The Alphabet Soup of Architecture

by Laura Werther

The Alphabet Soup of Architecture
Laura Werther

Laura Werther

CPSM

Senior Principal

GWWO recently attended the 2013 National Interpreter’s Workshop hosted by the National Association for Interpretation. It was our 9th year exhibiting at the show and 4th year leading a presentation. This year we were part of the conference’s “Learning Lounge.” Conceived as “mini sessions” within the program, the 15-minute learning lounge presentations were intended to give attendees a quick look at a topic—to answer a question, introduce a subject, or show off a new technique or product that interpreters could use in their work.

GWWO’s Learning Lounge session was entitled “Deciphering the Alphabet Soup of Architecture: AIA, DD, CD, RFI, CO?!?” At first we were concerned—was it too basic? Do people already know what all the acronyms mean? Do they care?

It turns out people do care… and it IS a lot of letters! We were happy to help some of the show’s attendees delve into the world of design and construction—and learn a little about our industry’s unique “alphabet”—and hope that they will feel a little more confident as they talk design and construction with their teams.

You can see the presentation here. For anyone that knows a little about the design and construction process, you know that there is a lot we could have covered. Most topics could become an entire presentation on their own. To make the most of our 15 minutes though, and to (hopefully!) avoid overwhelming attendees, our goal was to give an overview of the major professional organizations and related designations, LEED and the various rating systems, the phases of the design and construction process, and some construction phase acronyms. If you too find yourself wondering what all those letters mean, please take a look and don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions.

Laura Werther

Laura Werther

CPSM

Senior Principal

Laura Werther is an associate principal with GWWO. As a marketing professional with the firm since 1998 she herself has a spent a lot of time learning the alphabet soup of architecture!