DALIA SPEAKS

Over the former six articles ,I have elucidated on the disciplines of all team players in the process of constructing your dream home such as The Architect , The Interior Designer, The Landscaper as well as The Contractor in all his various practices .I have highlighted the definition , the responsibility and the job expectation of each one of the eminent practitioners. A clarification was also presented on the vital factors necessary to be fulfilled in choosing the appropriate professional, the most successful policy in dealing with them and broad rules of calculating their fees. I have tipped on where to best pinpoint the most eligible expert. The fields themselves that these pros practice such as Architectural , Interior and Landscaping design in addition to the area of Contracting have been merely scratched at the surface simply to give a broad idea to help you in your hectic quandary of turning your aspired wish into an existing reality , since these fields sincerely deserve to be elaborated on in separate explanatory articles by themselves .

This article was intended to progress into discussing a controversial topic about methods of executing a project whether residential , commercial or hospitality .The pros and cons of each method has been a worldwide debate , a silent war between the orthodox method of design bid build or the unconventional design and build approach. Let me give a short brief on the definition of each.

The "design -bid-build" Known as DBB method is the traditional method used, where the owner would follow these steps;

• Hire a designer , that would be an Architect, Interior Designer or a Landscape Architect to prepare needed Designs.

• Bids are prepared for all works.• Hire a contractor to execute all types of

contracting .The "design & build" Known as DB is a method that has falsely seemed to have emerged lately ,its implementation is as follows;• Hire a single entity that performs both jobs of

The Design and The Contracting (The Build).

As I was commencing to write about this important issue in depth, it halted me that the application of the methodology of Design & Build prevails the figure of The Masterbuilder , the individual capable of wearing both hats and mastering the elaborate tools of design while conquering the strenuous skills of construction.

It is a concept that altered my career track since I was 18, when faced my first quandary to execute my first project when my biggest

supporter my Father, whom I quote said" Build us a magnificent summer home" , and I didn't quite grasp at first the word "build " which intended to be a design and build project under the supervision of professional engineers .And as an Architect , the process of design streamed smoothly ,but as the construction phase started I felt my week point surface. I was not at all familiar with the knowhow of the procedures. That personally frustrated me over the years , I realized that design was a dreamy concept in application, functionality and material detached from the real life obligations and requirements in the process of execution that could easily alter all aspects of design.

So I decided to dedicate this article to the concept of Masterbuilder ,not just to mention that figure as a side note in an article about methods of approaching the execution of a project. The Masterbuilder is a worthy concept that was a landmark in my life , that overturned it , when I plunged into studies of that honorable figure and his methods, that is almost extinct now in its true sense.

As I mentioned above that the concept of DB emerged and surfaced recently , the truth is that concept has been the procedure used since the beginning of time !!! So I will take you on a historical trip that goes back more than 7000 years ago where that method was used then embodied in the figure of The Masterbuilder.

THE DEFINITION OF THE MASTERBUILDER

The word "Architect " we use today is derived from the Latin word " Architectus" which in return originated from the Greek word "Arkhitekton" meaning Masterbuilder.

The Masterbuilder figure is a design-build professional, a multi talented maven, who has existed for about 7,000 years. The history of this profession extends all the way back to the buildings of Ancient Egypt and the world's first civilizations, such as Mesopotamian, Babylonian, Greek, Roman, Incan, Mayan, Byzantine and Ottoman empires, Indus , Islamic and Persian civilizations. The surprising datum is that the vast majority of the history of architecture, and its most substantial historical landmarks till the modern 19th century, were designed and built by Masterbuilders. The most acknowledged mesmerizing places carved in history whether temples, homes, arenas, palaces and even whole planned cities were conceived by this wonder maker, who was responsible for the entire built protocol.

THE PRIVILEGES OF THE MASTER BUILDER

Back in time the visionary nations were farsighted enough to identify the benefits of this master mind such as ;

• Responsibility for design strong design mastering and drawing skills, profound understanding of the utility of the building and the zoning of its spaces. The fact that insightful knowledge of how buildings are really built, how materials are administrated and all elements of the built environment , deepens the design capabilities.

