Keep The Architect Through The Whole Project / October 3, 2016 by S. Joshua Brincko

Here's an example email string between the architect and the client. The architect was inquiring about the construction progress after not hearing from the client for several months.

The emails above are just one of so many examples where an architect's involvement throughout the entire construction process is valuable in preventing costly errors. After happening to drive by a client's project under construction, (in a matter of seconds) the architect noticed inadequate crawl space ventilation and wet construction materials which is a perfect recipe for mold. The architect promptly asked the client what their plans were for addressing this issue since the architect had not been consulted by the client after the permit was approved. The client never responded until months later when mold had developed in the crawl space and cost thousands in remediation fees. A few minutes of consultation on phone, email, or on-site meetings easily prevents these issues. The permitted drawings are only detailed enough to state that a crawlspace must be ventilated to satisfy code requirements, but those basic drawings do not actually describe how to build the vents. Although the hourly rate of an architect may seem like an unnecessary expense to a first-timer, it is a wise investment to protect one of the largest investments a client will ever make. Architects design dozens of buildings every year and have inevitably experienced a myriad of issues and have the experience to easily resolve them. Would you give yourself anesthesia to save money before a surgery? Would you represent yourself in court to save money on a lawsuit? Would you refinance your home without consulting with a loan officer? Your home is your biggest investment. It makes a lot of sense to include an architect on your team throughout the entire construction process to protect that investment.

Most people have never built a house or worked with an architect. It is understandable that most people do not know what an architect actually does. Many people have an assumption that an architect draws the plans to help get a building permit - and that's the end of it. Although this is the minimum amount of professional service required by law in some instances, most of the value of working with an architect comes during the construction process. The permit drawings do not actually explain how to build a building. These drawings only prove to a building department that the building will meet the minimum required standards of safety, ventilation, and insulation. A city inspector shows up periodically during construction to confirm these things have been met, barely.

After the building permit has been approved, the architect adds more detail to the drawings to explain specific products and materials and how they will be integrated. This is effectively an instruction manual for the builder that explains how to build the building. This is also a written contract between the builder and the client that explains the level of quality and specific expectations for what is contractually obligated to be built. A higher level of detail on the drawings provides a more clear contract for the contractor to follow, and this helps to ensure the building is built according to the client's wishes. For example, a wall on a set of permit drawings is just two lines that represent the structure and some other materials that the building department is not concerned about. Building from these permit drawings allows builders to build whatever they want since nothing specific is required to be specified on permit drawings. This prevents builders from knowing precisely what to build, prevents them from knowing how much it may cost to build, and prevents the client from having any control over the outcome of the project. Not involving the architect after the permit is approved inevitably causes lower project quality and creates a likelihood for costly errors.

The architect's main value is in designing the details after the permit process to create very specific construction drawings and to regularly advise the client and builder during the construction process to ensure the built conditions will perform properly. This saves you time. This saves you money. This gives you sanity. And this ensures your project will turn out well.

If you’d like to learn more about our design process, visit www.josharch.com/process, and if you’d like to get us started on your project with a feasibility report, please visit www.josharch.com/help

Do You Still Draw by Hand? / September 1, 2016 by S. Joshua Brincko

One of the most common (casual) questions I get as an architect is, "Will you design my house someday?" and also "Do you use CAD or blueprints?" The blueprint thing always makes me chuckle a bit. I have seen a blueprint once, in person. It was in the archive room of the first job I had as an intern. It stunk like mildew, was mostly illegible, and left a chalky feeling on my fingers from whatever chemical they used before copy machines. Asking an architect about drawing blueprints is worse than asking a millennial to fax something. You might have to go to the Smithsonian to actually find a blueprint machine. And no, I'm not old enough to have actually done blueprints in my lifetime :)

The intention of the question, "do you use CAD or blueprints" is likely meant to be stated as, "do you draw with a computer or by hand?" I do both. The majority of work is done on the computer, but preliminary planning is done by hand. It is much more accurate to do work on the computer, but that accuracy requires more time. When you are trying to explore a basic concept where accuracy is not important, drawing by hand is much faster. The computer requires you to input measurements and specify other parameters to draw a line. It also requires you to print it which doesn't always go smoothly. I get stressed out most times I need to print something: paper jams, out of ink, out of paper, wrong scale, etc.

Drawing by hand is a fun and critical part of the preliminary design process. Once you have determined the basic concept, you can continue to draw by hand, but this is where the computer starts to save a bit of time. Not only can we use the computer to draw things with 100% accuracy, it also allows us to make changes to drawings quite easily. When you draw by hand, this means starting over every time you make a change. The computer allows us to easily change the plans to explore dozens of design options. This is not necessarily practical when drawing by hand.

