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The Sketchbook: A Tool For Exploration and Discovery:

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The Sketchbook, a tool for exploration and discovery:

To begin with a hand drawing may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you start a project or seek to resolve a problem. In fact, in a digital age of complex tools, hand drawings have been pushed to the side. However, in this blog I would like to show that the sketchbook is actually a powerful tool for exploration and discovery. In fact, there is a profound cognitive process that takes place when a sketch is developed. The human mind does process this act of sketching as a deliberate attempt to engage it, and often responds with ideas. In addition, the sketch is a flexible tool, that can be easily incorporated into any project. Let’s briefly examine this simple tool, and understand how it can be better utilized.

Simple is often the best approach:

I remember my engineering professor,  who always began his lectures with the “KISS” principle. He said “Keep it simple stupid” Although I found myself at odds with this approach, I did learn very quickly that creating complex solutions also increased the potential for error. The sketchbook is very much like the KISS principle, it helps to train your focus on the basics.

The idea of using a sketchbook as a tool for exploration and discovery is foreign to some. However, in this blog, I want to shed light on the fascinating way that this simple tool is utilized in my practice. In addition, to convey that it can be utilized outside the strict boundaries of architecture. In fact, any discipline or endeavor can benefit formalizing this tool.    

Let me start with an example of an existing residential project that I was commissioned to redesign. The project entailed a complete renovation of a two story home, built in the 1950’s. The house was nestled on a beautiful one acre lot. The client wanted to improve its functionality and meet new energy codes. In addition, the home would benefit from an aesthetic refresh. 

As you might have guessed, a quick sketch began in earnest to record the existing floor plan, elevations, and a small sketch of the site plan. The documented information gained from the site reconnaissance was beneficial not in just documenting what is there, but when you sketch a drawing, you engage your mind through your eyes and hand. The sketch in this case was not about designing anything, but wanting to become ‘aware’ of what was there. In addition, the drawing served to create order and begin to organize existing data in a way that provided valuable information to build upon and proceed to next stage. 

Sketch and Seek to Understand:

The above noted project could have also been a commercial building, place of entertainment, commercial venue, anything. The process is the same; engage your mind through your hand sketches. Science has revealed that there is this extraordinary connection between mind and hand. There are some institutions that even have it as their moto, see MIT article on their approach to learning. 

The sketch book is however only as good as how you use it. However, the value of the sketch can quickly become apparent when it is applied in real life scenarios such as the noted project above. The sketch serves as a gradual step in helping the human mind to analyze (creative pursuits) and eventually to design itself. 

In addition, building understanding through utilizing this flexible hand sketch tool creates a basis by which ideas can come to light. It builds a meaningful framework. As the mind is investing in whats before you, it invisibly processes and provides a deeper understanding – this is never an arbitrary process.

Ideas and Application:

As the sketchbook can be found to engage our thinking and ability to work through a rational and ordered process. i.,e develop ideas. It also does something else. The hand can apply our thinking to develop specific applications and solutions. It becomes a tool to develop meaningful applications that utilize our observations and ideas that are processed so quickly by the human brain that we may even take it for granted. Sketching encourages exploration and discovery because of the ease in which sweeping changes can be made and analyzed. Perhaps most intriguing, it can create substantial value driven by the sketch process utilizing the mind and hand.

An Powerful Tool of Exploration and Discovery 

Remember, the goal of many projects in architecture and other disciples too, is primarily about understanding and finding ways to make improvement or solve problems. The sketch book begins this extraordinary process of discovery and understanding in ways that even modern high tech computing simply cannot do. In fact, I think the 

Its astonishing how this simple tool of hand sketching can be sidelined for various reasons. Perhaps the lure of other tools becomes too great. It should also be said, various digital tools are not necessarily bad, or cant be used, rather it becomes an issue of how do we best engage our minds in a physical way, so as properly guide our technology.       

The sketch book provides a simple but thoughtful process to begin any project. It is a powerful tool that captures what you observe, and it engages the mind to create meaningful solutions. Hopefully we can all appreciate the value of this tool and next time you seek to start a project, know you can begin it with a sketch.

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Strategic Design, A Case Study:

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Strategic Design, A Case Study

Long ago, in a land far away, there existed an ancient ‘city gate’. This is a non-fiction story that came to light, as part of an archeological dig that occurred in Israel. The account provides interesting parallels to how strategic design was used throughout history. It’s an astonishing account of a real-life city gate that reveals timeless applications.

