era | Tools to Use
templates to help you design, build and communicate your architecture
The information you gather is the knowledge you use to find your unique architectural language so that you can design and build architecture specific to you.
But how do you collect the information you have gathered?
You use particular documents as tools to collate it into a form that can be used to communicate your architecture to the people who will help you design and build it.
You may have gathered lots of information, but the important thing is how you will communicate that information to other people.
You need to be able to communicate the information you have gathered in a way that professionals will understand so that they can help you design and build your architecture.
They may be designers, architects, contractors, tradesmen, draftsmen, friends, relatives or the guy next door who is helping you dig your first hole in the ground.
You need tools to help you do that.
The tools to use come in the form of documents.
There are particular documents that professionals use to communicate information for how to design and build architecture.
If you collate the information you have gathered into these documents, you can communicate it in a language professionals can understand and can use straight away.
The best part about collating the information you have gathered into these documents is that they are not for a one time use. They can be used throughout the entire process. You will use them in little ways and in big ways to communicate your architecture.
You will use them to design.
So you will show them to your designer, use them to choose a design off-the-plan that will suit you, use them to talk to product representatives, use them to discuss problems and find solutions with specialist consultants.
You will use them to build.
So you will show them to your contractor, share them with tradesmen, use them to communicate with specialist suppliers.
The list goes on!
This is the information I start collecting and the tools I use to collect it:
PURPOSE The Why | PURPOSE MATRIX
You can use a few different techniques to help you find your purpose, but a Purpose Matrix will collate the information you have gathered to find the single phrase and image that identifies your end goal so that you can communicate it to others. Although this one isn’t as common as other tools of the trade that professionals use, knowing your purpose to reach an end goal that is right for you is critical to making sure you are designing and building architecture that works for you.
PLACE The Where | PROPERTY INFORMATION
A Property Information document is a single place where all of the information about your place is kept, including any existing conditions that relate to your place. Every Property Information document is different, because it is specific to your place.
PEOPLE The Who + What | ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN BRIEF
An Architectural Design Brief is a single place where all the information about you and what you wish for in your project is kept. Every Architectural Design Brief is different, because it is specific to you and your circumstances.
PROGRAM The Numbers | PROGRAM
A Program is a time and budget planner. Often the time and budget information are separated into two individual documents. However, I find it useful to put them together to track each of them in one place. One affects the other and helps to see the two together to manage your cash flow. Every Program is different because it is specifIc to you and your circumstances.
PARTS The Products | PARTS SCHEDULE
A Parts Schedule is a list that puts all of the information about which materials each part of your architecture will be made out of and how you will finish each material in each space in one place. It also lists all of the little things that will be located in your architecture at the end of the day, such as appliances, fixtures, fittings and the like. Every Parts Schedule is different, because it is specific to you and your circumstances.
There are tools that you can use in every step in the process.
These are the tools to use to gather information in the first part of the process. I believe they are the most important because they set you up for the entire journey. They are also used throughout the entire process.
You can use the tools I use to help you gather information to use to design + build your architecture.
But most importantly, these little templates are documents that you can use to communicate to the people, the professionals, who will help you make your architecture a reality.
You can find all of the little Templates I have made for you here, including some extra ones not mentioned above.
Or you can ask me to prepare a bespoke Document especially for you.
Are there any templates you are after, that I haven’t made yet? Ask me for the one you are thinking of | connect.
For you to Save
Til next time!
Let’s start the journey to find your architectural language and make your little ideas a reality.
Click here to see the little things I have made for you, or click here if you would like to work with me one on one.