Welcome to Cross Sections
Welcome to the Spring/Summer issue of the EuroTeam Design Group newsletter ‘Cross Sections’. The purpose of this newsletter is to let you know what the EuroTeam Design Group is doing and also how you can help. This newsletter is sent semi-annually, free of charge, to anyone who requests it. Please feel free to give this newsletter to friends and associates who are involved in one of the many building design professions. If you received this from a friend, please contact us so we can send you future copies directly. We won’t use your e-mail address for anything besides sending this newsletter and we won’t make it known to anyone else.

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Distance Learning

Distance . . . or learning - that's the question on a lot of people's minds.

This form of education, which back in my day we called “correspondence courses” has taken on a whole new meaning now that the Internet is a fixture in our lives. While many see it as a wonderful way to bring education to people who could not otherwise benefit from it, others resist it and say that it can work only in very limited cases.

In my own life, I recently saw the need for formal education in the area of construction project management after having worked in this field on two projects. After an extensive search on the Internet (which I did from the comfort of my own office), I came across a certificate course at the University of Washington, Seattle, available through ‘distance learning'. The program consists of four classes and can be done anywhere there is a decent Internet connection. Each course uses a textbook (which can be purchased on the Internet), a set of notes by the professor, and there are quizzes and projects, all of which can be done online or at least submitted online.

As I am making my way through the last course in the series, I have to say that I have learned a lot from the content and have benefited from being able to do all of this over the Internet. Naturally it requires a fair amount of self-discipline to do the work, but it has been worth it. One observation I would make is that some “real time” interaction with the professor and the other students is very beneficial. Each of these classes has had a weekly or bi-weekly teleconference, but due to the time difference between the West Coast and Europe, I was only able to participate in this for one of the classes. And I soon found out how much I was missing when I wasn't able to do this. I don't know that my grade suffered, but I feel that I missed a lot of information that the professor and also the other students gave during these interactions.

Surprisingly there still seems to be a lot of resistance to offering distance learning courses in the various areas related to architecture, but this may change in the future. My brief experience with this type of education has shown how beneficial distance learning can be.

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How Much Is Enough?

I don't know about you but when I entered the profession of architecture I had this grand idea about beautiful renderings of sweeping vistas, my building design plopped down right in the middle. Grandiose perspectives and innovative ideas springing from the page causing clients to swoon with waves of emotion. Pencil lead to page (yes paper and pencil), flying across, trying to get my ideas down as quickly as they came.

However the reality seems to be working to meet a deadline, detailing less than spectacular designs, coaxing the computer to do what you want it to instead of what you tell it to and pleasing clients that don't always “get” what you're trying to convey (Wouldn't it be cheaper if…?) to which I'd like to respond, “Yes, but it would be cheaper still to dwell in a cave.”)

So how much is enough. The standard project looks a bit like the illustration below. A two dimensional plan. It conveys the idea, but gives no sense of the space, especially if clients can't think spatially. It meets the budgetary constraints placed on you, the professional, but isn't terribly inspiring.

The standard level of design represntation

The euroteam design Group is part of a non-profit agency. This means we don't make any money on our projects…ever. What this allows us to do is provide that something extra. This is where architecture becomes fun. We are able to provide something like the sketch below. This took about eight hours to construct from a 2D plan, including “building” the light fixtures and choosing textures. By the way, the beam color is from an actual color and pattern of the existing beams.

Kicking it up a notch can cost too much

This is all great fun, but maybe you don't have a BIM program like AllPlan, Revit or ArchiCAD. Do you have an option to design three dimensionally to allow your clients to see what you're talking about, while staying profitable? I think the answer is “Yes!” This past summer someone (let's call him Terry…because that's his name) showed me a program called SketchUp. This is a program that lets you do massing studies and schematic building design quickly and easily. The sketch below took about 15 minutes.

An alternative in the middle?

The program can add more detail than I've shown here, but it is a good alternative to a full blown 3D rendering.

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Favorite Sites: Thorncrown Chapel

I'm going to do something a bit unorthodox. Please bear with me. I know that we are Europe based and that the Favorite Buildings is kind of geared to European buildings, of which there are plenty. However, I was in the states this past summer and had the opportunity to visit several architectural havens. One of which, I intend to use as this issue's favorite site. So, if you'll indulge me, I'd like to talk about Thorncrown Chapel.

On my travels this summer, I found myself passing through the northwest corner of Arkansas . We were seeking lunch around Fayetteville , and all of a sudden it struck me that this was the location of Taliesin graduate, Fay Jones. I reasoned that the chapel must be nearby. After a couple of inquiries, I found it was about 100 kilometers away, certainly worth the time and effort when being so close.

Exterior at Night

I was not disappointed. Although the chapel is little more than what is shown in the pictures, it is a feast for the eyes. Set in the woods, secluded, it is what it is. GORGEOUS! A spindly structure, reaching toward the heavens, surrounded by dense beautiful woods. It almost seems out of proportion in height to width, but the surrounding trees make it somehow seem right.

Interior view

The people who run the chapel are Christians and see it as an opportunity to reach out and evangelize those who enter. There are daily services and I spoke with one of the ladies there. I asked if she thought Mr. Jones was a believer. Her reply went something like this.

Mr. Jones always claimed to be agnostic, but he would come up and walk around the chapel. He would observe those observing his work. He took pictures and he often came in and just sat, listening to the background music, and observing. His wife is a believer and would always ask us to pray for him. We'd hope that he made things right on his deathbed, but we just don't know.

I'd like to think that he and others like him will come to a saving knowledge too. It reminded me about the temporal nature of buildings and of life and how important it is to share the love of Christ to those around us. To find out more about this building you can go online to: http://www.thorncrown.com/

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As a final note, we would like to remind you that all of the services that EuroTeam provides are done without charging a fee or for our time.  We rely on the prayers and financial contributions of individuals for all of our expenses.  These include office equipment, software, service contracts, and some travel by our staff. If you would like to make a donation to the EuroTeam Design Group, please send it to:

Greater Europe Mission
18950 Base Camp Road
Monument, CO 80132

Please designate it for "EuroTeam Design Group. You will receive a tax-deductible receipt.  Thank you for your prayers and thank you for your financial support.

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