Figure 1609 from the 2006 IBC
I recently did a design for a project in South Carolina, and as is always the case when we do work in areas that are hurricane prone, we researched the need for impact resistant windows. The building code is pretty clear on this, consulting section 1609.1.1 it reads: Read the rest of this entry →
My wife and I are avid [forgive the overused term] foodies and we watch a lot foodie television programing. I like it for the recipes, and my wife would say the same although I think she really enjoys indulging in the drama. It’s in this that I came to think that architects and chefs have a lot common, which is evident in the learning of the trade, mastery of the craft, creativity in the product and the need for individuality and personal expression in what we do. Read the rest of this entry →
“Often the perception within the city is that the public thinks we are too stupid, crooked or lazy to work in the private sector, and that can lead to a defensive posture.”
Last Friday I had the opportunity to take part in an intimate forum with the Dallas City Manager Mary K. Suhm. Mrs. Suhm is serving her fifth year as city manager for the City of Dallas. As city manager, Suhm is responsible for the daily operations of the municipal organization. She manages a staff of approximately 14,000 employees and a budget of nearly 3 billion. She was appointed city manager in June 2005 by the Dallas City Council. Prior to her appointment as city manager, Suhm served as interim city manager, first assistant city manager, assistant city manager, executive assistant director of Dallas Police, director of courts, assistant to the Mayor, and branch library manager for the City of Dallas.
During her three decades in municipal government, Mary Suhm has earned a national reputation among public administrators for creativity and innovation. Suhm, who earned master of business administration and master of library science degrees from the University of North Texas, has introduced performance measurement, customer service, benchmarking, strategic planning and other common business practices into municipal management operations to assure that Dallas city government runs efficiently, economically, and effectively. She received praise from all levels of government and the community for her leadership during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita after managing a large scale evacuation effort by establishing and operating two major shelters and a Disaster Recovery Center in Dallas.1
The last time I was in Denver I drove around and explored a lot of the new infill projects that have cropped up in the Five Points region of the city, just northeast of downtown. The 24th Street Townhomes is a fine little project that at the corner of 24th Street and Glenarm Place, and from what I can tell, consists of eleven 3 story units arranged around a central parking court, with the back units overlooking a small green space. Read the rest of this entry →
On May 13th, the Rowlett Community Center played host to one of the most amazingly bizarre spectacles I’ve seen in my 12 years in architecture. A developer, Community Retirement Center of Rowlett, LLP, has chosen a location in Rowlett, TX (a sleepy little bedroom community, just outside of Dallas) in which to locate a TDHCA tax credit senior living development. Now, to be clear, this is not managed care or a nursing home, these are apartments that are intended to cater to low income seniors (55+ yrs old). You cannot get into the development unless you are at least 55 (or as young as 45 if the spouse of a someone 55+).
The developer started out with an adequate, if graphically underwhelming powerpoint that explained the TDHCA tax credit process, how Rowlett was rated by that organization as a 5 out of 6 on an internal scale of ‘need’ for this sort of facility, and about the requirements of the residents. The age restrictions are noted above, and if I remember correctly the income levels for the 16 low-income units were +/-$14,000 for a single person, +/-$19,000 per year for a couple. Read the rest of this entry →
I think there is a turning point for most college students when the clouds part and they fully start to realize how much their education has transformed their way of thinking.
For me, my moment came when I started seeing common threads between different disciplines. Normally, one would think architecture has very little to do with poetry, or that philosophy has nothing in common with mathematics. It was when the barriers between these dropped for me that my learning became really fun. Read the rest of this entry →
I stumbled upon this project by Ron Womack on my way to a client meeting several months ago. I love these little architectural gems sprouting up around Dallas. Every few months I drive somewhere I haven’t been in a while and am pleasantly surprised by a new contemporary development. Read the rest of this entry →
