Running Gear For Buildings?

Originally Posted on my previous blog site and remains appropriate now in January 2013

by Lee Mamola on 10/19/11
Perhaps one of the greatest improvements involving running gear in the past dozen years or so is the invention of so called "Tech Fibers".  Tech fibers are clothing fibers that have been scientifically designed to wick moisture (aka sweat) away from a body.  These special blends of polyester fibers are woven into light weight shirts, jackets, pants, socks, hats and are worn by runners in both hot and cold conditions to allow the runner to run in efficient comfort. They have become an essential component of the running experience.

It was not all that long ago that cotton was king and runners were clad in hot and heavy moisture soaked T-shirts in summer. In winter this same cotton gear worked to hold moisture close to the runner's body and allowing the wetness to become cold and thus turning a winter run into a winter chill if not freeze session.

So what does this have in common with architecture? Actually a great deal! In today's energy and environmentally sensitive world the proper attention to moisture control in a building's overall performance and projected long term life is absolutely critical.

In today's world of tightly constructed and highly insulated buildings there is less room for error in the design and the construction of the exterior building shell or envelope. Older buildings with less insulation and unintended air leaks actually provided for a more forgiving envelope assembly and thus moisture penetration was less likely an issue in these structures.

Yet there is not one solution or proper way to "dress" a building to assure it's comfort during the run or existence of a building's life. First the building's location or micro climate must be clearly understood. Then there are various types of wall assemblies that involve not only a myriad of materials between the inner and outer surfaces, but it is critical to where these materials are located within the wall assembly. The location of certain materials is dependent upon the micro climate of the building site. The most variably located materials are  vapor barriers, air barriers, and water barriers. Most building and home owners do not have a single clue as to what these items are yet alone how they should be installed in a given wall assembly. Yet these items are critical to the long term successful performance of their building or home.

While many older buildings were constructed with what we consider to be something a kin to an air or moisture barrier I believe it is a fair comparison to say that these barriers are like the old cotton shirts worn by runners years ago.

As the runner's tech shirt works equally well in hot and cold conditions so do certain newly developed air and/or vapor barriers that are properly located and installed within a given wall assembly. Thanks to this new building technology our buildings and plan to "run long" for well into the far future.

Thanks for stopping by and reading and RUN HAPPY!
Lee

How Many Buildings Do You Draw A Day?

This question asked of an architect is comparable to asking a runner how many miles do you run each day.  As a runner being asked this question by a non-runner I am first grateful for their interest and then go on to explain that there really are no two training days alike for a runner. So neither are there any two days alike in the world of a practicing architect.

Actually, most architects rarely draw anymore let alone draw buildings!  The profession is dominated and perhaps even overwhelmed by the new technology involved with the design of a building, no matter how small and simple or large and complex. Most experienced architects rarely spend much of their work week (let alone any part of any day) drawing either via a computer or that old fashioned way thing called sketching. Most of an architect's typical day involves communications, contract issues, business matters, marketing, and I suppose you can even say blogging. So how is it that buildings get drawn at all?  Good question, the easy answer is on the back of those who want to be an architect one day!  That's the routine of many architects who are viewed as being successful by their peers, their clients, and the public.

Runners on the other hand also rarely do the same training routine from one day to the next. This is for several reasons. The most basic is biological. When a runner experiences a tough (either long or fast or sometimes both) their body needs time for the damage to tiny muscle fiber to repair. Thus one of several rules to train by, never run hard two days in a row. So simple biology prevents an experienced runner from repeating the same tough workout day after day. 

Then there is the mental aspect to training. Most runners are training for a race that probably months away from their race day. The simple process of breaking the monotony of running the same distance each day will cause a runner to run various distances each workout.

But such a variance of distances over the same course or portion of a training route will soon cause a runner to become bored with the training experience and seek other routes.  These variations in distances, intensity of training, and routes all combine to provide the runner with sufficient variety to keep their training fresh. 

The next evolution of a runner's training routine is to not to run and train alone but to do so with others who share the runner's passion and goals. The best example of this is seen in an active running club or training group.  Personally I feel very blessed to be a part of one very successful such group that being the Running Fit 501 Marathon and Half Marathon training session sponsored by one of the best running stores in the country and consisting of the best group of runners I could ever hope to share my running experience in recent years and I hope for many years to come too.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, I welcome your feedback and comments.

Run Happy

Lee