Common Definition: A person who designs buildings.
Gary Cooper as architect Howard Roark in The Fountainhead
Unauthorized Definition: Architects are media darlings. The Fountainhead featured Gary Cooper as an uncompromising architect. Robert Reed’s character, Mike Brady was a cool architect dad for The Brady Bunch TV sitcom. Paul Newman was a white collar hero saving lives in The Towering Inferno. For at least three movies, Steve Martin played an intellectual yet romantic architect. However, the funniest architect characters came later when Matt Dillon and Lee Evans both faked being architects in There’s Something About Mary. Sadly few architects in the media are women. Although this is changing in the real world. Continue reading Featured Term: Architect→
Building regulations were enacted to protect everyone’s health, safety and well-being. I tell myself this when visiting a building department. Reality however, appears far from this goal. Instead I usually find a morass of confusing red tape and contradictory information.
No matter how frustrated I get, building regulations are here to stay. Because they carry the force of law, I don’t bury my head. Instead, I ask questions, write down conversations and work hard to understand each rule’s intent, even the ridiculous ones. I’ve seen do-it-yourselfers and Libertarian leaning builders try bucking the rules. Most end up paying hefty fines. Others find trouble insuring or selling their illegal monstrosities. Some even call me after the fact to help calm down angry inspectors.
To help everyone build wisely, below is a basic primer for understanding the typical regulations I’ve encountered during 30 years of designing and building homes around the country. Continue reading Zoning & Building Code Basics→