I was fortunate enough to enter the profession at a very unique moment of time where the transition between hand drafting and computer drafting was happening. The office I worked at had drafting tables and computer workstations. The drawings were a hybrid of computer prints with hand drafting overlaid onto them with photocopies of other things superimposed onto them. They were like a collage and sort of looked like some of the artwork of Robert Rauschenberg. The printers actually had pens in them. It was like a robot holding pens and drawing for you. It was pretty amazing at the time, but the pens dried out just like you would imagine leaving a marker with the cap off. The computers were also very finicky. You couldn't move the mouse and type on the keyboard at the same time or the computer would freeze.

Through this experience, I got to learn the benefits and craft of hand drawing and computer drawing, and I can employ the most appropriate medium at the most appropriate times. The old fogies always complained about the computers and grumbled about how CAD would never catch-on. The young architects today can't draw a line by hand. They go straight to the computer and consequently spend too much time in the early parts of the design process because they are bound by the limitations and requirements of the computer. Software is also changing to become more robust and requires the architect to input even more criteria to draw a line. A line is not just a line - it has a thickness, a material, a height, and it "talks" to other lines to communicate their relationships. This has tremendous benefits at the end of a design process because it outputs a lot of information "automatically," but it takes a shit-load of time up front to input all that information in the first place (which inhibits the creative aspects of the early design process).

I'm glad I understand the old school and new school approach and can talk both languages. Employing both is necessary on every project, and the variety of drawing mediums make the work day refreshing.

The Wussification of the Architecture Profession / August 1, 2016 by S. Joshua Brincko

Michelangelo designed this...and built it. Could you imagine an architect doing this today? — Michelangelo designed this...and built it. Could you imagine an *architect* doing this *today*?

My vision of a renaissance architect is a completely skilled and all-knowing craftsman...an artisan...the go-to guy that can design it, build it, source the materials, coach a team of laborers, and get the job done. Over time, I think the profession has become more specialized just like anything else. Specialization can encourage innovation, and it can also dilute a profession into something which loses its original purpose. The original role of an architect is nothing like it is today. Today's architects don't build. Heck, many don't even design anymore. Many architects don't even know how to build or design. Some architects specialize in things like negotiating contracts, finding new clients for their firm, drawing waterproofing details for facades, managing their staff, interpreting complicated building/zoning codes, or in documenting notes and specifications simply to organize decisions to shift liability when future litigation may happen. None of these things really have anything at all to do with "design," yet they fall under the job description of "architect."

Architects are sort of ambassadors or a concierge to the construction process. We have a diverse knowledge of the things listed above, so we tend to assist clients by being their representative in maneuvering through this process (maybe because nobody else wants to). What would Michelangelo think if you dropped him into today's professional climate? I bet he would be bored and confused. He'd probably think we are unnecessarily inventing extra work to do. He's also likely make fun of us for being such babies.

Because of all of these facets of the profession that get pushed on to architects, the profession has become quite diluted. We weren't trained to do most of these things. We were really only trained to understand three-dimensional spaces and the experiences of humans as they interact with them. The extent of our other training is really only limited to a couple courses in structural mechanics, environmental systems, a course on professional ethics, and a course on building materials. We also took all the same general level courses as any other college student such as a basic math class, a physics class, sociology, etc. People are always shocked to hear that architects don't take a lot of math classes. In fact, my math class was called "Math For Architects," and it was mixed with other college students taking basic college level math. The difference was that the architects were dismissed after 10 weeks, while the rest of the college students had to finish the entire 15 week semester. Apparently basic math still wasn't basic enough for architecture students. Even more interesting, we did not take a single drafting or drawing class even though we were required to successfully draw and draft in our design studio courses.

This shows an interesting disparity between the reality of the profession and the type of training architects receive in school. During a required 3-year minimum internship, architects get their first practical training. This is where we learn the technical aspects of the industry. This is also where very little design actually happens. Design is the fun part. The boss of a firm isn't likely to let the intern do the fun part. Although design opportunity is very limited in the profession, design is the entire focus of an architect's education, and design is also the reason why most architects decided to become architects. Many architects just lose that focus as they find their place in a profession that has too many other requirements to fulfill before being entitled to be allowed to design something.

In a larger firm, it tends to be a better business model to have an individual specialize and do the same thing every single day. Day after day after day after day until they become a zombie and can do the work in their sleep. This also leads to boredom, lack of interest, and errors in the work. Efficiency is a standard goal in any business. Efficiency typically yields higher profits. This model has a very negative outcome in an architecture practice: it does not build upon the creative problem solving skills at the root of an architect's training. Architects in larger firms get pigeon-holed into doing the same mundane tasks every day inevitably losing their creative drive. Would you want someone like that designing your project? Clients have visions of hiring architects to do spectacular things, and architects have the same visions. When reality sets in, the budgets and schedules take over, and the creative juices are smothered.

