Help! I'm drowning!
Landscape Architects today are literally awash in oceans of rich data so
helpful in maximizing the creative process. The
computer and the internet have revolutionized not only how we design but how we
implement our creations as well.
Quantum leaps forward in production efficiency are now commonplace with even
more staggering developments on
the IT horizon.
My particular method of information management works great for me (at this time) for several reasons:
- It's simple, flexible and scaleable.
Simple in that is uses known ways of gathering information, flexible in that
it
can be managed in a variety of ways and scaleable in that one can use only the landscape portion of the system or,
as I do, utilize all three components. (landscape, architectural and engineering). Some LA offices, like mine, are
heavily involved in all three aspects of the profession. They may have architects and engineers on the payroll, so a
comprehensive method of managing all three information systems is part of my setup. Conversely, many offices only
involve themselves with the landscape design aspect of the industry. That's fine, it's just a matter of orientation. - It's strength lies in it's capacity to
integrate and synchronize data into one format which speeds up both the
storing and
retrieval side of IT management. - It's inexpensive to setup and maintain
because it requires no new gadgets or employees, just a basic
re-organization of
existing IT tools that most offices already have.(computer-internet access-digital camera-software-spec center, etc)
Components of the Design Information System (DIS) are:
- Three Information Systems for landscape,
architecture and engineering. Only the landscape component is essential, the
other
two are optional. So we have a LIS (Landscape Information System) ,a AIS (Architectural Information System) and a
EIS (Engineering Information System). Each system is organized into divisions by individual preference. My LIS has
14 divisions (A-N) and covers, what I believe to be, every conceivable subject that could assist my landscape design effort.
Each LIS division is broken down into sub components or folios or whatever you want to call them, e.g.
A-1, A-2, etc. My A is Landscape Furniture and my A-1 is benches-bleachers, A-2--mail boxes, mail stations and so on.
So the LIS is a organized repository both on my office shelf and in identical folders on my hard drive internet link
organizer (Favorites, etc) - Three Product Service Guides for
Landscape, Architecture and Engineering. e.g. LPSG, APSG and EPSG.
The setup for the Product Guides is identical to the Information System to facilitate storing and retrieval.
My LPSG, for example, is in excel format and gets most of its use on the net. I have hundreds of links to Suppliers
and Govt. agencies. Their web sites have email, cell and land lines as well. - Three sets of Specifications for
Landscape, Architecture, and Engineering. I am currently putting my
specifications on my website which include the Product Service Guide that is in each spec set so contractors have the
latest specs and internet supplier contacts for tech info on the many products and materials in a typical specification
set. I also use the suppliers spec where possible, which is the majority of the cases. - A contact file in excel format organized
by groups for easy memory of who's who. e.g. plumbers-well drillers-pipe
suppliers, etc.
I find excel the best software for contacts because I can cram tons of information about a contact in the insert comments feature
in each cell of excel. You have unlimited space here for 40 or 50 employee contacts--data on new products-etc--very useful feature
that word dosen't have. I use the sort feature a lot to constantly alphabetize
the key user column. - A digital picture/video folder with exactly the same folders as my Information Systems and Product Guide Systems.
Is this setup bug free? No. Will I modify it in the future? Yes. Can it be improved ? For sure.
All graphics below,as well as design of this web site,are by Kent McCoy.
Starwars comes to design and construction--Tomorrow's surreal systems today
The rapidly emerging, mind boggling array of technology currently being
introduced into design and construction management is truly intimidating to the
faint of heart. Tomorrow's designers, planners and builders will look back on
today's methods in amazement at how backward we were---Sea changes coming in
this industry include:
- cad layers as we
know them will fade and be replaced by a central open architecture
Oracle 10 g database using SQL language. Early stages of this massive tech
shift can now be seen in cad BIS (building information systems) for
architecture with similar software for civil engineering and landscape
architecture coming. this common use, core oracle data based system relies
primarily on every created object, graphic, text
animation and voiceovers having their own attributes automatically built in as they are created (crudely related to object properties current tech). I have seen the future and it's called Revit - site data will be produced instantaneously via LADAR (laser-radar) technology, including topography, soil makeup, vegetation profiles, etc.
- largely automated
drafting and document tech will greatly diminish the time required to
get a concept to construction
readiness.
My illustration below represents this process in schematic form. At the center is the Oracle database that all drawing data with attributes will be stored and redistributed world wide in a myriad of formats (video, animation, modeled or 2d information)
Anybody with code access can retrieve, assemble, reassemble, reformat or whatever in order to move the project along.
Scotty take us out of
here at warp 3 thank you.
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Kent McCoy Landscape Architect
www.kentmccoy.com