• Responsibility for construction ensuring expert craftsmanship in the building arts, knowledge about how an atheistically appealing building is built, as gained from actual construction experience and on-site project management involving leadership, organizing and supervising workers, financial oversight and sharp quality control.

• Complete and total authority on the building site authority over on-site design / construction decisions, authority over all workers, unquestioned authority over the entire construction phase from start to finish which in return eliminates point-fingering problems emerging between unlinked individual professionals.

• Cost and Time control due to single control over design and work execution , a lot of cutting down in expenses and time could be smoothly managed , as in providing alternative less costly solutions before work proceeds with a eye on maintaining the artistic integrity of the aspired design. Minimal cost damage as a result of conflicts of design and construction.

When considering these things, one is able to see why this highly-trained professional, the Masterbuilder, was very much respected in society. He differs greatly from today’s architect or contractor, in breath, scope, and depth of responsibilities.

HISTORICAL CITATIONS*For thousands of years the name Masterbuilder has emerged in numerous historical manifestations. The engravings on the Egyptian temple walls glorified this legendary figure. Egyptology reveals one of the most fascinating characters in the intriguing history of Egyptian Architecture The World's first ever known Masterbuilder ,Imhotep 27th century (2650 - 2600 BC) who served under the Third Dynasty King Djoser as Chancellor of the King of Egypt, Doctor, Poet, Philosopher, Astronomer, First in line after the King of Upper Egypt, Administrator of the Great Palace, Hereditary nobleman, High Priest of Heliopolis ,Master Builder, Chief Carpenter, Chief Sculptor, and Maker of Vases in Chief .He designed the word's first monumental Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara, Egypt in 2630 – 2611 BC. He may have been responsible for the first known use of columns in architecture. He was credited with inventing the method of a stone-dressed building during Djoser's reign. Imhotep became even more famous with his death and was worshipped for 2,000 years afterwards by the Romans and the Greeks who according to their mythology associated him with Asclepius the god of medicine, some even believed that he was Asclepius himself.

THE MASTERBUILDER"Dalia Sadany ASK Magazine's design consultant, Chief Designer & Founder of Dezines Architecture & Interiors, Managing Director & Partner of Divine Contracting as well as the creator of the new furniture brand GUSH is dwelling into the world of Architecture, Interior Design landscaping, and Contracting."

Picture credit : John Morad Work team in site - Dezines

Imhotep Hammurabi

Stepped Pyramid of Sakkara, Egypt by Imhotep

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*Almost 9 centuries later , a legendary advocate of the criteria of the Masterbuilder occurred to be the first to document building codes, Hammurabi (1792 - 1750 BC ) . He was the first king of the Babylonian Empire extending Babylon's control over Mesopotamia by winning a series of wars against neighboring kingdoms.

Hammurabi is known for the set of laws called Hammurabi's Code, one of the first written codes of law in recorded history. These laws were inscribed on stone tablets , standing over eight feet tall (2.4 meters), they were discovered in Persia in 1901. Owing to his reputation in modern times as an ancient law-giver, Hammurabi's portrait is in many government buildings throughout the world.

Here are some of the most famed verses of these codes highlighting a singular legal responsibility for design and construction as one entity ;

229. If a builder builds a house for someone, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built falls in and kills its owner, then that builder shall be put to death.

230. If it kills the son of the owner, the son of that builder shall be put to death.

231. If it kills a slave of the owner, then he shall pay, slave for slave, to the owner of the house.

232. If it ruins goods, he shall make compensation for all that has been ruined, and inasmuch as he did not construct properly this house which he built and it fell, he shall re-erect the house from his own means.

233. If a builder builds a house for someone, even though he has not yet completed it; if then the walls seem toppling, the builder must make the walls solid from his own means.

