Best Practices Competition - Announcement of Results

[Akos Pfemeter]

Dear ArchiCAD-Talkers,

Graphisoft is delighted to announce F. Rutson Fuqua of the United States and Joachim Suehlo of Germany as the two prize-winners of our Best Practices Competition. Congratulations!

Check out details here:
http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/howto_done.html

[Anonymous]

I have read the article by F. Rutson Fuqua. I have found myself in the same position trying to shift responsibility to someone else. I like to idea of taking more direct responsibility for costs and construction, etc. I have often heard architects say set the idea and let them build it. Let them figure it out. We should bring all the value that an architect can give back into our arsenal. The extra fee for such extra services (initial cost analysis,conflict analysis, etc.) is a small insurance policy for the owner and architect against larger errors and potential liabilities and well worth the price.

I appreciate the ability of ArchiCad to Help enable us through the 3d model to be able to extract this kind of usable data. The easier that we can obtain this info. the more likely we will be to use it. Not that we should be paranoid control freaks, but I have much more peace on jobs when I can confidently (based upon a virtual model) give clear direction to the contactor. I could go on but needless to say this article brings up critical questions as to how we should be using the virtual model data.

[Anonymous]

As I reach for my third edt of Fletcher (1880) Quantities .The original concepts for Standard method of measurement,which is /was less complex and more intuiative and flexible .Do you honestly think Quantiy Surveyors want to be 3D Modellers?(or visa versa,architects become QS)How about other forms of data and analysis at different stages?,as the design/quants/Evolve.How about reverse engineering costs?at sketching stages.The author seem to be transfixed to the final resultant Model only?I concurr not good enough for first prize.

[Richard Morrison]

In trying to open these files in both Adobe Acrobat 4.0, and Acrobat Reader 6.0, I get a message that the viewer cannot decrypt the document. The file properties show these as being encrypted. What am I missing?

[Aaron Bourgoin]

The PDFs must be written with Acrobat 6. I can open them in Acrobat 5 with the warning that they were created in a later version.

"GDL-Time-Schedule for Buildings"
A description of a utility (actually a GDL object, included for free download) that creates time schedules within ArchiCAD. The jury appreciated the creative approach and the fact that by using this utility, the architect requires no external, specialized application to create bar-charts.

Is the GDL object available for download? Does anyone know where>

[Vitruvius]

I thought Rutson Fuqua's article on accountibility was spot on. More information is only better if it's coordinated. But if you take the time to ensure your model is accurate, you spend less time issuing supplemental instructions during construction, less time on site scratching your head, and you have much finer control in regards budget overruns. I find budget overruns are now almost exclusively a result of unforseen site conditions during renovations or owner requested design changes.

I also find it much easier to clarify work for tradespeople who may not be great at reading technical drawings - I take my laptop on site, cut a 3D view with them looking on and rotate it to produce a few 3D print outs. It's clear, precise, and serves as a great point of reference for the technical drawings. The "grey areas" cost you a lot of money - if you can clear up all these grey areas prior to and during bidding you get better cost control.

[Anonymous]

Deep breath of fresh air after reading Rutson Fuqua article. I feel so inspired by his wisdom and most of all, I am so encouraged to face my fears to explore archicad by doing it and continuing asking questions in this forum.

[Akos Pfemeter]

Aaron,

please check out the following site for the GDL object:
http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/howto_done.html

you can also download the object clicking on this link:
http://www.graphisoft.com/ftp/pdf/GDL-Time-Schedule_for_Buildings.zip