Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: "Making" Community

[Sally S. Leach (sleach]

In message Thu, 25 May 95 05:57 CDT,
  Harry_Pasternak [at] tvo.org (Harry Pasternak)  writes:
> John Montague Massengale, AIA
> Architect & Town Planner
> Thank you for proving my point.You haven't done the required research--Jan
> Gehl has--it's time for you to do some reading on the subject--its really
> all there.There is a bank of 38 years of how to do it right and how to do
> it wrong.Unfortunately, its done wrong most of the time.Have you
> contacted Jan Gehl?
>
> You asked me: "Please give one good reason why a Cost "Engineer" (reminds
> me of Sanitation Engineers, are they professionally qualified and
> registered?) is better qualified than the future homeowners to choose the
> architects."
>
An earlier message requested that people better identify themselves:  not a
bad idea, as I've often wished I knew what region or speciality the writer
represents;  I would have a further request:  that the message have
something useful to people interested in cohousing.

In this message, Pasternak takes Massengale, AIA, to task for not doing his
reading, stating that there's 38 years of it out there if only John would
get his head out.  Much more useful, Mr. Pasternak, would be a bibliography
of these writings shortened to eliminate the ones which didn't prove out.
That would be a useful application of your housing institute's time.  I'm
glad someone out there had the time to read all 38 years worth;  give us a
useful list.

Re Cost Engineers:  architects have a way of failing to survive too many of
those 100% over the budget experiences;  for one thing, the custom is to
redesign and redraw when the project is over due to architectural
negligence.  For another, the word gets around and, also you won't have that
client around again as a repeat.  To select architects only on the basis of
cost is as silly as choosing an architect because he or she has blond hair
and blue eyes.  Don't get me wrong;  cost control is an extremely important
element of design.  I would bet that Mr. Massengale would agree with me that
he would love to have a client who requested and paid for a Cost Engineer or
any other of the traditional methods, such as qualified cost estimators.

To turn over the selection of the architect to a "tough bastard" whose only
eye is for the budget is shortsighted and relinquishes the opportunity for
a serious attempt to design one's own community.

Thomas Leach, Architect and Planning Consultant, Contractor, CoHousing
developer, etc.  Austin, Texas.