F that! This is exactly why I started my business.

Creative problem solving is my thing. Budgets and schedules are motivators for me to be even more creative. A major part of my job is to demonstrate to clients that they can do something special with their project. It is to think differently, set the bar high, be optimistic, and to rely on my creative training and technical skills to develop projects that inspire at any scale. In my small company, I wear all the hats. There is no mundane. I'm awake at 3am sketching ideas at my kitchen table, the next day I'm convincing the building department to consider innovative solutions to problems, I meet with clients to display ideas they had never imagined, and then I teach a college course in between. Creativity is at the core of all of these tasks, and communicating is the product (graphic, verbal, and in written formats).

Maintaining this creativity is my promise to myself and my clients. This is why I do what I do. This is why my clients want to work with me. They know I have the resources to get the work done successfully, and they know I have the mindset to exceed everyone's expectations and creatively come up with inspiring solutions.

How much will your construction and architect cost? / July 1, 2016 by S. Joshua Brincko

This is a tricky topic since it can vary quite a bit based on project type, quality of construction, quality of materials, time of year, location, and other factors. For that reason, I will give you a few formulas below based on the types of residential projects that Josh PS ordinarily designs in the Seattle area to help you get a rough estimate of your project. The figures below were last updated in 2023. We focus on offering a high level of detail and responsive, friendly service, so we are not typically the cheapest architecture firm you may encounter. We do, however, offer a great value for the high quality design services we deliver for the most important investment you will likely ever make. (Also note the federal government considers architectural services to be a professional service similar to legal and medical services, and the price to perform such services can vary quite significantly depending on a multitude of factors that vary in each case. Federal courts have deemed it unlawful to set fixed prices on architectural services, and the architectural registration board establishes strict standards for the professionalism, ethics, and technical knowledge required to be exercised by a licensed architect.) Ok, here it goes...I dare to try to explain how this all works without getting too complicated:

NEW CONSTRUCTION: New construction is actually cheaper than remodeling in many circumstances. Lets assume you are doing average quality of construction with basic materials. The construction cost for low quality construction tends to be about $300 per square foot which might get you a basic garage. For average entry level construction quality, $400 per square foot or more is a better budget number. Bathrooms and kitchens (with tile, countertops, appliances, fixtures, cabinets, etc) easily cost over $600 per square foot. Bedrooms and living rooms are closer to the lower-end number of $400 per square foot since they are usually just drywall and carpet without any expensive finishes. Enhancing the quality of construction or quality of materials to nicer finishes will easily bring a construction cost to over $600 per square foot or more. If you want a project like you tend to see in magazines, plan for $1000 per square foot or more. We have worked on high-end projects that are over $2000 per square foot. Design fees for new construction are also a little cheaper than design fees for renovations. This is because we do not need to measure, analyze, and coordinate new construction with existing construction. It is usually possible for us to provide full design services for around 10% of the construction cost. This includes designing the preliminary concept, drawing and coordinating the permit process, and producing construction drawings to get the builder started with the bidding and construction process. If the client and building department minimize design changes, we can usually also complete the construction administration (coordination of design detailing during construction) within that 10% fee. Almost all architects bill hourly since it is never possible to guess at the exact amount of time needed to spend on each project, so this 10% figure is just a guide since complexities of different projects can vary. New construction on a waterfront or steep slope (or both) can be much more difficult to design and build, or a simple box-shaped building with a flat roof can be much more simple than one with multiple building wings and roof lines. Also, smaller projects tend to cost more to design and build than larger projects since the legwork is similar for both: they both use the same permit forms/procedures, they both require the same number of meetings, specifying construction materials takes the same amount of time for a small room as it does for a large room, and a $20,000 construction cost for a water connection is the same on a small and larger project. This causes design fees for smaller projects to be a higher proportion like 15% of the construction cost.

To give you an example of a new construction estimate, consider a basic quality home, with simple materials, on a flat site could cost around $400 per square foot to build. If it is 2000 sq feet, that would be a $800,000 construction cost. A design fee at 10% of that would be $80,000. Other costs to be aware of would be structural engineering which would normally be around $5000 and up, geotechnical engineering if the soil conditions are poor at around $3000 and up, a surveyor at $3000 and up, the cost of the permit which is around $5000 and up, and the cost of the land (to name the most common fees). Also, the construction cost quoted from the builder usually does not include their 15% overhead/profit, insurance, and sales tax which is another 10% in the Seattle area.

