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Things an architect should know

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Re: Things an architect should know

#31

Post by tiisetso »

bookofjoe wrote: post #18
mcherm wrote: post #13

I'm not an architect (well, technically my job title is "Architect", but I'm not that kind of architect). But I'd be curious to see a list like this for some other professions, just because it tickles my curiosity.

I'm tempted to create one for anesthesiologists (I'm a retired [38 years of practice] neurosurgical anesthesiologist — I certainly have the time! But I'm too lazy.

Please do one. Even if short. I'd love to read it. I'm a industrial engineer researching healthcare systems. I'm firmly of the opinion that people with decades of experience have truly valuable knowledge locked within. Even a small list would probably delight many here, me for certain at least.

Re: Things an architect should know

#32

Post by madeuptempacct »

davio wrote: post #28
madeuptempacct wrote: post #25

What I really want to know is why I can't have a Soviet concrete-block box-house built in the US for $20,000 yet. Is it because you are really mostly paying for the land? But still, building a house still runs at $100,000+. Why though. Are any of the pre-fab companies taking off? I want to buy a run-down house, tear it down, and build pre-fab on it for $20,000, damn it. Sorry, off-topic, but it seems like such an opp…

We spent 7K to tear down a house in probably the lowest cost area of the USA

Yea, it's expensive to tear down, usually almost double that even in cheap areas. It's part of the problem to the point where some of my friends discussed setting up a tear-down company rather than trying to mess with conventional real estate.

Edit: Also totally unrelated, but I have always wanted to know what the raw cost for a basement/foundation usually is.

Re: Things an architect should know

#33

Post by pbhjpbhj »

madeuptempacct wrote: post #25

What I really want to know is why I can't have a Soviet concrete-block box-house built in the US for $20,000 yet. Is it because you are really mostly paying for the land? But still, building a house still runs at $100,000+. Why though. Are any of the pre-fab companies taking off? I want to buy a run-down house, tear it down, and build pre-fab on it for $20,000, damn it. Sorry, off-topic, but it seems like such an opp…

>I can't have a Soviet concrete-block box-house built [...] //

They're competing with you buying a pre-built house. There's no need to charge that little, in addition people will often pay more to have their own house built, and new carries a premium. So there's no pressure pushing them to make houses low cost. Buy the land, hire a builder .. they'll still charge you too much because your alternative is still to have a pre-built house.

Rent-seeking ftw.

Re: Things an architect should know

#34

Post by hikari-boulders »

madeuptempacct wrote: post #25

What I really want to know is why I can't have a Soviet concrete-block box-house built in the US for $20,000 yet. Is it because you are really mostly paying for the land? But still, building a house still runs at $100,000+. Why though. Are any of the pre-fab companies taking off? I want to buy a run-down house, tear it down, and build pre-fab on it for $20,000, damn it. Sorry, off-topic, but it seems like such an opp…

Regulation is certainly part of the cost.

Re: Things an architect should know

#35

Post by pbhjpbhj »

octernion wrote: post #21
bookofjoe wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm tempted to create one for anesthesiologists (I'm a retired [38 years of practice] neurosurgical anesthesiologist — I certainly have the time! But I'm too lazy.

do it! i'd love to see one for other fields. maybe just a list of 25 to start ;-)

I thought the hack went "make us a list of one" with the hope that once they're over the hump of making a list that inertia will push them to do more.

Re: Things an architect should know

#36

Post by madeuptempacct »

irrational wrote: post #30
madeuptempacct wrote: post #25

What I really want to know is why I can't have a Soviet concrete-block box-house built in the US for $20,000 yet. Is it because you are really mostly paying for the land? But still, building a house still runs at $100,000+. Why though. Are any of the pre-fab companies taking off? I want to buy a run-down house, tear it down, and build pre-fab on it for $20,000, damn it. Sorry, off-topic, but it seems like such an opp…

But, how much will the run-down house cost you? In my area there are so many more buyers than houses available that people are buying shacks for many hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I am in a fly-over and there are "upcoming" areas - pockets between the city and the suburbs, within 10 mins of downtown and other "prestigious office areas" that are almost sure to take off, but total ghetto now. It's not worth risking $200,000 to build a fancy house there, but it's worth $15,000 land, $15,000 tear down, and $20,000 pre-fab.

At least, that's my very-limited POV.

Re: Things an architect should know

#37

Post by madeuptempacct »

galfarragem wrote: post #29
brenschluss wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Architect here. I also have a background in computer science. What made you switch from architecture to software development?

Another architect here. I didn't do it yet but I'm really considering a career change. Why? Less exposition to market cycles. Architecture is a _terrible_ field to be during downturns. I passed through one, I won't repeat the experience.

I thought it was basically impossible to get a decent architecture job without being exceptional/connected. That's what turned me off from the field.

Re: Things an architect should know

#38

Post by pbhjpbhj »

sudhirj wrote: post #16
voltooid wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why should an architect know Shakespeare and QWERTY? Well why not? QWERTY could refer to just being able to type. An artist could possibly do well to be able to use a computer? It could also refer to the placement on old style typewriters where the type bars could get jammed if letters used often in the English language were typed in quick succession. (Myth maybe? But interesting to think about anyway for someone t…

The placement of keys in such s way that they had a low probability of jamming (whether effective or not) has heavy parallels in designing building entries and exits, planning emergency exit capacity etc. Basically if you’re planning an exit also consider human usage statistics of the connected rooms.

But if you're an architect skilled in designing vomitoriums, or whatever, then how does adding the mythological QWERTY design add to that.

Re: Things an architect should know

#39

Post by bookofjoe »

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #35
octernion wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

do it! i'd love to see one for other fields. maybe just a list of 25 to start ;-)

I thought the hack went "make us a list of one" with the hope that once they're over the hump of making a list that inertia will push them to do more.

OK, OK... how about 10? Can you live with 10? 'Cause I just made this for you: https://www.bookofjoe.com/2018/09/10-things-an-anesthesiolog...
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