The Megiddo Gates:

If we look at a case study of the ancient city gate, called Megiddo.  An ancient city gate that was discovered in archeological dig of the area, revealed  an ancient design of a long lost city gate. The design of the gate system entailed an enclosed passageway that was composed of internal chambers. It appears the chambers served to provide added protection, if any unwanted invaders managed to enter the gate system.

The design of the ‘Megiddo Gate’ (sketch depicted above) reveals the floor plan that was discovered. As the details emerged, it became clear that this was an unusual gate system that included  much more than a single point of protection. But contained a series of redundant protections. In addition, it was later understood from historical records that the gate contained a civic function.

The archeological dig also revealed that the structure was built with a substantial foundation and durable materials that could still be observed. In addition, the wall structure was built to include an internal passage way that could access the noted chambers. In turn the city gate became a fortified structure that housed diverse functions while also protecting the city. The design fundamentally changed the typical operation of the city entrance gate and operation. It was as though the city gate itself had become a symbol of governance for this city.

This ancient city gate revealed a design mindset, that incorporated an understanding of the various challenges of its day. The Megiddo gates provided an innovative design approach, that made it extraordinarily difficult for an apposing army to enter through this gate. In addition, the design provided a limited amount of space which seems to have easily supported  supplied the city but made it difficult to have “uninvited guests” enter.

The Essence of Strategic Design:

The noted case study of the ‘Megiddo city gate’, provides a case study into advanced functions and operations that dramatically improved how this city operated and was protected. The design solution represented advancements over the status quo. Interestingly, the gate advancements did not require new material, or technology, but rather demonstrated an emphasis on  innovation through its design. The design demonstrates an emphasis on utilizing wisdom and understanding in its design process to solve some of the problems of its day.

Challenges Can inspire Good Design:

From a modern perspective, the design of the Megiddo city gate, depicts a fascinating account strategic design. Solving major challenge’s of its day with strategy and design. This astonishing case study delineates a way of advancing solutions that in addition to resolving one problem can add great value, and benefit for the human beings who lived in this city. It became much more than a fancy facade or skin deep solution, it was a unique and thoughtful solution.

Modern Day Applications:

A work of architecture requires vision, analysis, conceptualizing and planning. In an endeavor such as this can benefit from utilizing the principles of strategic design, both  to realize solutions and transcend the problem. Much can be accomplished with this methodology and way of thinking. The city gates of Megiddo depicts an example of an ancient city gate that used strategic design to make substantial improvements. In the process it created a seat of governance and a high level of protection against disorder and chaos.

Summary:

  • Megiddo’s city gate system provides a real-life example of how strategic design can be applied powerfully.
  • Improving function, creating order, enhancing operations and creating substancial value.
  • Provides an holistic approach to developing any project
  • A powerful design tool that created a prototype solution that could be applied to other cities.
  • Serving as the progenitor for solving an identified problem
  • Advancing solutions that enhance functionality, and create order
  • Strategic Design represent both the art and the science,
  • Multi-faceted methodology to enhance and improve the staus quo
  • Make effective improvements to infrastructure,
  • Provides an excellent feasibility analysis toolprior to construction.
  • Can minimize risk or unintended consequences while making improvements.

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Planning in Architecture

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Planning is a tool that helps to organize a project, and provide a meaningful way to analyze. In architecture, a project only begins with planning.  This typically entails a process that begins at the earliest stage, to connect all the variable or data that are deemed important.  

Let’s take a look planning as a tool and explore how this serves architects to develop ideas, mitigate risk and create value. 

Start with Planning:

To properly plan a project, ultimately requires a  understanding of the issues or challenges involved. This is true for a small residential or large commercial project. For example, various tasks meed to be identified, such as the building program, schedule, budget, aesthetics, site, building codes and other such data all require analysis and a way to navigate through it in a meaningful way. One such way to organize this information is through a planning process, that not only organizes and collects important information, it leads to a deeper understanding. Often the process of engaging the required information leads to a more confident design process. It may even lead to substantial solutions that would otherwise not even be considered. And that of coarse is the goal.

This process, when engaged properly, leads to clarity and a thoughtful development of all the issues of the project. This  process provides the initial steps, and organizes the building objectives for later stages. It should come as no surprise, that through the planning effort, establishes goals and reveals opportunities. The planning process does add value to any project as it mitigates the risk, and can establish the budget. When the planning process is properly completed, it can identify specific areas for savings, and better control how the budget will be spent. This process alone can provide substantial value to the client and even exceed the design professionals fee for a project.