ADDITIONS TO THE GROUND FLOOR: Ground floor (single and double floor) additions are handled very similar to the new construction commentary above if the construction is all new, and there are minimal changes to the existing building. Every addition is different in terms of how it affects the structure of the existing building, but the parts of the project that are considered "new" can be estimated according to the formula above. The portions of the project that require demolition, retrofitting, or attachment to the existing structure can be estimated according to the commentary below on renovations. For design fees, the 10% of construction cost fee described above is also applicable for the new portions of an addition project, but the architect is also required to measure, draw, analyze, and coordinate all aspects of the existing building. This takes additional time beyond the new construction formula above, and it varies based on the size and complexity of the existing structure. We can usually measure and draw an average sized existing building for around $3000 and up, and this becomes the "blank canvas" for designing and drawing the changes to the existing structure as well as the addition to it. Also, most additions are not simply "just additions." There's ordinarily some renovations of the existing structure necessary for the addition to function properly. These unknowns make estimating costs of renovated areas very difficult. Again, refer to the formula below for renovations to estimate the costs of the renovated portions separately from the newly added portions.

To give you an example of an estimate for an addition, lets consider adding a basic quality 200 square foot, single-floor addition of a family room (without a basement) to an existing residence. Due to the lack of economy of scale for small projects, the addition would likely cost around $500 per square foot or more for basic quality (or more for higher-end quality). This would be $100,000 to build the addition plus the additional cost of retrofitting the portion of the existing house that connects to it. If 100 square feet of space within the existing residence needs tore apart, updated, and put back together, that could cost around $500 per square foot for that portion of the work (which is another $50,000). That totals $150,000 in construction cost. Also, the construction cost quoted from the builder usually does not include their 15% overhead/profit, insurance, and sales tax which is another 10% in the Seattle area. Design fees at around 10% (give or take) would be $10,000 plus another $2500 to measure, draw, analyze the whole house. Engineering, permits, and surveys are additional costs as explained above, Also consider unexpected costs for upgrading a heating system. If you are adding more space, can your existing furnace keep up with it? It is pretty common that a simple addition like this easily exceeds $300,000.

UPPER FLOOR ADDITIONS: These are among the most tricky projects to design and build because they rely upon being supported by the integrity of the existing building below (and thorough documentation of all of it). In almost every case, the existing building is not currently built to support the weight of additional floors, walls, and roofs above. By removing an existing roof to make way for new floors, walls, and roofs, the builder must significantly disrupt the existing building from the ground up. The existing foundations often need to be upgraded to carry the additional weight of the new addition above. Also, the existing walls on the first floor need to be upgraded as well. While doing this work, ceilings and walls are often damaged or demolished to enable access to plumbing, electrical, and duct work. When an exterior wall is torn apart, it is also required to be insulated to the current energy code standards (which often requires the wall to become thicker to accommodate the mandated amount of insulation). Most homes were built before the current requirements of the building codes, so the engineer needs to figure out ways to brace the building from side-to-side motion (lateral forces) such as wind and earthquakes. This usually entails adding plywood to the interior or exterior side of existing walls (which requires removal of siding or drywall). This also requires attaching the wood components of the walls and floor to the concrete foundations. Believe it or not, most older homes are not attached to their foundations - they are simply resting there. A simple side-to-side movement of a couple inches could cause the entire house to fall off the foundation causing a total loss. Adding an upper floor makes the house top-heavy which compounds this issue. People new to upper floor additions usually only consider adding stronger beams to accommodate the extra weight above that pushes down on the existing structure due to gravity, and they are unaware of the implications of lateral force upgrades which often affects areas of the existing house nowhere near the proposed upper floor addition. This commentary illustrates the complexity of adding an upper floor, and the ramifications it has on the rest of the building. For that reason, upper floor additions should be estimated at $400 per square foot and up for the addition portion, and another $200 per square foot (or more) for the areas below (and around) the addition that will need taken apart, protected, retrofitted, and rebuilt. The architect will also need to measure, draw, and analyze the entire existing home which is usually $3000 or more depending on the size and complexity of the building, The architect will also need to design, permit, and coordinate the affected areas around the addition. Because of the additional coordination, design fees can exceed 10% of the construction cost and approach 15%. All of the unknowns with removing a roof and supporting an additional floor on unknown existing conditions makes estimating upper floor additions very difficult.

