Architecture & construction
Understand buildings.
Build smarter.
Practical guidance on design, drawings, cost, and construction from Robert, AIA, NCARB — a licensed architect with more than 20 years of experience.
Selected reading
A good place to begin.
Three guides to help you understand the process before making the next decision.
How to read construction drawings
Make sense of plans, elevations, sections, and the details that connect them.
Read the guide ↗Architectural design, phase by phase
Follow a project from early planning through documents and construction.
Learn the process ↗What belongs in a permit set?
Understand the drawings a review authority may need and why they matter.
Explore permit drawings ↗The field guide
Follow your project.
From the first sketch to the final walk-through, find the questions worth asking.
Design ↗
Planning, layouts, renovations, additions, and the design process.
Construction ↗
Foundations, framing, enclosure, interiors, and building systems.
Drawings & codes ↗
Plans, details, symbols, permits, accessibility, and inspections.
Cost ↗
Budgets, contractor pricing, allowances, and contingencies.
Project management ↗
Bidding, schedules, RFIs, submittals, changes, and closeout.
Keep it practical
Tools for the work ahead.
Working checklists and spreadsheets for owners, students, builders, and emerging professionals.
Project Planning Checklist ↗
Organize decisions from planning through closeout. Fillable PDF and Word.
Construction Budget Worksheet ↗
Track costs and forecasts in Excel, with a prefilled Ohio house example.
Bid Comparison Worksheet ↗
Compare up to four bids, scope differences, alternates, and qualifications.
Construction Drawing Checklist ↗
Record drawing questions and coordination items. Fillable PDF and Word.
Build smarter from the start.
Begin with the process, the people, and the decisions ahead.