The past few days have been focused and intense. We have been working hard to finish the mock-up as well as sort out all final details. A lot of the mindset now is turned towards what it will be like one, two, and three weeks from today when we are measuring, cutting, painting, and assembling at Medway Park. The more we plan and hash out each little move, the smoother the final process on site will go. That is a major lesson we have learned in the past few days. Having everything we need to know to on a sheet of paper is a challenge but crucial to our timeliness and success.
We were planning to assemble the mock up today, but a couple delays and an early sunset prevented us from meeting that goal. Although, we still achieved a lot today and should be able to knock out the mock-up tomorrow. I feel that we have learned a lot of very important lessons through this mock up process. I’ve learned the important difference between just drawing something and actually building from those drawings. It is enlightening being able to put ourselves in the shoes of that person which the typical architect usually creates drawings for. I have realized the importance of simplicity, clarity, and consideration of the construction process. Drawing holds an incredible amount of potential, and it is up to us to realize that potential in school and in the profession.
I have also learned that in this design-build setting, the team is the key to success. Secondary are the skills of each individual person, while more important is how all members can work together towards one single goal. What good is an individual’s talent if it is not used fully in pursuit the team’s objective? It is an exciting, rewarding, and sometimes difficult process. I have a lot of confidence in what our team is capable of, as one unit. A large part of the success of a team lies on its communication. So far, the few lapses we have had in communication have come from what was not said rather than what was said. Regardless, our team has really been killing it.
