Category Archives: Architecture
Posted in Architecture | Building Systems | Communication | Communities | Economic Development | Innovative Solutions | Marketing | Project Management by Brad Breneisen (Graphic Design) on March 17, 2011
As I sat in a nearby fast food restaurant underneath a suspended 750+ hp NASCAR enjoying a meal that was prepared with the speed of a pit crew it seemed somehow…unbelievably appropriate! As I searched for an explanation, I kept coming back to core values, brand relevancy, and successfully exposing common ground between a global brand and a local community.
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Posted in Architecture | Building Systems | Communication | Employees | Initiatives | Leadership | Professional Development by Stefanie JH English, PE (Structural Engineering) on November 2, 2010
Photo: LDG’s Leadership Academy kicks off with some team building activities during a three-day retreat.
© Aitken Leadership Group
Let’s think about the stereotypical “engineer” for a moment. What comes to mind? Intelligent? High achiever? Introvert? Confident? Poor communicator? Egotistical? Stubborn? Risk averse? These might make you think of the four friends on the show “The Big Bang Theory.” While these traits may not be shared by all engineers, certainly many of us can relate to the caricature.
Fortunately, being a confident high-achiever can serve a person well as he or she progresses through a career. Unfortunately, some of the other traits common to folks in technical careers can be limiting. For the people that got into engineering because they don’t like to deal with other people, the reality of the job may have come as a surprise. How do you get your brilliant design built if you can’t explain what you need to the contractor? If you alienate your client, how do you get more work? Business relationships still come down to the human beings conducting the relationship, and it’s important to have an understanding of how we tick.
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Posted in Architecture | Building Systems | Communication | Economic Development | Site Design & Land Development | Urban Development by Brad Breneisen (Graphic Design) on September 17, 2010
Photo: © Nina Chantrasmi
Wayfinding is all about orienting people within a space. It tells you where you are and helps you get where you’re going without droning on and or repeating itself – it’s like a good tour guide – it’s friendly and hopes to see you again soon. It can be as small as an address on your stationery or as large as the Golden Arches.
Wayfinding doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves, but it’s not our fault. Good wayfinding is often subtle in order to be effectively integrated into an existing or designed environment. The complementary nature of wayfinding frequently allows itself to be conveniently dismissed as we go along on our busy way. It doesn’t expect a tip.
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Posted in Architecture | Building Systems | Codes & Regulations | Housing by Stefanie JH English, PE (Structural Engineering) on September 1, 2010
Photo: © Jason Nelson
At the end of 2008, I responded to a call for volunteers. The assignment: serve the Commonwealth of PA as an engineering representative on the yet-to-be-formed Uniform Construction Code Review and Advisory Council. The primary focus of the group would be to consider the International Code Council’s 2009 edition, providing recommendations for exclusion of any new provisions introduced. At the time, I had no idea what I would be getting into.
Soon after the council was formed, I began to hear about “the big issue” – residential fire sprinklers. Being a structural engineer, this was not something I was particularly concerned with. It seems that I was not the only one; more than once when talking about “residential sprinklers” the person with whom I was speaking thought that I meant lawn sprinklers, not fire sprinklers. I’ll admit, when it was explained to me that one of the new provisions in the 2009 International Residential Code required fire sprinklers in every one- and two-family home, I thought it was ridiculous. It sure seemed like a lot of effort and expense. Was this really necessary? What’s wrong with how we’ve been building homes for decades? Well, I figured, this is a no-brainer. I can’t support a provision that doesn’t make any sense. This must be so narrow an issue that we’ll breeze through it during our review meeting…
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