Hiring an architect for your residential project may not be possible for everyone. However, it can be beneficial on many levels, to seek a consultation, and perhaps engage in an initial exploration stage. This planning stage can assist with engaging your program with the form and function of your home. It also will set important mile markers and guideposts. The architect’s experience and ability to provide guidance through what can be a complicated endeavor, helps the client achieve greater efficiencies and aesthetic value that are simply hard to put a price on. This planning process provides the client with site specific solutions that are alighned with how you live. 

When considering a building infrastructure project, you need a plan! With soo much at stake, the  planning process with help to develop an organizational structure. Through planning, it provides the client with clarity. This also works as a way to develop your creative approach, because it all works together. In lieu of the many requirements a building project encompasses. The process of developing ideas over time will provide opportunity for assessment and refinement along the project path.    

Often, our initial ideas do not turn out to be so great. We simply need a way to work through it over time. Steven Spielberg said “all good ideas start out as bad ideas; thats why it takes so long.” The process can be a winding road, but it can produce a way to connect the dots. 

In our work at Arc Caste Studio, we begin by meeting with the client and ask question in order to seek out an understanding of the clients objectives and vision. As we build on the program, we are able to develop ideas in a meaningful and harmonious way.  The planning engages a thoughtful process of understanding form and function and exposes challenges along the way.  

Unfortunately, many residential projects that surround small town USA, may entirely by-pass planning, and select a prepackaged design. However, this leads to Medicare results at best, but in many cases the lack thereof looses out on aligning specific program, budget, function, and aesthetics.  When it comes to finding ways to minimize planning, it can unfortunately lead to a domino effect of challenges that require solutions to be worked out at later stages. This tends to be more time consuming and costly.

A Case in Support, of Hiring an Architect to Help Plan:

By way of a simple example, If an architect can be engaged to review your residential plan, and they are able to  improve by finding ways to have greater functionality and save just 100sf, that represents a major cost savings. i.e., for a building cost of say $250/sf, that can be a $25,000 savings! (using a very conservative building cost for SF value.) This is a tiny example, however it provides a case for engaging a planning process. In addition, aligning all  the diverse functions, budget and aesthetic preference also provides solutions that are well thought out in advance. And minimizes risk. Our building infrastructure represents an important part of our lives. Winston Churchill said, “We shape our buildings and thereafter they shape us.”  Our building infrastructure has a way to inspire us and influence how we live. It can even affect the quality of our physical lives.   

The Power of Planning:

Having a planning process in place will help in clarify objectives and to create clear and meaningful goals. Planning provides a framework, and serves as a guid post of collected ideas and thoughts. The plan is also a way to document ideas through sketching and important notes that serve to help in solidifying a picture of the project. Remember good ideas It can also be used to build upon.   

This process of planning like an architect, can be quite foreign to some, however the process does work across all disciplines. The principles are often very similar. However, as an architect, I can help clients begin the process and order the overall structure and framework by which a cost effective and value drive process can be created. In short, with no planning process, or guide, chaos can rule the day. However, when clarity is developed early on, it leads to bringing ideas and concepts to fruition in a meaningful way. 

Hiring an architect for your residential project may not be possible. However, it can be beneficial, to inquire of your local architect to seek a brief consultation. Perhaps if nothing else, to engage in a preliminary plan to help you begin or evaluate were you are. It never hurst to develop ideas and recognize potential problem areas before you get into construction. The architect’s experience, can be utilized to your favor and provide guidance through what can be a complicated endeavor. 

The planning process provides the client with meaningful way that leads to solutions. The act of building really requires careful thought and planning.The importance of planning in architecture is simply priceless. 

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Design Thinking In Architecture

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Design Thinking In Architecture:

Building your home or any infrastructure is a costly endeavor. It begs the question: what can be done to ensure a well thought out  project? How do you maximize on your investment, while minimizing cost?  In this blog, I will address these question and present a brief summary on how design thinking can be utilized to maximize on your investment. Design thinking is vital tool that helps you evaluate many aspects of a project. In fact, the process itself, engages a wide variety of data holistically and combines the art with the science; creating a foundation for a well thought out process. Let’s start  with a bit of history.

