Agency Visualised in the Specification
The gathering of design agency between all project stakeholders does not conclude with the specification drawing package but can be seen through the craftmanship of the work and decision-making process onsite. Similar to that of the design build process, the specification of products can be seen throughout ancient texts, providing a written instruction to the builder, describing his/her future actions in detail. “Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above; and set the door of the ark in its side, make it with lower, second and third deck” - Genesis 6.14-16 Katie Lloyd Thomas references this passage from the bible in her PhD thesis, where God offers instructions to Noah, his master builder, which simulates the specification document that accompanies any large-scale inhabitable structure we design today. Llyod Thomas makes the argument that the specification above, and others similar, do not in fact describe the future ark in detail and leave huge gaps to be filled by Noah and his fellow builders. These voids in the document are of course, the agency of each contractor and stakeholder who bring a level of expertise and intuitive to the project.
“Because it is necessarily written prior to the building’s existence and has an effective force [contractually], it might more properly be called a ‘pre-scription’ rather than a description.” - Katie Lloyd Thomas Professor Thomas describes the specification document as a contractual stand-in for the building while the construction process takes place. A promise from the project team to the client, that they will provide a particular building and that the funds are available from the client to realise this. However, these documents are not in any way suitable for site. Lloyd Thomas explains how these documents are too “unwieldly to use too full of references and standards” and only utilised for the quantity surveyors pricing reports and post construction in case of a dispute. There is a finality associated to these specification drawings that does not exist in real life construction.
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Within these modern-day documents, they lack the qualities seen through the participatory architectural methods seen above. As previously mentioned, the BIM eco-system obtains similar problems for many of the agents within a project. The expertise required to offer ones one knowledge upon a BIM model does not come naturally to all stakeholders. It may take years for a person to learn how to apply their own specification to a BIM project. It could be argued that the BIM model is a space for construction experts only. This idea of construction contrasts immensely with the participatory approach I wished to take for this project. There seems to be little room for the agency seen through a carpenters skilled hands, a client’s own opinion on how a window seat should look, or the atmosphere a room shall create when completed. I have chosen to produce the technical drawings required to represent these agencies and atmospheres proposed for the construction of the co-housing unit. Some areas of the drawing will prove theoretical in its appearance, but this will be required in order to provide a level of information appropriate for topics of atmosphere and sound volume seen within a space. With these contemporary inclusive drawings, the architect constructs the parameters of the building by tracing the line of the section while leaving the inside of the line free for democratic discussion with contractors, clients and other consultants. The line delineated by the architect’s own subjective thought is balanced inside by the opinions/expertise of the design team. Inside the parameters of the line, the specification can be described by performance, as is usually the case during a design build contract, or more traditionally, the materials can be decided upon by a contractor who has experience with such a product. In some instances, throughout the drawing, an architect may be required to detail some aspects including a preferred cladding system of an area of structure and this will be granted. However, the spaces in between shall be up for discussion. An analogy for this kind of proposed specification can be described through the actions in ballet. A dancer moves through a space from one position to the next. These various stances can be heavily defined and practiced through repetition in training. However, it is the movement between these prescribed actions that carry a fluidity which the performer’s own agency constructs. The allowing of space within a drawing and future structure for all skillsets will become a vital element of these proposed specifications. John Ruskin explains how one should celebrate the agency of the workmanship seen through the buildings of old. When one views the Gothic era, ornaments constructed by the hand of the worker, “one must not mock at them, for they are signs of life and liberty of every workman who struck the stone, a freedom of thought, and rank in scale of being” (Ruskin 1892). This document is to collate all suggestions from all separate parties involved, ‘a freedom of thought’. This freedom of thought is viewed on drawing Number 1, and then translated by the architect into a second drawing, ready to be delivered to site for construction. |
Drawing No. 1 |
Drawing No. 2 |
This document should also have the ability to describe the proposed atmosphere apparent within the envelope of the building. For example, the feeling of the environment seen in the communal kitchen/living space of the co-housing unit will be in deep contrast to the upstairs private bedrooms and rooftop terrace. I have proposed that the terminology used within the musical score, could prove adequate in describing such an ambiance. The score, similar to that of the specification drawing is an instruction manual to each member of the orchestra. It allows the tempo and sounds of the musical piece to be legible on a page, and be played by a wide range of musicians or stakeholders. The Italian terminology, used to instruct the musician on how to navigate the crotchets and quavers are to be implemented within a space, describing the bustling communal kitchen as “Allegramente” – “Gaily, Joyously!” in comparison to the near silence of the bedrooms, “Rallentando..” – “Slowing Gradually”.
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Lastly, the role of the drawings should specify any agency provided in the future for the building’s occupants. The architect must represent what can be changed in future redesigns of the building’s space. Taking the communal kitchen for example, the architect may specify that the structure of the island and kitchen units may become as permanent as other elements such as the building’s floor slabs or structural walls. Any future inhabitant will be gifted the choice of replacing the unit’s doors, counter tops or faucets, however, the structural frame of the kitchen, which comprises of over 50% of the actual form, will not end up in landfill in 15-20 years. The role of the architect shall include identifying the speed of which agency can be applied to the building throughout its life. This gives the designer an opportunity to apply control over their structure’s whole life carbon impact at the beginning of the design phase.
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Research Drawing: |