architect54

Sunday I rescheduled Structures again. The exam was for the end of August. There was NO WAY I’d be prepared. I reset the date for November. I gave myself 3 solid months. At the same time I rescheduled Building Systems for two months behind that.

I’m not too happy with 2 failures. I really want to avoid anymore. (They do not boost the spirit!) It’s not just a feeling, but Building Design and Construction Systems showed me I have to find the right topics and have to study thoroughly. Schematic Design, whatever. But BDCS, I wasn’t supposed to have as many areas with deficiencies as I did.

Structures is going to be the same way, if not more difficult. I used 3 months to prepare for my first exam and passed. Let’s do what works!

Including Ballast (PPI’s ARE Review Manual) and PPI’s Practice Exam Books, below is a list of other materials I have for the Structural Systems and Building Systems portions of the architect registration exam.

Materials for Structural Systems

• Statics and Strength of Materials by Irving J. Levinson
• *Simplified Engineering for Architects and Builders, 10th Ed. by James Ambrose and Patrick Tripeny (I’m using one from the library, but decided to buy it anyway.)
• Why Buildings Stand Up, The Strength of Architecture by Mario Salvadori
• Structural Design in Architecture by Mario Salvadori and Matthys Levy (The first printing from 1967 , not the 1981 2nd edition.)
• Building Structures, from Concepts to Design, 2nd Ed. by Malcolm Millais
• Reinforced Concrete, Preliminary Design for Architects and Builders by R. E. Shaeffer
• *Building Structures, 2nd Ed. by James Ambrose (A used book is on order. I don’t have it yet.)
• Strength of Structural Materials, Understanding Basic Structural Design by Giuseppe de Campoli

Including books appropriate for Building Design and Construction Systems

• The Architect’s Studio Companion, Rules of Thumb for Preliminary Design, 2nd Ed. by Edward Allen and Joseph Iano
• *Fundamentals of Building Construction, Materials and Methods, 2nd Ed. by Edward Allen and Joseph Iano

Materials for Building Systems

• *Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings, 10 Ed. by Stein, Reynolds, Grondzik and Kwok (I ordered a used book. I don’t have it yet. I decided to read the most recent edition. Called “MEEB”, I’ve got the 8th and 6th Editions.)
• Deaf Architects and Blind Acousticians?, A Guide to the Principles of Sound Design by Robert E. Apfel

*Books with an asterisk are recommended by NCARB.

August is nearly finished. As I expected, my summer plans of focusing on my architect registration exam have gotten in the way of summer. Still I let summer win. That doesn’t mean I really did anything with my summer, but I let summer win. When it came time to relax and chill, I did that without remorse and with a little regret. But I got over it.

Last week started off slow, but became a busy work week. I really didn’t take on my responsibility to study as I should. That’s in part because I’m discouraged with structural topics. They seem insurmountable. I was gonna post that I read one chapter in the ARE Review Manual on Monday (or Tuesday). It didn’t seem to matter until I had read a second chapter. I only opened the ARE Review Manual again to close it, on Tuesday (or Wednesday).

I’m fortified with structural study materials. So much so, I will cover them in a post. I have a lot of reading material for structures and I want to use most of it prior to the exam. Still I’ve considered studying for the mechanical exam if I stay stymied by structural topics.