Week 1: Basics & Understanding

Hello again!

So far in the past week, I've done a lot of reorganizing in the LEA office. This calls for past magazines, past projects, past proposals... etc. With this type of description of what I've been doing for the past week, you might just glaze over it, and say "eh". HOWEVER, by just doing these tidying activities, I have come to learn so much even just about the process it takes to get an architectural project going.

Maybe you might think: "Some person needs a building, they're gonna call a few firms, probably interview them. After that, choose the firm they like the best and BOOM! Building will be planned and designed in a couple months"

Now, some of the statements may be true, but they are all completely simplified.

Bev, one of my site mentors, informed me upon this process of obtaining a project.

They are called "RFQs". "Request for Qualifications". (I spent time organizing these as well(: !)
So basically, it is true: a person wants a building, and may contact multiple firms. But, in response, the architectural firms will draft up a RFQ. This RFQ is basically a nice, project-specific, bound booklet containing all of the firms qualifications, information, past works... etc. (They look really nice!).

After the RFQ is sent out, after a while, a decision is made. Either the firm is ultimately rejected, or they move the next stage, which is about a few firms that advance forward. This is the point where things get more specific upon the necessities of the project: quotas, ideas... all to finally choose the final firm to complete the project.

Larry, LEA CEO, told me that much of an architect's work, goes unnoticed, unrecognized.

Sketches, drafts, ideas: everything that could be, but never was.

It is passion that really drives an architect forward.


Well, let's end on this note! Stay tuned for more updates!

-Victoria