For far too long I’ve been “teasing” you with the specs primer “I blocked out”! Well, now it’s a reality [as in I “put up” in an effort not to be “shut up”].
Also, may I project this not only for students, allied professionals and other laypersons, but also as a vehicle to orient your own staffers up to and including Project Leads, so they better understand and appreciate your work-- and the whys and hows of it. May save you a lot of explanation time!!!
Description: “This is an introductory level text providing the basics of construction specifications. It is not an in-depth book about nuances of writing specifications; but rather is an explanation and orientation about specifications, their concept, intent, use and contribution in the process of constructing building projects”.
The reality of this effort is a tribute to Colin who encouraged me to get it done so the value he sees in it can be yours. Thanks, Colin most sincerely!
Ralph - I am not having any luck getting my first copy, USPS says it was delivered on Monday, August 13th, but no such luck, LuLu has the right address, so I have no clue what happened. I guess one day I’ll get a copy by hook or crook.
I received my copy of “Construction Specifications, A Primer” yesterday. I look forward to reading it this weekend. I can tell already that I will read it cover to cover in one sitting.
By the way, it was a pleasure to meet and visit with you in Baltimore last June. Meeting our colleagues will always be one of the best reasons to attend the convention (by whatever name it is called and whether it is in a great city or Las Vegas).
My sincere thanks to the St.Louis CSI Chapter [and George Everding in particular who started the idea] for their use of possibly 100 copies of the Primer as handouts at their Oct. 16th seminar, “Fundamentals fo Specwriting”
The Greater St. Louis Chapter of CSI presents a day long seminar on specifications, October 16, 2007: The Fundamentals of Specwriting: Improving Your Practice by Improving Your Written Documents. Further information is available by contacting execsecretary@stlcsi.org
It may be of interest to readers of this forum that our seminar is part of a joint effort by our local AIA and CSI chapters. Tonights regularly scheduled AIA continuing education workshop series, is Specification Writer: Endangered Species? and were pleased to welcome architect, specification writer, and consultant Ken Crocco, FAIA FCSI, who is also a frequent contributor here. Weve burdened Ken with the task of stirring up interest at the AIA workshop for our CSI seminar. As this is written, we are about half way to our goal of 75-90 attendees.
Both these seminars reach out to the non-full-timers. Recently Colin Gilboy shared with us his educated guess that half of the specifications in this country are written not by us guys who frequent this website and forum the full timers at firms and the independents in private practice but by project architects, engineers, and project managers who do specifying as one of many other tasks in putting together a project. So our approach will be to address the fundamentals in a focused nine hours, two at AIA and seven at CSI, based on CDT and CCS principles and stated in a series of real life examples.
Wish us luck.
[…and yes, Ralph’s book is one of the “take-aways” for each seminar attendee]
I posted a report on the other thread about yesterday’s seminar, but wanted to comment here that your book was a great success, and I am glad we decided to go ahead and purchase it for our seminar attendees. One of our presenters, Steve Gantner, actually read a few quotes from your book as part of his presentation, which were well-received by the audience.
Have received very nice comments on it, and evidently it has hit home with some of the recipients. Have not, though, heard from others who were to read it [just busy, and not an omen, I hope!}
Keep it in mind for your “newbies” and those you’re talking to or who are “sniffing” around the whole or specifications and spec writing.
Have you discussed with CSI them making it available for purchase at the CSI Bookstore at the Convention in Las Vegas? Could be a great venue for sales, and bring it to the attention of the non-4Specs market sector.