Architecture VS. Infrastructure
It's a whole new year, and time to start making your home or other building dreams a reality. When it's time for you to reach out to our firm and start discussing these fun future projects, do you know the proper vocabulary to use? That's what this blog is here for!
Happy New Year! It's such an exciting time to not only start your New Year's resolutions but also start working towards those bigger dreams. A new home perhaps, or the best new business building for your ever-growing business. We are here to make both of these things a reality for you. For those walking into a new build, wanting to start a new build, or discussing it with others, it's always best to use the right vocabulary when doing so. It's also best to make sure you're using the correct terms to make sure that no mistakes are made in the creation of your new build. It's a simple switch and an easy mistake to make. Using the wrong vocabulary could easily confuse a contractor or build some confusing barriers between you and your architect when they are wanting to understand what you want out of your build and how best they can create it for you.
So, let's avoid this confusion! There is a broad list of words and terms that you'll come across and learn to use when talking about or during the build of a new home or construction. The two most important and commonly used terms are of course infrastructure and architecture. To many, you might be thinking that they are basically the same thing. While it does take one to create the other, it is important to understand that they are two very different terms and to know what makes them different.
Infrastructure is the term used for the basic physical system of beams, weight-bearing walls, and the foundation that keeps any home and structure standing. Infrastructure is also something that will need your attention and care for the full life of the building or home to keep it safe, comfortable, and up to code. Making sure to stay on top of the upkeep of the infrastructure of any home or building will save you serious money in the long run and help keep it's market value up. Staying on top of any issues and preventing them from escalating will help your bank account and peace of mind stay intact. Finding a small leak versus replacing your entire roof or duct system will prove a lot cheaper in the end. This blog will primarily be focusing on the infrastructure and architecture of your home, but many of these ideals do apply to any other build as well. Please keep them in mind if you're in the market for, or are caring for, any structure larger than a home.
The upkeep and management of a home's infrastructure might not be the most exciting process, nor will they be glamorous additions. But they are very imperative for your safety, helping against damage during bad storms, and for making the lifetime of a home as long as possible. Just like anything, the more time and care you put into something, the longer it will last. Taking care of your home's infrastructure is no exception to this rule. The list of home maintenance that you should do throughout the year depends on what kind of home you have, where you're located, and how nature and other natural elements affect it. But this list below is some of the most important steps to keep your infrastructure strong and healthy.
Structure: You need to have regular checkups on your roof and the foundation of your home. It's recommended to do so at least once a year. Fall is always a good time to have them checked since it lands right before hurricane season and before another big change of the seasons. These checkups make sure there are no cracks, damage, rot, mold, dampness, bugs, or other issues affecting them. If there are signs of damage, it gives you time to fix any issues right away. Always make sure to keep your gutters clean. Also make sure that the foundation of your home has the correct amount of moisture in the ground surrounding it, and has the correct drain systems attached. If either of these are lacking, serious damage could be lurking. Make sure the soil around your home is in good shape both below and surrounding your home, and make sure no animals or insects are tuning your home into their home.
As your home ages, it will change with time, just like our bodies. Once every ten years or so, make sure to have someone come out and inspect the actual bones of your home and the state of its structure. Through bad storms, time, natural elements, heating and cooling, your home will be affected. It's always good to have a professional eye make sure that no repairs are needed and everything is still standing as strong and as safely as it was intended to be.
Make sure your HVAC systems and plumbing systems are also inspected once a year. Make any repairs as quickly as possible and fix any damage that had occurred since it's last checkup.
Don't take the water in your home for granted. Be good to your plumbing systems and don't overuse them. Don't use your drains improperly and don't pour anything down them that you shouldn't. Be respectful if you have a septic tank, and respectful to your sewage systems. This can keep your home clean, safe, and dry while avoiding serious damage or headache for you and your home.
We have talked about architecture in many ways throughout our blogs. It's an obvious topic as we are an architecture firm. But do you know what architecture is at its definition? Architecture is the art or practice of designing and the construction of buildings and other structures. This is the step we take care of when working with clients. We design, create and build for our clients. Yes, the beams, foundation, and weight-bearing walls are all a part of architecture. They are necessary to create your build. But, architecture is the whole picture. It is the whole vision, design, creation, and construction that we do before handing it over to our clients. Infrastructure is a building's bones and its care will be up to you once we are finished.
The next time you're describing or wanting to start a build, you now know the right terms to use and how best to use them! This is such an exciting time for our new clients, and we can't wait to start talking with you to make the dream of your build become a reality. Until next time, we are Architecture Plus!