More Stuff You Probably Didn’t Know Architects Did

Since I spent about 14 years in a previous life as a design/build contractor, this stuff still feels pretty normal to me, but you probably didn’t know that fairly often as an architect I still need to bring a ladder and some tools to a jobsite.  I do a lot of addition/remodel and commercial  tenant improvement stuff so making sure you are integrating your design into the existing conditions in a rational and accurate (i.e., cost efficient) way is crucial to a successful design.  This means at least having to pop your head up into attic and crawl spaces to verify the existing structure, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems you are integrating to.  It can also mean having to pull various sub panel and other covers off to verify what is and is not available to you in the new design without bringing in upgraded utilites such as electrical, water, and gas which are twice as expensive to retrofit (think digging up streets to tie into already buried utilities) as they are to bring in to a new, previously undeveloped site .  It ain’t always, and often surprisingly infrequent, that I am sitting around the office sketching pretty pictures.