7
OPINION
The words and numbers used to describe design concept, building component, and client goal form a dataset that guides decisions and improves project success. Beyond numbers and spreadsheets
B uilding on our previous discussion in “Embracing Data Democratization,” where we explored increasing access to data and cultivating data literacy, we now turn our attention to understanding the data sources we work with on a regular basis.
In today’s digital landscape, information is everywhere. When most people think of data, they likely imagine a deluge of numbers in a spreadsheet. However, data encompasses more than just numbers; qualitative insights are equally valuable. Spatial information, such as GIS data representing coordinates or polygons defining areas, is also beneficial. The true value emerges when we integrate all this data, quantifying qualitative aspects and qualifying quantitative ones. Examples include color-coded plans or maps with quantitative overlays displaying values like utilization rates, or qualitative overlays with information regarding space types. Both data types can be benchmarked to discover trends across past projects that inform future work. With such an abundance of data, it can almost seem like an abstract concept. It’s helpful to remember data is synonymous with information. Therefore, it includes
any details that describe characteristics associated with a building or its design intent, whether numbers or words. A WALL FROM MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES. Let’s consider a wall from multiple perspectives: ■ Architect’s perspective. An architect sees a wall as a 3D element that appears as two lines in plan view or a rectangle in elevation, with a tag containing information about the wall type, indicating its composition, fire rating, and reference to construction details. ■ Data perspective. From a data standpoint, that same wall has numeric values for length, height, and thickness. It has spatial coordinates for the start and end points relative to the origin and their
Emily Gaines
See EMILY GAINES, page 8
THE ZWEIG LETTER JANUARY 6, 2025, ISSUE 1567
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker