That sentiment was expressed to me recently by a client while in the midst of a discussion about the renovation of her front entry and living room. She made the statement very matter-of-factly. It wasn’t surprising to hear it from her. Over the period of time that I have been working with her, she has gained a great appreciation for the ability to view her home 3-dimensionally. I always have my laptop nearby when meeting with her, just in case.
It’s an interesting challenge to convey the value of a design process that does not necessarily begin with the production of working drawings. There seems to be universal consensus that working drawings are the design process.
To me, a good set of working drawings/construction documents have a distinct purpose. They present a detailed description of a project written in a language that is understood by everyone involved (designer, client, contractors, craftsmen, inspectors, et al), and they offer tangible details regarding dimensions, connections, materials, etc. But as a design tool they are, at best, adequate.
Working drawings do not provide a profile of the shade patterns as the sun interacts with a structure during various times of the day and various months of the year. They do not afford unlimited, visual relative comparisons of materials and colors. And they cannot begin to afford important intangible information that allows one to achieve a sense of flow between spaces, or to attain an awareness of the qualities a space may offer to those interacting within it such as comfort, contentment and ease. Solutions to issues such as these need to be explored and established during the design phase that occurs before commencement of working drawings.
With my clients, I utilize 3D software to design their projects. This allows them to bridge the gap between concept and reality while at the same time revealing possible issues that might not otherwise become known until the construction phase.
Unfortunately, the importance of this phase has been minimized with the emergence of the phenomena of the big builder offering generally out-dated, impractical and inefficient floor plans, leaving the homeowner with few options. This approach has very little thought or energy dedicated to design. And, as a result, we now have an over-standardization of materials, homes that do not reflect the lifestyle of the homeowner, and a quality of construction that is suspect. What’s worse, we, as a culture, have accepted it.
I gleaned a small measure of satisfaction from my clients comment. Though, for most, making such a statement would require a small epiphany.
Dana W. Ball
Unfortunately, the importance of this phase has been minimized with the emergence of the phenomena of the big builder offering generally out-dated, impractical and inefficient floor plans, leaving the homeowner with few options. This approach has very little thought or energy dedicated to design. And, as a result, we now have an over-standardization of materials, homes that do not reflect the lifestyle of the homeowner, and a quality of construction that is suspect. What’s worse, we, as a culture, have accepted it.
I gleaned a small measure of satisfaction from my clients comment. Though, for most, making such a statement would require a small epiphany.
Dana W. Ball
