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Colophon
“The quality of a map is also in part an aesthetic matter. Maps should have harmony within themselves. An ugly map, with crude colors, careless line work, and disagreeable, poorly arranged lettering may be intrinsically as accurate as a beautiful map, but it is less likely to inspire confidence.” John K. Wright -
bd-MAP
bd-MAP documents process standards, ideas, and information at Bushman Dreyfus Architects in Charlottesville, Virginia. -
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Director’s Notes
Feb 16, ’11
10:03 PM
Well this is interesting. Let me tell you all the ways you can be better.
Almost-flat Roofs
Feb 14, ’11
11:05 AM
Archicadwiki has a nice – because short and to the point – article about how to model flat or near-flat roofs using various interacting combinations of slab, mesh, and roof.
Dimensions: Ground Rules
Feb 10, ’11
1:01 PM
“A great building must begin with the unmeasurable, must go through measurable means when it is being designed and in the end must be unmeasurable.”
Louis I. KahnMetiendo Vivendum – ‘By Measure We Live’
Motto of Sir Edwin Lutyens
Composite Fit to Skin
Feb 9, ’11
6:32 PM
No need to apply manual insulation objects to walls that require batt fill. Create a composite and set the fill to “fit to skin”.
The toggle to look for:
Example on plan:
3 Sizes, 2 Kinds, 1 Modular Grid
Feb 3, ’11
12:50 AM
Design aphorisms, humor, tiger mothers, and honesty don’t often travel together so I’m happy to recommend a piece by Michael Bierut based on that unlikely ensemble alone. The piece is also a memoir and tribute, of sorts, to Michael Bierut’s first boss Massimo Vignelli.
Which takes me back. Massimo Vignelli did all the graphic design for my first employer in New York, Eisenman/Robertson. The graphic ephemera of the firm designed by him, from file folders to letterhead and communication forms to the printed condoc sheets on which we drew everyday, evidenced that certain Vignelli something. Classy and professional, his work made our little eight-person office look good.
Not until years later did I discover the ground rules behind Vignelli’s work:
- Semantics
- Syntactics
- Pragmatics
- Discipline
- Appropriateness
- Ambiguity
- Design is One
- Visual Power
- Intellectual Elegance
- Timelessness
- Responsibility
- Equity
At E/R you could see Vignelli’s design rules floating up off the printed stuff, and it made an indelible impression.
Michael’s piece addresses the unwritten rules in his office and how working for someone with such a strong sense of aesthetic right and wrong affected his growth as a designer.
Indulge my walk down memory lane and watch this video of my two old bosses in an interview with some C-ville shout-outs. Pure Jacque and Peter. Working at E/R was a great experience, always interesting.
The Seven Keys to Best Practices for ArchiCAD
Feb 1, ’11
5:40 PM
Advice from an ArchiCAD trainer.
- Get Organized
- Do it Once
- Save Your Settings
- Work From General to Specific
- Use ArchiCAD’s Structure
- Model Well, Draw Less
- Keep it Safe