To give you an example of estimating an upper floor addition, lets propose adding a basic 200 square foot, upper floor, bedroom addition over an existing single-floor residence with a finished basement, The added portion would cost around $100,000 (at $500 per square foot due to the lack of economy of scale for this small project) plus any costs of rebuilding the first floor (and basement?) below which could easily add an additional $100,000 if those areas cost $500 per square foot to deconstruct, upgrade, and rebuild. Also, the construction cost quoted from the builder usually does not include their 15% overhead/profit, insurance, and sales tax which is another 10% in the Seattle area. At a construction cost of $200,000, the design fees could be around $20,000. It also takes about $3000 and up to measure and draw the existing building. High-end and more complex projects could cost even more to design and build. Engineering, permits, and surveys are additional costs as explained above. Also consider unexpected costs for upgrading a heating system. If you are adding more space, can your existing furnace keep up with it? It is very common that minor upper floor additions easily exceed $400,000 once all things are considered, and full floor upper additions are commonly double that amount. We see builders pricing these out at $800,000 all the time.

INTERIOR RENOVATIONS (REMODELS): These projects do not add any new space to the home, but they refinish existing space which makes them a little more complicated than a new construction project. To refinish existing space, the builder needs to remove walls and/or finishes to access the structure, plumbing, electrical, and duct work. As they do this, they need to be careful to protect other parts of the house that are not affected by the work. This causes the pace of work to be slower, and retrofitting new finishes into existing ones is also a bit more difficult. Occasionally, interior renovations can affect other areas of a home outside of the area of the project if it is necessary to update plumbing or electrical, for example. For these reasons, it is advisable to estimate basic interior remodels of non-kitchens and non-bathrooms at $400 per square foot. Kitchens and bathrooms are going to be a bit more since they involve more expensive materials and labor to install tile, counters, cabinets, appliances, fixtures, etc. Design fees also tend to be 10% and up to 15% of the construction cost due to the extra coordination necessary with other parts of the existing building before we can begin designing the proposed changes. Integrating proposed changes within existing conditions is a bit more challenging than working with a blank canvas. It also usually takes us around $3000 or more to measure and draw the existing house depending on the size and complexity of it.

To give you an example of estimating an interior renovation project, let's consider a simple 200 square foot living room remodel within an existing house. It would cost around $3000 to measure and and draw the existing residence (assuming it is even necessary at all for this scenario). The construction cost would likely be around $80,000 if the construction cost is $400 per square foot for entry-level quality. It could certainly cost less if the renovations minimally impact the existing conditions. It could also cost quite a bit more if you are using better quality materials. Also, the construction cost quoted from the builder usually does not include their 15% overhead/profit, insurance, and sales tax which is another 10% in the Seattle area. Design fees for the remodeled portions would be around $8000 to $12,000. Additional costs could include permits and engineering if load-bearing walls are being removed.

10 Tips to Do More in a Day / June 1, 2016 by S. Joshua Brincko

I often get asked how I manage to get so many things done in a day. After being asked so many times, I have thought about it, and here's what I've come up with:

