Before this reading seminar, I knew about the 3 types of rocks known ( sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous). After this seminar, I walked away knowing how these types of rocks are determined as a building material and I realized there was more to stone than the aesthetics. What I also got from this seminar is the different ways stone is used into building material and how not only its found but how it is quarried and what quarried even means.  This seminar was really helpful because it developed a kind of understanding and analysis I probably wouldn’t have reached on my own time reading.

Stone is a very durable material that many constructors consider using  to build structures that would last a lifetime. Although it is important that architects should understand the qualities and capacities of the different types of stone there is to know how to use stone in their works to create  durable structures. Granite for example is a type of stone that is impervious and compression resistant , which is less absorbent to water. Granite in this case, is very good for floors, counter top, or even the bottom level of a building, which is more likely to be exposed to water, snow, and floods also strong enough to hold up the gravitational force that is upon the building.

Iano and Allen’s section on Stone Masonry, with some overlap on bricks refer back to the basic idea of materiality for building i.e. some Vitruvian basis on Utilitatis and Firmitatis.

That being said,  building material has to exhibit aesthetic and functional aspects. Building fundamentals  on stone masonry cover the general mechanics of material , porosity, tensile/compressive attributes without going into the quantitative aspects. Such an example would be stone cladding versus stone masonry whereby the binder is either mechanical(metal clips)  or chemical (mortar). This example elucidates an important point in material treatment. It is so because  it differentiates mode of adhesion if it can be said.  With that in mind the chapter goes on to discuss and furthers the stone/masonry section with reference to ASTM standards which is important for everyone involved in the building industry.

With Vitruvian aspects, it follows how grain and external aspect affect the choices an architect has to be aware of. With this in mind the chapter goes to close on important key terms.

Reading blueprints is important in architecture and allied trades as well. Any profession requires some amount of visual information or mapping. It is heavily used in design fields like architecture and building construction because any idea to be implemented requires instructions on how to build the design.

At any point  an instruction manual will always carry some graphical explanation of instructions. Architectural design is the same, but relies heavily on graphical information to orchestrate and document process, not just  for building houses but for other problem solving issues like scheduling or general concept mapping.

Graphical plans  are written without words, as such  constant exposure to drawn plans will engage a student or individual,  in constant learning or reorganization of ideas from experience and personal vernacular.

Being able to read plans fast is important  for the building trades as some drawing conventions differ from others. Like any language it requires constant drills to develop fluency.

Working in groups also overlaps with reading plans if not in projects but also in exchanging ideas. Learning to find workflow with other designers, students is vital  to any collaborative work or project. In this way, a plan reading exercise helps students and designers alike to constantly reshape their personal and collective ideas about blueprint reading.

Francis Ching, in his book on Building Illustrated, first and fourth edition,  classifies  stairs under special construction. Egress is a means of exiting a place and so, it follows that egress is implied departure from a building or enclosure, or it could be open, depending on context. But in Ching’s notes, egress is specific to exiting  a building in case of accidents or hazardous conditions to humans.

Stair design in general is considered as special construction for two reasons, first it is internal and it is listed together with spaces that have overlapping areas with mechanical, electrical services or multiple servicing.

Stairs are a means  to circulation up or down  for occupants( in an enclosure).  Constant foot traffic and movement must be ensured to safety by the stairs themselves. If people are moving, the generalized strides up/down must be comfortable and safe. It is for this reason that stairs and egress stairs are designed with safety fire codes and comfort.

In times of general fear and panic people behave like water, constantly rushing without regard to path. Trampling and mob behaviour are displayed in such times; fires, hazards and others. In this way, egress staircase must ensure that foot traffic is not choked or endangered.

Knowledge of how to design staircases are important also because of the occupants. If a design is a safety hazard it cannot be implemented or in more  dire cases, an architectural designer will be sued for the hazard caused and may lose livelihood and or license to practice profession.

Construction Elements are basic components of a building  or any enclosed structure that may be considered for human occupancy. Material is what composes majority of manufactured goods in the industrial and construction industries

For Architects,  Building Elements refers to components of a design, building, residential or industrial.  It follows that any element , component or member must  be made of some substance or matter. In the area of architecture and construction, all materials can be made into  parts that compose, for instance a simple enclosure.

The main purpose of understanding the basic mechanical and technical behaviour of material, is that it aids any draftsman or architectural designer to  create concepts (components or organization of space) based on how material behaves.

To create any enclosure, the designer has to know the basic requirements of how walls can be made sturdy but at the same time, allow cooling and heating the area it covers,  without discomfort to living occupants , in that space.

Before an architectural designer implements a design, the external conditions of a site,  programming and local building codes have to be satisfied. A good knowledge of  materials can free the designer from constant  rework of any plan.

The architectural designer organizes the logical idea of his/her design proceeds to pick the materials best suited for the design and troubleshoots the plan or idea before fully realizing it.

Knowledge of how things behave in a specific environment,  can be applied to  ideal environments and know if the desired result can be obtained or not.

Making designs or concepts must be supported by actual material data if it is to be executed as a building or residential project.