I rarely have the chance to see the construction progress of the projects I worked on, but when I do, I really enjoy it.
This project is the remodel of a multi-purpose space in a commercial area for artists, makers, designers… It includes a cafe area, a garden area, a few lounges, working counters, a big podium and a stage for special events. I have been working on this projects since I arrived at MacCracken Architects a year ago. I have been working on the DD set, then the CD set and in the end, I was in charge of the material selection and the furnishing.
This project was very interesting because it had nothing like regular projects with partition walls and divided spaces. This project is one single space with many custom architectural elements. But as everything is unique, we can not count on the library of details that we usually use to make our detail sheets. Before this project, I had never drafted any detail in a company I worked in, and when I was still studying I was thinking that drafting details were just the hardest thing in architecture. So I have tried to do my best guessing how everything could be built but I have to admit that my superior helped me a lot… To be honest I’m not sure I was always picturing how everything would go together.
A few months later the construction had started and now everything is almost about to be covered by the actual finishes, but we can still clearly see how everything has been put together.
This construction site is just perfect to understand how to build anything with metal studs. I spent an hour on the site, trying to understand how each tricky part has been solved, and it helped me so much when I came back to the office to draft details for another project. I actually had all the details sheets of this other project to make.
I would never have thought that one day I would love drafting details, it’s just like a giant Meccano game. Last week I was on a deadline for a project I am dedicated on and my superior nicely offered me his help to be sure I would make it on time, and also that I would not have to do extra hours. He offered me to take care of the details while I was wrapping up with everything else… the thing I was the most excited about, the details!… Well, I nicely refused his help in explaining to him that it was a challenge that I really wanted to give myself! I didn’t have to argue too much with him, less work for him, he was happy!
That’s one thing I feel I have achieved during this year at MacCracken Architects, I gained so much confidence in the things that was making me feel very insecure and confused. And really feel grateful for having been trained by my superior Daniel whom always have been so nice and so patient, and whom never put pressure not me any time.
