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If you have ever wanted to learn computer-aided drafting (CAD) or Building Information Modeling (BIM), I will again be teaching both beginning AutoCAD® and Revit® Architecture at Carroll Community College starting February 1st. Both will be happening on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The BIM course will be from 10:30am to 12:25pm, and the CAD course will run from 6pm to 7:55pm. Sign up today!
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| Architectural Jargon | Architects, like many specialists, have a vocabulary all their own. We hope this regular column will aid you in the translation. This month's theme: code terms.
Air Gap
A physical gap in drainage piping which prevents sewage from backing up into a plumbing fixture.
Authority Having Jurisdiction
A building official, fire marshal, inspector, or other governmental reviewing agency charged with enforcing the building code.
Bearing Wall
A wall supporting any vertical loads in addition to its own weight.
Braced Wall Panel
A full-height portion of wall intended to resist structural shear forces.
Combustible Material
A material that will ignite and burn.
Combustion Air
Air provided for fuel- burning equipment (as opposed to the general interior atmosphere).
Conditioned Space
Space within a building provided with heating and cooling equipment or systems which maintain interior temperatures of at least 50° F during winter and less than 85° F during summer.
Dead Load
Weight of materials incorporated into the building, including floors, roofs, ceilings, walls, windows and doors, and fixed equipment.
Escape Opening
A window or door sized to allow escape in the event of an emergency.
Exit
An opening to a protected passageway leading to the exterior. Generally, at least two separate exits are required from each occupied floor level in a building.
Fenestration
Windows (fixed and operable) and doors (including skylights).
Fire Rating
Measurement of the time it would take a fire to burn through an assembly (floor, roof, wall, door, or other) designed to resist its passage.
Flame Spread
Propagation of flame across a surface.
Habitable Space
Space in a building used for living, sleeping, eating, or cooking; not including bathrooms, closets, hallways, stairways, or utility spaces.
Live Load
Structural loading imposed on a building by its use, including occupants and furniture, but not including dead loads or those imposed by wind, snow, earthquake, or flood.
Opening Protective
A fire-rated door, window, or other covering over an opening in a fire or smoke barrier.
Smoke Barrier
Walls, floors, and ceilings designed to resist the passage of smoke.
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We hope you enjoy this monthly newsletter.
You are receiving it due to your professional or personal relationship with our firm. We want to keep you informed not only of what's happening at our firm, but in the world of architecture as we see it.
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Project of the Month
Many prospective clients ask whether we specialize in either residential or commercial projects. The answer is that we design both, but really enjoy unique projects.
The clubhouse at Carroll Vista, the "active-retired" community east of Taneytown, Maryland, is this month's project. At 15,000 square feet on two floor levels, this multi-use building contains a community meeting room, a social area, offices, a crafts room, a workout area, an aerobics studio, an indoor pool with locker rooms, and even an indoor golf simulator.
To the rear, visiting grandkids can entertain themselves in the outdoor pool, overlooked by the long deck and a large screened porch.
Visitors enter through the large porte cochere; its vaulted ceiling extends through the entry lobby to the arched window in the rear wall. To the right are the meeting rooms. A stair and elevator lead to the exercise areas on the lower level. To the left, the social room (see below) is like a large, comfortable living room; windows flanking the fireplace look down into the indoor pool. |
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Want To Try Designing Your Own House? (pt. 5)
This is the fifth (and last) in a series of notes on house design I've written for my architectural BIM class at Carroll Community College. Please see the previous months' articles for the earlier paragraphs--or, read the full article on our Facebook page.
Bathrooms: A minimum-sized bathroom would measure 5' × 8', and would contain a 5'-long bathtub, a water closet, and a small sink or vanity. Larger bathrooms may contain a larger tub (perhaps with whirlpool jets), a separate shower, a dual-lavatory vanity, a bidet, and a separate linen closet. A mirror should be placed above the sink; this may be combined with a medicine cabinet. Water closets and bidets may be placed in a separate alcove for privacy; there should be a minimum clearance of 15" from the centerline to any sidewall, and 24" in front of the bowl. Common shower sizes range from 30"×30" (very tight) to 36"×48" or larger; these can be either standard molded fiberglass or acrylic, or site built using ceramic tile. Standard vanity cabinets are often smaller, at 21" deep × 30" high, than kitchen cabinets. If designing for wheelchair accessibility, see separate recommendations.
Style: Homes are designed and built in many styles, both historic and contemporary. What many realtors lump together as "Colonial" can encompass distinct styles including Saltbox, Cape Cod, Georgian, Federal, Greek and Gothic Revival, Italianate, and others. "Victorian" can also include the later Queen Anne, which itself includes Stick and Shingle Styles. More recent domestic styles include Prairie, Craftsman, Bauhaus, Art Deco, International, Modern, and Post-Modern, among others. Confusing the issue further, many houses are designed using features from more than one style. Whichever style you choose is up to you, but be aware of the limitations each style imposes on your design: many require symmetry or other features which may require you to think about the exterior form of your house before the interior functions have been properly organized.
Sustainable Design: The contemporary ideal of sustainability requires architects to consider the resources used to build and maintain their buildings. From site selection to water use, to energy and materials, to indoor environmental quality, all factors must be weighed. Though thoughtful design, increased insulation, and more durable materials may cost more initially than the standard approach, in the long run their lifetime energy footprint will be much less. For more information, please see Green Home Guide.
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Why Hire an Architect?
If you desire a building or space that will be designed to answer your specific needs, an architect is the first person to talk to. A skilled architect is experienced at listening to your goals, translating them into language your builder can understand, and coordinating the disparate parts that go into every building. Unlike others who may claim to offer the same services, architects are trained and licensed to design buildings that satisfy without compromise all of the criteria for success:
- Functional efficiency
 - Structural stability
- Aesthetic superiority
- Durability of materials
- Economy of materials
- Safety
- Comfort
When you decide to start a project, involve your architect as early as possible. Talk to other owners who have developed similar buildings. Contact the American Institute of Architects, lenders, real estate agents, and your building permits office for recommendations of reputable local architects. Ask for references and representative buildings they have designed. And you may want to read through You and Your Architect, a helpful introductory publication.
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We hope you've enjoyed our newsletter. If you have comments on anything you've read here, please drop us a line. And of course, if you have a project in mind you'd like our help with, let us know that too. We'd love to hear from you! Sincerely, Dean R. Camlin, AIA, LEED® AP
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