100% INTEREST IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING: When you are interested in what you're doing, you work really hard at it. You don't take breaks. You are more productive. You also tend to be better at doing the things you like to do. When I do things I'm not interested in, they drag on because I delay, procrastinate, and half-ass it. This makes it take longer. Everyone has things they don't want to do - that's life. Minimize those things. Outsource them. Stop doing them when possible - what's the risk/reward? Make sure the things you do most of the time are things that you like. If not, change quickly because you're wasting your life.
BATCH SIMILAR TASKS: Do similar things together. Don't run to the bank every day - go once. When you walk down the stairs, bring something with you that needs to be put away downstairs - don't make two trips. Carefully plan meetings so you don't need to run across town constantly. Plan a single day with all your meetings or at least meetings in the same part of the city. I do batching on all scales. While I'm standing next to the printer waiting for a print, I'm responding to an email. While I'm planning my monthly agenda, I group work tasks distinct from personal tasks. Although it may seem obvious, I learned this tip from reading the "4 Hour Work Week." I suggest reading it. There's some great tips, and some may apply to your lifestyle.
DON'T WASTE A MOMENT: Fill all moments with something to do. There is no moment too small to get something done. While I'm walking across the room to throw something in the garbage, grab a glass and set it in the dishwasher on the way. While you're waiting at a stoplight, check your calendar or email (not while driving obviously). Plan your moments. Rest needs planned too. Rest feels good, but how much do you really need. Be honest with yourself. What feels better to you - resting or accomplishing something cool? Get enough rest, but don't be lazy. You are more productive when well rested, so plan your day to get enough rest. With a plan, you can get enough rest and ensure you're not getting too much. Use that extra time to be productive having fun or getting work done.
WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS: I heard goals are more likely to be achieved when you write them down. It is true. I've tried it. When you write down your goals, you are essentially planning - it's the first step of formulating a plan. Once you write down the goal, you inherently start working on it and are therefor closer to achieving it. You're more powerful than you think you are. You can achieve anything. Big goals have many small steps which are typically easier to attain.
FOCUS ON EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS: Everything you do can be done better and faster. Think about ways to streamline your work. Develop new systems (or employ existing ones) to enhance your workflow. Drop the dead weight, and stop doing the things that are not producing results. Notice ways in which the 80-20 principle affects your daily life. (This is the concept that we spend 80% of our time doing 20% of our tasks, and we spend 20% of our time getting 80% of our results.) The 80-20 principle applies to so many processes all around us: science, billing, marketing, decision-making, traveling, etc. We spend way too much time doing things that yield too little benefit. Stop doing those things and study the more effective things you do to determine the qualities and characteristics about them that allow them to work well. Then apply those strategies elsewhere. Think about how you can increase your efficiency at everyday tasks at home and work. Consider your approach to washing dishes, for example. After eating pancakes, do you stack your sticky plates on top of each other? This leaves the bottoms AND tops of the plates sticky which doubles your workload. Staging them and washing them individually allows you scrub syrup off just one side of the plate while the bottom is pretty much already clean. After straining pasta, don't leave the colander in the sink. Once someone pours something greasy or sticky on it, now you have hundreds of mini holes to unclog and clean. Strain the pasta, rinse the colander, dry it in 2 seconds, and put it away. It will save time (and counter space). These types of little tips for efficiency all add up leaving you extra hours in the day to rest or accomplish other things.
WALK FAST: I walk quite fast. I'm not sure if I look like a dork or not, but I get from place to place quickly. This enables me to get a little exercise while saving a few minutes here and there to be more productive. I also don't mind walking 20 minutes across town. It would likely take just as long or longer to battle the traffic and park anyway. I can get a phone call done during that time (which is why I may be breathing heavy when we talk).
EXERCISE: I don't go to the gym. This works for some people but not me. I cannot stand expending hard work without accomplishing a tangible outcome. Going to the gym also takes time out of your day. I get exercise by playing sports. I enjoy (hockey and soccer), and I get most of my exercise from what I call "PE." Not Physical Education, but rather Productive Exercise or "Man Work." Sometime I call it Josh-Fit instead of Cross-Fit. I do a fair bit of home remodeling and yard work projects that require heavy lifting, back-breaking labor, digging, etc. Try mixing concrete or digging quickly. It becomes a cardiovascular and weightlifting exercise all wrapped into one. The best part about doing manual labor is you end up with something else also completed. Why hire someone to rake your leaves when you can go outside for an hour, get some fresh air, and get the work done yourself? If you rake quickly enough, it turns into exercise. Raking sucks. Why would you want it to take any longer than it needs to? Rake harder, get done quicker, and move on.
DON'T MULTI-TASK: Multi-tasking may be appropriate in certain situations, but generally the lack of focus on one task is more of a hindrance. This relates to batching. Batching is all about doing similar things together. You cannot read Facebook while also drawing. They are both "computer tasks," but not similar enough to do both simultaneously. Get the drawing done, then check Facebook. Switching between the two is not effective. If you stay focused in one stint, from start to finish, you will get it done better. Once you finish one task, move on to the next and focus entirely on it. Don't let email or phones or other coworkers distract you. Shut them out. Turn of the phone, and check the email at the end of the day. I'm not a water-cooler chit-chat kind of guy. I go to work to design cool shit and earn money. I don't give a rip about your gossip or weekend happy hour when I'm at work. I'm more interested in that stuff when I'm at happy hour with you, and I also have a beer in my hand ;)
WORK ASAP: Don't wait until the last minute to get things done. Start working on things the moment they are assigned. You don't know how long tasks are really going to take until you're done with them. If you work on stuff earlier, you may get done earlier. This allows more time to do other things like rest, fun stuff, or other work tasks - it's great to have those options. If you procrastinate, you leave yourself with no choice. You're at the mercy of the clock. When time's up, you're done - even if your work is low quality. Unnecessary pressure also leads to poor decision making. Working sooner leaves you without deadlines, so you can remain calm and less stressed. You also have the ability to fix mistakes. I often work through the night to finish work that a client may not expect to be done for another week. This enables me to check my work a week later with fresh eyes. Inevitably, this allows me to clearly see errors and also find opportunities to enhance my work. I had a professor that would say "kill your dragons while they are young - when they grow up, they will be fierce fire breathing dragons." I find this works with most things. Solve problems early, so they do not turn into bigger, more time consuming problems. Pay your bills sooner - avoid late fees. Get work done ahead of time - leaves extra time to catch costly mistakes.
DON'T OVER-PLAN: You can plan all you want, but no plan ever goes precisely according to every step of the plan. This means that much of the effort you put into planning goes wasted. By planning minuscule, specific details, you are actually scrutinizing unreliable, speculative assumptions. You are better-off coming up with a rough framework for how you will achieve a goal and later revisiting that rough framework once you have already started working on the task. This enables you to modify the plan based on actual data accumulated through the tasks instead of speculating too many steps ahead. Adapting is much more effective than reworking over-complicated master plans. Don't get caught up in planning too much. Simply start the task, then take a pause to evaluate. Just jump right in and get started. You can always continue to plan ahead as you go. Making unnecessary preparations is a major hindrance in making progress.