*A substantial documentation of the solitary existence of a design and build individual is the writings of renowned Roman author Marcus Vitruvius as early as the 40 BC , Vitruvius the foremost prominent Architect, is the author of the famous book "De architectura " that is still a vital part of nowadays architectural universities' curriculums known as "The Ten Books On Architecture". He elaborated on the essential bond between design and actual competency in implementation , and forewarned " Architectus who relies solely on theory and ignores the craftsmanship skill of building with his own hands follows a shadow not a reality " (P.S. Vitruvius invented the Vitruvian man that illustrates human proportion that was accredited to the legendary Leonardo Da Vinci who merely drew it )

*The figure of Masterbuilder remained to be dominant in the prosperous era of Renaissance such as the brilliant Fillipo Brunelleschi (1377 - 1446 ) a Florentine Artist, Architect - Builder , is noted in history of architecture for discovering the mathematical laws of perspective as well as designing and constructing the breath taking Gothic Cathedral of Florence (Duoma) . The innovative fact of his work is that he designed and manufactured the construction equipments that assisted in executing the genius work at the time , such as the revolving crane which definitely required extensive knowledge in theories of physics and mechanical engineering in addition mastering the management of site from hiring and supervising craftsmen and workers, and selecting materials and specs adjustments.

*An influential situation in the history of the Masterbuilder surfaced at the time, initiated the segregation of the designers from the contractors , when artists such as Michael Angelo , with no background of the criteria of building science started taking Architectural design jobs . As well as the writings of Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472), how was in charge of rebuilding Saint Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican. His book "De Re Edificatoria" was the first printed work on architecture of the Renaissance. His work and writings helped to establish architecture as a profession separate from the science of engineering and the craft of building.

*That disjunction was not officially materialized except at the time of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century when a new category of a business figure known as "The General Contractor" emerged with the help of the recognized Sir John Soane , he was titled "The Father of Modern Architecture" who arrogantly and insistently stipulated that an Architect should detach himself from a society demining occupation such as contracting .Several laws and creeds were drafted to legalize that separation as well as independent establishments and associations anchoring the individuality of each persona whether for an Architect such as Royal Institute of British Architects – 1835 and American Institute of Architects – 1857 or for a contractor such as American Society of Civil Engineers – 1852. By 1897 there were separate licensing laws for Architects, Designers and Contractors.

*The Industrial Revolution had its reasons to father that divorce between architects and contractors;

• The new facilities of mass production and the rapid nature of construction during the Industrial Revolution required more specialized design skills and breaking the production process down into basic individual tasks. And that could be handled by a single mind that would so be responsible for design and its execution.

• Because builders had to be on the site of construction to monitor the swift building processes and designers did not, there was a move towards remotely located designers communicating their design intent through drawing and written instructions only.

• Builders needed large amounts of capital to compete but designers had much lower capital needs

• Architecture and design by definition is a risk free occupation. Because of the desire of new factory owners to have advance assurance of performance and cost, builders became risk takers. That concept was materialized by what is known as The Miller Act – 1935 – This law requires a contractor on a project exceeding over $100,000 to post a performance bond and a labor and material payment bond. Even the private sector has followed suit with bonding requirements. This need for capital presents a barrier to design professionals offering construction services and cost guarantees.

DALIA SPEAKS

Marcus Vitruvius

Fillippo Brunelleschi

Vitruvian Man by Leonardo Da Vinci

Florence Cathedral(Duomo) by Brunelleschi

Artist Michael Angelo

Leon Battista Alberti

Santa Maria Novella by Alberti

Sir John Soane1952 Le Corbusier Unite d'Habituation

Industrial revolution architecture

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Baron Empain Palace, Cairo, Egypt

Entrepreneur, Financier, Industrialist as well as an Egyptologist, Édouard Louis Joseph, known as The Baron Empain ( 1852 - 1929).In 1906-07 Empain's company proceeded with the building of the new town of Heliopolis, in the desert ten kilometers from the center of Cairo. It was designed as a "city of luxury and leisure", with broad avenues and equipped with all necessary conveniences and infrastructure; water, drains, electricity, hotel facilities, such as the Heliopolis Palace Hotel.

