solving the big problems

by ferdz osio

When doing a project, the designer must be able to concentrate on the bigger issues and not be weighed down by the details

I read about this story about the scientist, the engineer and the designer. The three were arguing about the height of the church tower when a man passed by carrying a barometer under his arm. The man, seeing no end to the debate challenged them to find the answer by using the barometer. The scientist took a long time measuring the barometric pressure from the bottom and from the top of the tower, and then calculating the distance by the difference. The engineer, scorning the lengthly procedure, went up to the top of the tower, judged how much the barometer weighed, and dropped it on the ground, taking note of the time it took to fall and thereby judging the distance. The designer went inside the church and offered the barometer to the priest in exchange for a glance at the building plans.

It’s a bit of an exaggeration, but the story tells more of a lesson than an actual fact. People will try to solve problems by the tools that they have. The designer differed from the other two in that he knew the problem had been solved already, and that the record in the form of the plan existed inside the church. Not that that awareness has anything to do with designing, but it just goes to show that most problems in life have been solved already. The only thing to do is to find where the solutions are being kept.

These days, every building component has a corresponding commercial product, of which the manufacturers have spent much on research and development. Its not very practical to try to invent a new kind of cement, or tile or wall. One can simply collect supplier’s documentation of products, and choose by several criteria which one is best suited for the project. Solutions and the knowledge needed to implement them are guarded by those who manufacture the products. Rarely does that knowledge go to the general public. They are often called ‘trade secrets’. We who do not have the resources to research and produce on our own rely on these products. This is modern design reality.

There are two general kinds of problems in an architectural project – component and integrated. Component problems are problems that can be dealt with by specific products. Integrated problems require the combination of several products or systems to solve. In the old days the designer deals with all these problems, and so there was no distinction. However, nowadays in the world of fast design and construction, the designer’s main role is to patch up the bigger integrated problems. If he tries to get deeply involved in ccmponent problems, his efforts will be spread too thin. He will be wasting time trying to ‘read the barometer’. Integrated problems are more important since one mistake may necessitate the replacement or remaking of several products or systems. Overall design and style will be judged by how integrated problems are solved.

This is not to say that smaller component problems have to be ignored. They shouldn’t. The point was that if a designer tries to catch two rabbits, he will never catch any. He will end up either ignoring the small problems, which will translate to a lot of post-construction tweaks and therefore costs. Or he will ignore the bigger issue of how things come together, which will be a greater disaster.

This is why the designer must be able to concentrate on the bigger issues and not be weighed down by micromanaging component problems. The way to do this is to have an extensive record of suppliers, components and a good database of products. Most of these problems could be easily solved with the right data at hand, and once that data is collected, its easier to choose between component solutions. The materials library is now an essential part of a good design office, as is support from suppliers and manufacturers. This is an approach that very few realize, and so many try to ignore.