Oh, I'm totally with you on digitizing files, using cloud computing, etc. I pdf just about everything, too. And yes, I use 11x17 as a standard, but the legions of contractors and even building depts may only know how to operate with those large plots. I personally use reprographics places as needed but like you said, you and I are in the very small minority of "digital"/mobile architects.
I do agree product libraries are readily available online, but as you know, color accuracy is horrible onscreen and so physical libraries do help. Ordering them as needed is one solution, but man, it just slows down the design process waiting for those samples and brochures. In my school, we weren't isolated at all, in my opinion. We also had no walls, so 1st years and thesis years readily saw each others' works. I guess there are all types of us architects then. Good luck and keep me posted! Jerome ______________ BLANKSPACES "work wide open" www.blankspaces.com 5405 Wilshire Blvd (2 blocks west of La Brea) Los Angeles, CA 90036 323.330.9505 (office) On Sep 3, 2009, at 5:39 PM, .matthew wrote: > > Hello. > I am an architect interested in creating a co-working environment > available to all but focused on creative disciplines. I am doing > research on the various co-working options around the world and just > stumbled across this thread. > > Jerome, you have make some interesting points, but I can refute all of > them. > > Access/permanent space: A large majority of architects have fully > embraced the digital tools available to them and no longer need the > large amounts of real estate. I have access 24/7/365 to all of my work > as long as I have a wi-fi connection. I started storing -and > collaborating- online last year and it has changed the way I do > business as I now have access to all of my files wherever I am. I > quickly progress from the notes/sketches in my trusty Molskine > journals to Google notepad to SketchUp to Autocad. This method has > allowed me to considerably shrink my real-estate needs and is what > started me thinking about co-working in the first place. Permanent > space is important to architects who use that space as part of their > brand, but this is changing for the younger, more mobile generation of > architects. > > Spatial needs: I only see the need to print larger than 11x17 when I > near the end of the construction documents phase and need to > physically red-line (comb through and find errors) the work and then > again when its time to submit the drawings to the jurisdiction. I no > longer plot full size documents for clients/contractors, but rather > email a finalized PDF set to a printing company and the clients/ > contractors put in their own requests. THis method saves on overhead > for me and is cheaper for the client in the long run. The internet has > allowed me to abandon product libraries. It's easier to access current > information online and then request material samples on a project-by- > project basis than to deal with keeping a vast product library current > and paying the overhead for its footprint. > > So then, why aren't architects coworking? I think you hit it on the > head w/o knowing it when you mentioned that we isolate ourselves. We > were taught in school to compete w/ each other rather than collaborate > w/ each other. I have friends who are architects who will only discuss > so much about their projects or their own creative thought bc we've > been taught to FEAR each other. It's silly really, bc an original > thought in any industry is very rare. Everything is a mash-up of > something else now. > > Anyway, I hope this helps a bit. I am confident that I can find like > minded creatives that have enough confidence in themselves that they > can shed this fear, but I know that there won't be many architects in > that group. > > .matthew > maad.collective > www.maadcollective.com > > > On Aug 12, 7:24 am, Jerome Chang <[email protected]> wrote: >> I think the following, which we don't necessarily have in our biz >> model: >> 1. 24/7 access >> 2. permanent desks/offices >> 3. very affordable, even though at say, $500/month only translates to >> about 1-2 billable hours per week >> 4. large plotter. It'll be tough to justify providing this unless >> you >> get many more who'd need it. >> 5. a place for their books and product library, and even storage. >> This is a pretty large real estate footprint that they might not end >> up "paying" for. >> 6. large workspace for their model building, large drawings, etc. >> While they might be very digital, a lot is still on paper, and very >> large paper at that. >> >> I would say that collaboration, bringing people together, and all >> that >> feel-good stuff is ideal and beneficial. I just think that of all >> the >> office workers,architectswill consume relatively the most amount of >> real estate and resources, and will typically pay the least for that. >> Video editors might be up there, too, but at least you could upcharge >> them on their technology requirements like bandwidth, etc. >> >> Jerome >> ______________ >> BLANKSPACES >> "work wide open" >> >> www.blankspaces.com >> 5405 Wilshire Blvd (2 blocks west of La Brea) >> Los Angeles, CA 90036 >> 323.330.9505 (office) >> >> On Aug 12, 2009, at 12:41 AM, Ralf Lippold wrote: >> >> >> >> >> >>> Hi Jerome, >> >>> Thanks for your comments onarchitectsand their willingness to >>> join CoWorking spaces. >> >>> On Aug 10, 8:19 pm, Jerome Chang <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> Yes, you'd think coworking would be ideal, but they'd rather >>>> isolate >>>> themselves in a hole than pay any money for overhead. Such is the >>>> reality in GENERAL. >> >>> I wonder what is the "blind spot" that they are not aware of? >>> Bringing >>> all >>> the different entrepreneurs (architectsare for sure amongst them) >>> together >>> definitely will offer new work offers, especially as personal >>> relationships with >>> potential clients can be built in much more sustainable fashion. >> >>> Bringing different views together will have always have beneficial >>> effects on >>> the outcome:-) >> >>> What has to be offered in what way so thatarchitectsare highly >>> attracted to >>> CoWorking spaces? >> >>> Cheers, >> >>> Ralf > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. 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