Lindsey Sinisi, Week 9.14.20 – 9.17.20

LS3P & Associates

Monday: 4 hours / Project Planning & Design

There was an initial meeting to make sure everyone had a direction and role for the next day and a half before the SD deadline for Robert Smalls. I was tasked with all of the edits for Area A, which included the gym and all of its corresponding rooms. I modeled doors and a curtain wall for the vestibule. I also added a concession window and ticket window, along with various edits like adjusting door swings.

 

Tuesday : 4 hours / Project Development & Documentation

On the morning of the SD deadline, I was asked to add room numbers and tags for all of the rooms. The project architect had a general idea of how he wanted the rooms to be numbered, but I had to apply the method and use my best judgment for many areas that were unique. I had not done this before, and found myself visualizing the hallways and the best ways for a person actually navigating the building.

In the last hour, I placed casework and modeled counter tops and shelving for a typical classroom and science lab.

 

Wednesday: 4.5 hours / Project Development & Documentation

The day after the SD set was due, we immediately began on the DD set. I spent the morning modeling ceilings in each room and hallway. I needed to pay attention to ceiling height, material (gyp or ACT), and centering the tiles correctly. I modeled gyp breaks in the ACT for corners to keep everything centered.

 

Thursday: 4 hours / Project Management, 1 hour / Construction & Evaluation

I was asked if I wanted to go on a site visit to the CCAA Parking Garage project at the Charleston Airport. I worked on this project in the summer of 2018 when it was in its initial design phase. That alone was a really rewarding process, because the project included an elevator and stair tower that connects the parking garage to a pedestrian bridge, which in turn connects to the existing parking garage and airport itself. These pieces were very heavy on design and I got to participate in many design charrettes and discussions, along with actually starting the documents in Revit and drawing the bridge and lobbies of the elevator tower.

Fast forward to today, when the curtain wall of the elevator shafts I had drawn in Revit were just installed! After a morning of Quality Asssurance meetings with the design team, contractors, subs and airport representatives, we did a walk-through of the entire site. My mentor and the lead contractor discussed different QC concerns that had been discussed that morning, and I watched as the architect had to make quick, informed decisions to solve unforeseen problems. We went over the craft of control joints, the need for more handrail, and whether we should use white or black caulk between the curtain walls at the elevator lobby. Every detail is vital.

 

Total AXP Hours: 33.5 hours 

 

Reflection: 

While all of this week was educational, today was honestly one of the coolest experiences in my architecture journey thus far. I was surprised by how affected I was to see something that I knew like the back of my hand  be brought to life. It looked so similar to the renderings and the way I had imagined. I have always thought that to be one of the greatest rewards in architecture, but had not gotten to experience it until today. My discussions with my mentor, Greg Soyka, were inspiring and getting to observe the architect’s role among contractors and clients is always interesting. We wear so many hats! I left the construction site revitalized and more certain than ever that this is what I want to do with my career.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *