1. The Architect
it is late
and they have all gone home
a small walnut desk corner
chamfered from years of tight spaces
juts out from a collection of memos
reports and hastily scribbled notes
that will become encrypted in a few days
if he forgets to pay them attention
he brushes the drafting table clean
with a horse hair brush
worn to nothing in the front
and pulls the light arm down
clicking the switch twice
the drafting light found in the corner
of the basement on his first day
thirty years ago
illuminates his space
as he shuts down the computer
and covers the monitor
with the yellowed drafting table cover
closing his eyes for a moment,
the quiet begins to seep
into his pores
the indented callous
of his middle finger
perfectly fits
the flamingo pencil
as he begins to sketch
on the yellow trash
at first they are but faint trails
exposing the transparent paper’s tooth
he is searching for the path
that soon begins to show itself
although an hour later
it is proved false
but no matter
another soon takes its place
they are all greedy tonight
suddenly the form emerges
and a butterfly is carried on the wind
but he knows the truth
that months will pass
and the client will talk
about budget and compromise
about matching the old
about straight lines
and ask why he did this and did that
he will lie
and tell them about
function
context
and economy
still they will shake
their heads
so he will tell them
the truth about
form
feeling
scale
conflict
and resolution
they will talk about
architects building monuments
and laugh as they
sharpen their knives
before they clip its wings
and watch them flutter
to the ground
as the butterfly finds a quiet death
sometimes his own people
will hold the body down for them
and later talk
of profits
of schedule
of the need to move on
as always
he will acknowledge them
but knows they are all fools
and lives for the day when
the computers crash
the plotters and printers blink error
messages
the power fails
and their world comes to a stop
he will light a candle
take out his flamingo pencil
pull out the yellow trash
roll up his sleeves
and smile
because the butterfly is free at last
Gilbert Oran Nicholson, Jr. – 1999
2. Less is Never More
Refine Your Design And Save Cost:
Architecture doesn’t have to be expensive to be beautiful
or highly functional.
Discover how refined architecture can cost less
and be more defensible to the VE process.
Ron Semel, AIA, CPE
3. • Part 1: What is “Refined Design”?
Answer: One that is On Target
» Targeting Design Complexity
• Part 2: Where is Your Design Vulnerable?
Answer: Where it is Off Target
» Targeting Individual Costs
» Targeting Overall Cost
• Part 3: Examples
• Part 4: Types of VE
» Good (Improvements)
» Bad (Swaps)
» Ugly (Decreases)
» Hideous (Redesigns)
4. Excerpt From a
Previous CPSM
“Good architecture can be achieved simply by
good design, which implies sensitivity to scale,
massing, proportion, materials, detail and even
color – none of which necessarily cost more”
Melvin Stanley Krause Jr., FAIA
Former Chairman of the Commonwealth’s Art and Architectural Review Board
5. CPSM Section1.4
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY Excerpts
• Agencies shall ensure their architects and engineers exercise discipline in
their designs to avoid inefficient use of space in terms of floor area and
building volume. Exterior design features and materials should be
consistent with the architectural character of the surrounding buildings and
site.
• Excessive or grandiose features which are not related to the function or
the intended use of the facility shall be avoided.
• Projects must be designed by the A/E to meet the functional and space
requirements within the “design-not-to-exceed” budget for the project.
7. Counterpoint
“Where simplicity cannot work, simpleness results.
Blatant simplification means bland architecture.
Less is a bore.”
Robert Venturi
Complexity and Contradiction In Architecture
Part1:WhatisRefinedDesign?
21. Morphing of Project During Design
I know a project that came in to the Schematic Phase like a Library
and went out like a Car Dealership.
Part2:WhereisYourDesignVulnerable
22. Watch For Program Creep
Part2:WhereisYourDesignVulnerable
@ Schematic @ Preliminary
64. What is Value Engineering?
“Value engineering seeks to remove the "fat" and "frills" from buildings by eliminating
unnecessary or overly complex elements, trimming away unnecessary quantities of
materials and scaling back materials that are excessive in quality and expense.
At its best, value engineering is holistic, comprehensive and balanced. It optimizes
building design without compromising functional, structural, environmental or aesthetic
attributes. Responsible value engineering achieves proper equilibrium between
appearance, durability, utility, technical performance, initial capital investment and life-
cycle energy and operating costs.
At its worst, value engineering simply cheapens buildings.
When lowering initial capital investment is the dominant or only goal of value
engineering, it easily can strip buildings of their architectural quality and, in fact, reduce
rather than enhance operational performance.”
“architects will continue producing work susceptible to hack-and-slash value engineering.
Only when they build a solid case for their design ideas, a case that makes sense for all
who are not architects, can they get their way.”
VALUE ENGINEERING: WHERE BEAUTY AND BUDGET SOMETIMES COLLIDE
By Roger K. Lewis January 24, 1998
Part4:TypesofVE
66. From To $
Delay concrete
pour
April $125,000
$1.10/SF
Good VE (Improvements)
From To $
Custom lab
casework
Standard lab
casework
$450,000
$3.90/SF
From To $
Terminal &
Package Units
Boilers/Chillers/
VAV
+ $27/SF
From To $
Non-compact
building footprint
More compact $35/SF
Part4:TypesofVE
68. From To $
Barrel Vault
Ceiling
Coffered Ceiling $134,000
$1.34/SF
Bad VE (Swaps)
From To $
Terrazzo VCT $220,000
$1.83/SF
From To $
Elevated Slab Slab-On-Grade $143,000
$2.67/SF
From To $
Four-pipe system Two-pipe system $317,000
$4.18/SF
Part4:TypesofVE
69. From To $
Sunscreens Half Sunscreens $22,000
$0.58/SF
Ugly VE (Decreases)
From To $
2x2 Lights 2x4 Lights $12,000
$0.32/SF
From To $
Barrel Vault
Ceiling
Cove Ceiling $134,000
$1.34/SF
From To $
Eliminate
Clerestory at
Library Stack
Area
No Clerestory at
Library Stack
Area
$168,000
$3.14/SF
Part4:TypesofVE
71. Recap:
1. Identify your target early
2. Stay on target when it moves
3. Don’t exceed your target
4. Parts vs pen strokes
5. Architects as estimators
www.aspe-richmond.com
