Dumb Architects

[Madimel]

I have a story to share, hope you find this as funny as I did.
The project architect was on the job site making changes to the project blaming the contractor for not following his drawings. Ironically, the architect's first name is Rong (not kidding). The superintendent brought out the working drawings to show Rong that the building was drawn exactly as he drew it. Rong shot back at the contractor, "How do you expect me to know what the building is going to look like!"

[Rolando]

As a fellow architect, I officially disavow this duffus.

[nanrehvasconez]

Rong the architect, eventually windup working for city hall as plan checker and code enforcer.

[mx2]

Rong business, rong number, rong answer, rong drawing, rong architect...

mx2.5

[Married To The Job]

Similar story, caught in print!

Several years back, a local newspaper feature writer and her husband picked a local architect to design their new home. She decided to write about the project (design through construction) in an ongoing column.

So, mid-construction, and the contractor tells the owner that the stair to the second floor isn't working out right. Turns out there was only two feet (yes, TWO FEET) of clearance above the top step. The architect's (alleged) reply was shared for all and sundry, "Well, this is a custom home, and the plans have not been built before. There are bound to be some surprises."

Am I disillusioned! And here I thought it was my job to think the design through during working drawings, not construction.

[RSCarcht]

Were these individuals really (licensed) architects? The term "architect" has become so broadly used that it has almost lost its meaning!

The educational requirements, the internship period and the difficulty of the exams are meant to weed out people who make these types of freshman level mistakes. I truly hope and believe that investigation would prove these individuals were not licensed....

[Married To The Job]

...the 'architect' really is a licensed architect and AIA member.

[Madimel]

Licensed architect and AIA member as well.

[RSCarcht]

Well every profession has its incompetants and hopefully they will all be drummed out, wether they be doctors, lawyers or engineers...

[Madimel]

It gets better, I've enclosed a picture of a toilet room for one of his designs. There is less than 1" of clearance from the door swing to the front of the bowl. To get in, you have to slide in the space between the wall the side of the toilet.

[RSCarcht]

Judge a profession not by its worst practitioner but by the median of the group. In general I find architects to be thoughtful, community oriented and competent. I personally think the world would be better off if 95% of buildings were designed by architects rather than 5% of them, but I am not perhaps the most objective party on that point...

[mntimeworn]

This thread is awesome!! on my phone I have about 100 pictures of homes that were OBVIOUSLY designed by a contractor or the like, I tend to agree that the world and even the city I call my home would be a much more pleasant place to live if people appreciated good design and the education required to fill that role.

I walked through a house last year that you actually had to walk through a bathroom to get to the basement....and yes it was built in 2008!!

Jared

[Atalla Wanderer]

Perhaps the basement was supposed to be a hidden room. Just put something in the bathroom to cover it and - viola! - you have your fallout shelter in case the economy fails. Or maybe they're planning for 2012?