in the different architecture domains. Architects may…

[All images by BUILD LLC]

As density within our cities continues to increase, our constant reach for daylight and view, and the continued success of the reverse floor plan, roof terraces are a frequent architectural element in the designs here at BUILD. We’ve included enough rooftop terraces in our projects that we’ve got a bag tricks, a handful of lessons learned, and a portfolio worth of…

This is a great question actually.

“Do I have to start designing with hand sketches and diagrams, or can I just go directly into 3d modeling and computer programs?”

The answer will really vary from person to person.  We all work in different ways, and honestly it is nice to switch things up every once and a while.  Here a few ways I begin in my design process.  

1. The Hand Sketch/Diagram

For me, I love hand sketching.  Any time I have an idea, I will sketch it out by hand in my sketchbook.  It is pretty effective in getting my thoughts recorded quickly.  I like to draw many iterations of the same idea and even try to make pieces of artwork and mixed media to enhance my drawings and promote divergent thinking.  I also write a lot.  I write key words and terminology into my designs to remind me what things mean, like writing — “Humility?” — next to a space that I want people to feel very humble.

This is a pretty unique trait to hand drawing.  It allows you to think differently.  The words give meaning to the forms and space.  When you are designing in Sketchup, you would have to stop modeling to write those things down, and then the ideas are kept in two different places.

2. 3D Computer Modeling

However, sometimes I have been thinking about my design for a week before I even start to work on it and I want to go directly into production mode.  I make a model in SketchUp to get my ideas into 3D form quickly.  I am able to get sections, plans, elevations, and perspectives from this.  The cool thing about this is that you can print out portions of your 3d model and draw over them to create hybrid drawings.  This gives you the best of both worlds.

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No matter what you do, or which method you decide to begin with, the basic principals still apply.  Determine a reason for doing.  Develop a parti or concept as a main driver, and continue to work that idea throughout the entire design process.  

An average project has:

A Vehicle - Your process and methods of construction.

Starting point - Your Parti or Concept.

Journey - Your experiments, trial and error, models, drawings, etc.

Pre-conceived Destination -  Idea of what you want it to be.