UNIT 2

INTERIOR DESIGNER AS A PROFESSIONAL

(VOCABULARY AND WORD FORMATION)

TEXT 1 (BASIC LEVEL)

(Based on “Construction Drawings and Details for Interiors” W. Otier and R. Kilmer)

Construction Drawings
Construction drawings (often called working drawings) visually communicate the
design and the information required to bring a building or space into reality to
everyone who is involved in the building process. These drawings generally follow
a set of architectural drawing conventions that are widely accepted in the
industry. A variety of types of drawings are needed to accurately describe a
project to the various tradespeople who will do the work. The main types are what
are generally called architectural and engineering drawings. For example, a
concrete wall may be described just by its size and finish on the architectural
drawings, but an technical drawing is also needed to spell out the exact structural
components, such as size and spacing of steel reinforcing in the wall.

Figure 1
Construction plan which includes four exterior elevations, a roof plan and a building section
TEXT 2 (ADVANCED LEVEL)
(Based on “Construction Drawings and Details for Interiors” W. Otier and R. Kilmer)

Specifications and contracts

Specifications, contracts, and construction drawings are an integral part of what is
referred to as the contract documents. These documents form a guide for the
various workers and suppliers to follow in constructing the project.

The drawings and specifications complement one another and are used together.
For example, the drawings show the colour and location of paint to be applied to
a wall surface, but do not tell how it is to be applied (sprayed, rolled, or brushed)
and the resulting quality of workmanship required. In this case, the subsurface
must first be prepared to receive the paint, adjacent areas need to be protected
from the painting, the minimum skills of the painter must be specified, and the
clean-up needed must be called out. These particulars are all detailed in written
specifications for the painting, and similar instructions are prepared for all the
other work to be carried out on the project.

Specifications should complement the construction drawings, not duplicate them.

Their main purpose is to describe the type and quality of materials and finishes;
quality and method of construction and installation; acceptable testing methods;
alternate provisions; and warranties and their requirements. Specifications are
referred to as “closed” or “open” for bidding purposes. “Closed” means no product
can be used on the project other than what is specified. Open specifications allow
for the substitution of products specified, or for the contractor to suggest a
number of products for the item that is specified or being bid on.

In addition to this, various contractual agreements are needed between the

parties involved in a building project. These agreements detail each party’s
responsibilities and can be in oral or written form. However, it is preferable to put
down in writing the responsibilities of each party and what is expected. This can
prevent future disagreements and serves as a legal contract binding the various
parties. Contracts can be simple written agreements, or pre-printed documents.
There may also exist a whole series of other contracts between the contractor
and subcontractor, or contractor and material supplier.
ACTIVITY 1 (BASIC LEVEL)
Find the definition of every word you do not know in the following text. Try to use
synonyms when possible.

Interior projects’ plans

In interior projects, the interior partition plans, details, and furniture drawings
could be included with the architectural set, or they could be a completely
separate set of drawings. Another type of specialized drawing might be a drapery
installation plan for detailing specific window coverings. Construction drawings
are sequentially arranged by major components, as illustrated in Figure 2. This
sequence generally follows how the building is constructed, from the ground to
the shell of the building to the interiors. However, the exact sequence of drawings
and their content will vary from project to project and office to office. For example,
the number of sheets of construction drawings for a small residence may be
smaller than for a commercial project. Nevertheless, in both cases, the sheets are
numbered and bound sequentially as a set, for clarity and ease of use by
contractors, subcontractors, and others involved in the project.

Figure 2
Secuence of Construction Drawings
ACTIVITY 1 (ADVANCED LEVEL)
Find the definition of every word you do not know in the following text. Try to use
synonyms when possible.

Guidelines for organizing drawings

Before construction drawings are executed, a considerable amount of work must
precede their preparation, such as programming, preparing schematic drawings,
and developing the design. The overall design of the project, general materials,
finishes, and other particulars must already be established. Preliminary
information from other consultants, such as electrical and acoustical engineers,
must be collected and available for input into the drawings. A building code
analysis must be done to confirm the project meets requirements for the
protection of the public’s health, safety, and welfare.

Before the construction drawings are drafted up, a mock-up set is first created to
give an overview of the sequence of sheets and their individual contents. This
process helps to organize the drawings and reduces the risk of overlooking
important information and relationships between drawings.

The size of sheets that drawings are done on can vary among professional firms,
depending upon the office standards, the type of project, and the form of
reproduction selected for the drawings. Generally, sheets are composed in a
horizontal format, and multiple sheets (which comprise a set) are bound on the
left side, as for a book. When sheets are bound into a set and a person leafs
through the sheets, the information on the right-hand side of the sheet is
generally seen first.

Title blocks typically contain information that identifies the project, its location, the
name of the client, the designer’s (or firm’s) name and address, names or initials
of the drafters and checkers, revision blocks, and space for professional seals. It
might also include information on others involved in the project, such as
consulting engineers. The title block tells contractors, suppliers, and other
interested parties the location of the project and who to contact for specific
information. Title blocks generally include: design firm’s name/logo, address,
telephone/fax number, and e-mail address (if applicable); date, professional
seals, sheet title, sheet number; and finally the job number and how many sheets
comprise a set.