There you have it. These are the things I do subconsciously as I'm brushing my teeth, drawing, and raking pine needles off my driveway.

Architecture Boom in Seattle / May 1, 2016 by S. Joshua Brincko

Even the least desirable properties are now being rebuilt.

Are you new to Seattle? Yes, you are. Whether you relocated from somewhere else (like most of us) or have lived in Seattle your whole life, you are, in fact, new to Seattle. Seattle is one of America's fastest growing big cities, so even Seattle natives don't recognize the city anymore. The city has changed so rapidly due to the successes of big businesses like Microsoft, Boeing, and Amazon, as well as so many other tech companies. This brings tons of money to Seattle, and its residents are spending it on construction projects both for work and home. We see cranes all across the city erecting high rise buildings, and residential architects, like myself, see a boom in our project list. The entrepreneurial spirit in Seattle brings an innovative, forward-thinking mindset to the economy, as well as, to the architecture that shapes the city.

When the economy tanks, the construction stops, and architects look for work. Businesses stop growing, they stop developing, the construction stops, and people stop hiring architects to design glamorous projects. Instead of large new construction projects, homeowners try to save money by remodeling and adding onto their homes. Around 2010, many of the builders and architects out there were not setup for this smaller-scale type of work since they had too much overhead in simply running their businesses, and they also were living in a "rock star" sort of paradigm of project typologies.

After living in a booming Seattle economy for just a few years, its economic downturn created an environment that was familiar to me. I was an implant from the Ohio "rust belt," an area of the country between Cleveland and Pittsburgh devastated from the negative effects of the failing steel and automotive industries. My hometown of Youngstown, Ohio was trying to figure out how to shrink. I would participate in community service design events to figure out what to do with the land leftover from the demolition of entire neighborhoods. You can only build (and maintain) so many parks, especially with a dwindling population without jobs. Seeking better opportunities, I relocated to Seattle with my blue collar mindset that was completely opposite of the booming Seattle economy I was initially immersed in. Even when designing for very high profile clientele, my inherent frugality enabled my design and construction methodologies to set me apart from my colleagues. Clients and builders took notice. Then the Seattle economy tanked. This was my opportunity to entertain projects that larger companies with less passion and more overhead could not take on. Builders and clients knew me as a guy who could get the job done well in an adverse environment.

Now that the economy is booming again, things are just that much easier for me. I never slowed down when the economy did, and I also never sped up when the economy did (by choice). A steady stream of work has been constant. That is part luck, part skill, and part choice: don't bite off more than you can chew. A lot of companies get greedy and grow too fast. I am quite happy running a small business that I can intimately manage and play a key role in every single detail. That's why I started: I like designing buildings. Once a business grows too big, overhead expenses grow, office tasks become a burden, and the fun parts of the job get outsourced to staff. I have no interest in that. I like designing cool buildings. I like working with clients. I like outsmarting the building department for my clients' benefit. There's no end in sight for me. James, my financial guy, asked me what I want to do when I retire. I said, I want to be an architect, and that's just what I'll do. The opportunities to design awesome architecture in Seattle are just too prevalent for me to ever stop. I suppose it's an addiction for me.

sit back. relax. i'll take care of it. your problems are now mine :) / April 13, 2016 by S. Joshua Brincko

I woke up at 7:11am. I went downtown and had breakfast at the top of the Columbia Tower. I did some land use code research, so I could fill out some forms and do a couple simple drawings to help a client get a permit. I completed them and emailed the drawing files to the printing company at the ground floor of the Columbia Tower. On my way out of the building, I picked up the drawings. I walked across the street to the building department while answering an email from my client on my phone. He was nervous about the documentation needed to get a permit for his project. He and 4 of his coworkers had tried to do the permitting process themselves, but they got slightly overwhelmed since they were confused and had filled out a bunch of forms and began gathering information for drawings they did not need. My email to my client said, "Sit back. Relax. I'll take care of it. Your problems are now mine." I walked into the building department, submitted the drawings and forms, paid for the permit, and walked out with the two permits my client needed. It's now 10:33am, and I'm writing this post.