After the 1952 Egyptian Revolution, more attention was given to economically constructed buildings, lacking architectural vision , in addition to vigorous needs for constructions of bridges, factories. Subsequently higher demand was for General Contractors than Architects which demolished the necessity for the legendary Master Builder.

The division of these two entities exists till the modern day with some exceptions as Frank Lloyd Wright (1867 - 1959) who was titled the greatest American architect of all time. Another eminent Masterbuilder is Julia Morgan in 1920s ,whom I personally consider as a role model that I aspire to trail her footsteps, Morgan was the first and only documented female Masterbuilder who mastered both design and extensive contracting abilities to the finest detail of craftsmanship.

By the 1980's a reverse direction in the relationship between designer and builder transpired. When it was solidly proofed that the success of the production of any object whether a decorative item or a building depends on the designer's intimate familiarity with the process of its creation. And eventually there was a sensed detachments between the mere pretty images in a designer's head that could be pompous, unrealistic , over budget and completely incoherent with the people's lives and needs, while abandoning the upper hand in site and budget to the general contractor who is notoriously condemned of seeking only making a quick profit.

By Mid 90's more laws and creeds were altered to legalize the existence of the Design & Build approach , that has prevailed by time and numerous years of defiance to be the more convenient approach in bringing a visionary design harmoniously and skillfully to life.

It's a drastic mistake to assume that the Masterbuilder is equal to today's Architect and Contractor banded together in collaborating identities by fallaciously advertising " Turn-key solutions" that you read about all the time . A Masterbuilder cannot separate his design from the construction , it is this driving passion that leads him to excellence. It would be a great mistake to think that any qualified architect can assume the role of a Masterbuilder unless be committed to learn the construction trade, not simply sub it to a different identity under his wings. There exists an entirely different environment when the modern day architect

leaves the comfort of his office and steps into the construction world. Most of the tradesmen look at an architect on the jobsite as the ivory tower thinker with no clue how to actually build the design he created.

In the same context Modern day general contractors left to make design field changes will make those changes through a construction point of view, not solving the problem through a design vision. His design construction choices will typically be based on how best to expedite the change without regard to the architecture. He will do it the cheapest and fastest way, especially if it comes out of his pocket.

The relevant studies to be a true Masterbuilder are far deeper and more complex, it is a profession that is very distinct and different than anything known today in the 21st century. It requires very intense knowledge of both worlds as intermingling medias. Specialized universities should be established for this intention. It is ironic that we need to examine scrolls written 7000 years ago to be able to map out educational methodology to introduce this professional to the world. I am continuously gratified to be one of the few maverick engineers who attempt to mimic the job of a Masterbuilder as closely as we possibly can by using the design and build approach , but for that to succeed a lot of time, experience and effort is exerted to have the capabilities to attempt to master both worlds skillfully.

You can reach me at my emaildaliaspeaks.ask@gmail.com

DALIA SPEAKS

Heliopolis buildings,El Korba, Cairo, Egypt

Tiring Building, Ataba, Cairo, Egypt

Belgium Baron EmpainA post Egyptian 1960s building, State TV , Cairo, Egypt

Falling Water Villa by Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright

A picture of Arch. Julia Morgan

Another example of post revolution building, Tahrir, Cairo, Egypt

Hearst Castle by Arch. Julia Morgan

North Tower Casa Grande by Julia Morgan, where she handcrafted some of its ornaments

1970s buildings, Cairo, Egypt

The same routine was locally re-acted in Egypt's 1952 revolution , where before the revolution, the Architecture in Egypt was globally competing in essence, value and character by the hands of world known Masterbuilders shown in constructions such as Down Town residential buildings, the Royal Opera House as well as the world famous Baron Empain Palace that was designed and constructed by the genius French Master Builder Alexandre Marcel under the management of Belgian Engineer,

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