In the Renaissance period for example, architects, artist’s and sculptor’s alike, created their designs with sketches, hand drawings, diagrams and even a preliminary study models. They learned that the process of creating something of value required an understanding of form and function, but also how to produce an aesthetically pleasing work. It was a discovery that facilitated and built upon layers of knowledge and testing. 

Design thinking blossoms in the Renaissance period and influenced all disciplines. In architecture it starts with a human-centric approach. A way of thinking that focused on the human being as a prototype to design. The human body was seen a perfect model of proportion, form and function. It should come as no surprise that the solutions developed during the Renaissance period, gave rise to a quality of human life, and changed the known world. It also provided immense improvements in science and art — even serving as an education program for various trades or disciplines. Functioning as a mentorship program during this period in history to pass along what was learned.

Why Design Thinking:

Design thinking throughout history was utilized in and outside the strict boundaries of architecture.  It is also interesting to note how design developed in the Renaissance period and extended itself in broad ways. In addition, it can be said that a design mindset itself serves as a creative tool that encompasses the science and art to solve problems and develop meaningful strategies. Utilizing this tool should reflect a  process that creates immense opportunity to add value and set a design direction. Perhaps most importantly, it integrates the art with the science of building. However, you have to apply it in order to achieve the benefits. Unfortunately, so much of our build environment today, seems to under value this tool. Perhaps this is why soo many of our cities and towns are poorly designed and unhealthy places to live or work?  

Design thinking is like a muscle that grows stronger when used.  It broadens your capabilities to use design as a way of creating a rational order and process. Any tool that helps to shape and develop creativity in a meaningful way should be considered valuable. This is not about creating a pretty picture, but producing a work that is authentic and functions well. Where all the parts work together in harmony. Although each project is different, we can learn a lot about how to make improvements to our built environment by using this design mindset and applying it. This approach simply serves to connect as many dots you can and enhance the discovery process. To seek new and innovative approaches to improving the quality of life.   

How Design Thinking Can Be Used in Architecture:

  • Programatic diagrams that facilitate the development of the building program
  • Align functional requirements with aesthetics
  • Solutions focused development process (divergent and convergent thinking)
  • Utilizing the power of sketch and planning to clarify and advance objectives
  • Seeks to develop a human centric solution
  • Evaluating function, program, site and aesthetics as a single entity

Developing an architecture project requires careful assessment of program, form, and function. It also requires an  understanding of how human beings will live or work in that building. This is often a challenge that presents itself in this modern age. To combat this mediocre tendency we should ask what is needed physically, even mentally or psychologically. A responsible design for human beings should engage many questions of ourselves and the client. In addition, the lessons of the past, can and should be applied to refine our present day solution(s).   

A Design Mindset Approach:

Design thinking in architecture, should not be thought of as a formula, or a mathematical equation that can be applied to solve for an unknown. It’s also not a factory or assembly line process.  It has more to do with developing a harmony among the project parts and interfacing with human beings. Our process at Arc Castle Studio, utilizes an approach of generating, synthesizing and evaluating through a collaborative process with the client and consultants. We use critical thinking and simple tools like sketches, drawings, diagrams and even hand crafted study models. We explore, learn, discover, and connect the dots of our journey to paint a picture that creates the clients individual story, to meet their criteria. But most important it is a work by human beings, for human beings.

Design thinking can also serve to minimize risk, through its design process. It considers many options toward achieving a given solution(s). As human beings we need to think through the project goals and objectives before we can advance and build. (especially when we build!) When we rush to build, there can be long term consequences that cannot be easily reclaimed. When there is no building program, or design-thinking, the process is usually being driven by a one size fits all approach. However, Design thinking represents an effort and work that seeks to create a meaningful balance of the art with the science. Also, the financial benefits and value is not arbitrary, but enhances the esthetics and function. The investment in our infrastructure has long term ramifications and benefits; not only in the current culture, but also upon future generations. 

Summary:

Design thinking has broad implications. When it is applied, it serves to solve problems and produce lasting value. This represents a process of thinking holistically, to align all the parts of the project holistically. It’s not skin deep beauty, but has an authentic deep meaning, purpose and application as it interacts with human beings. A good work can be discerned by observing how well its form is suited to its function, and aesthetics. If you want to maximize your efforts to improve anything, utilize a design thinking mindset; seeking to learn, change, and apply lessons learned through analysis. Never settle for the mediocrity of the status quo.

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