“Sit back. Relax. I’ll take care of it. Your problems are now mine.”

— Josh

Although the permitting process can seem stressful, it doesn't need to be. I take it on, and my expertise makes it easy - even when the building department attempts to create unnecessary roadblocks. I have the knowledge to circumvent most of these issues. It is not worthwhile for a client to struggle with this process. Often times, a client begins the permitting process and unknowingly submits incorrect information to the building department, which is subject to public disclosure, and convolutes the process making it more difficult for me to overturn. It is certainly advisable to allow the professional to take care of this process.

Permitting is only a very small portion of the construction and design process. As an architect, I have the expertise to make all steps of the process easy for my clients. This saves money. This saves time. Other parts of the process include feasibility studies, designing several creative options, creating detailed drawings for a contractor to build from, create very basic plans for a building department to review, coordinate bids from multiple contractors for competitive pricing, interpret complicated building code and land use code provisions, visit the jobsite to review the work and offer guidance to keep the project on time and on budget, and even fight the building department to help clients get what they need. All of these things are tricky or even impossible to take on without a lot of experience, education, licensing, insurance, and the guts to stand up on your clients' behalf to make their problems your own.

He's Not leaving Without a Permit. / April 1, 2016 by S. Joshua Brincko

I walked into the building department with the intention of getting one of the most simple building permits I have ever had to get: an STFI permit, or a "stiffy" as we call it in the trade. This stands for "Subject To Field Inspection." It's a permit where the building department just hands you a permit "over the counter" for a project that's so small in scope that there's barely anything for them to check into. This is much better than waiting months for them to review your plans. I was helping a builder/friend get the permit to finish out a portion of his brother-in-law's basement to someday use it as a rental. This is called an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit).

I knew going in that ADU's don't qualify for stiffys. I also knew that you could rent out a non-approved ADU and not be fined as long as you submit the ADU paperwork within one year of using it as an ADU. So my approach was to design the space as ADU, not call it an ADU (yet), take advantage of the quick/simple stiffy permit process, and later fill out the ADU application once the client was ready to actually begin using it as an ADU once construction was complete (pursuant to all the regulations and policies the building department has in place).

Upon turning in the drawings, the building plans reviewer quickly said, "this won't qualify as a stiffy since you're doing an ADU." I said, "it's not an ADU. It's just additional living spaces in the basement accessible to the main floor - just as it always has been in this existing house." The reviewer said, "well, it LOOKS like an ADU, so it won't qualify for a stiffy." I replied, "I don’t care what you think it looks like…it's not an ADU yet, the goal is to turn it into one someday, it does not match the definition of an ADU yet as it is defined in the land use code, and it does not matter what it LOOKS like - it matters what it IS." The reviewer responded, "I'm getting my manager."

After awhile, the manager arrived and engaged in some small talk with me. We discovered we are both from Ohio, we played hockey in some of the same ice rinks, and he asked which city I'm from. I said, "Youngstown." He said to his coworker, "Youngstown. Ok. This guy is tough. He's not leaving here without a permit." Next he asked me, "what's the problem here?" I told him, "this guy cares more about his opinion than he cares about enforcing the codified ordinances of the municipal code which is the sole purpose of his job. I'm here to follow the rules. The rules say my client is allowed to get a stiffy. The rules say my client is allowed to convert this project to an ADU whenever he wants. The rules say you can't fine my client even for illegally using his project as an ADU as long as he fills out the paperwork within one year of doing so." The reviewers glanced at each other and then at me. The manager said, "cross off the kitchen appliances from the drawing and process his stiffy. Expect him to fill out the ADU form within a year."

Growing up in the rust belt of Ohio set the tone for this interaction. The manager knew I beat the odds to come from one of the fastest shrinking, crime-ridden cities in the country. Youngstown has been a depressed area since its prominent steel industry moved overseas decades ago leaving many of its residents without jobs. My dad and his dad worked in those steel mills. Lucky for me, my dad put himself through school at nights to make a better life for himself and for me. This work ethic became part of my DNA. The building plans reviewer knew I had overcome much bigger problems than getting a simple permit, and he knew I wouldn't accept “no” for an answer just to leave with my tail between my legs. I must admit that coming from a tough town does make you stronger. I don't expect anything to be given to me, and I expect to work hard for everything that I have. I'm thankful to have earned this work ethic.

Seattle Modern Architect & Artisan