For the first several months I was using Lumion I didn’t think it was possible to load a roughness map into a material. This was very frustrating, as in my mind roughness maps are essential to realistic renders. After a little bit of searching, however, I found a method to actually load and use roughness maps through the normal map in Lumion!
Roughness maps can be used in Lumion by applying the roughness map to the alpha channel of the normal map.
If you have ever seen a set of construction documents, or seen an architect writing, you may have seen a lot of upper-case. I was asking myself, why is this the norm? Why do architects write in all caps?
Architects write in all caps for the legibility and standardization. Largely, this is from the days of all documents being produced by hand, where achieving regularity from person to person was very important. Upper-case also helps to keep construction documents neat and tidy.
Steel joist spacing is dependent on if the roof or floor can span between the joists and if the steel joists can carry the load of the roof or floor. In general, 24 inches is a good rule of thumb for steel joist spacing unless noted otherwise by a structural or civil engineer.
Steel joist spacing is very dependent on the load that they are carrying, and size of the joists, as well as a number of other factors. To ascertain a spacing, be sure to consult with an engineer.
That said, often a designer will need to have a rough idea of steel joist spacing earlier in a project, before they have had a chance to consult with an engineer, and this short guide is for just such a circumstance.
After hearing stories about how hard architecture school can be, and then undergoing the ordeal myself, I graduated asking myself why was it so tough? Did it need to be? Why is architecture school so hard?
Architecture school can be very hard for several reasons. First is the sheer volume there is to learn – everything from design theory to calculating structural stresses on a wall. Then there is the very time consuming nature of the degree. Almost all classes are project based, which is inherently very time consuming, with few or no shortcuts. To top this off, the student body is typically very competitive, which forces professors to grade harshly.
Despite the skills required, and the responsibilities architects hold, architects make relatively little money. This is due to a difficulty quantifying what architects do, an environment of too many architects and not enough jobs, and issues with scaling the business side of the profession. This mixed with the stress and long hours associated with architecture can lead many to frustration.
Quantifying What Architects Do
Often in a project, it will suddenly occur to the client that the quantifiable aspects of the project are not done by the architect. The shop-drawings (often the only drawing that a contractor will build from) are drawn by a construction administrator, the structural calculations are usually done by a structural engineer. The HVAC layout is designed by a mechanical engineer. The furniture layout is designed by an interior designer. The electrical layout is designed by an electrical engineer. Usually the landscaping is designed by a landscape architect or design – and so much of the specificity of the project is given over to consultants. There are curtain consultants, theater consultants, school consultants, security consultants – the list goes on. The long list of names and professions attached to a project will often leave the client asking what, if anything, is the architect doing?
The long list of names and professions attached to a project will often leave the client asking what, if anything, is the architect doing?
