A Stack of Papers

Posted: October 10, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

An article like this relies heavily on data, but needs so much more than that. As with many investigative reports, money is a factor. Experts will weigh the costs of demolition and building versus renovation on each project. The cost of past endeavors can be looked at, and their qualitative success measured by a group of sources. That is traditional, and in general fairly simple.
Basically, that’s numbers.
But this needs something beyond numbers. It needs building names, important architects,  historic features and other points en masse. It also needs a mass of case studies and reports. In general, it needs things that I am very interested in looking at, but less adept at dealing with.
I have found that there is almost too much information for me to be able to go through (though that may not be the case if reporting was my sole and dedicated job). I often times seems like a mountain of papers (online papers) that need close scrutiny. It’s all very interesting, but it isn’t numbers. Heck, it isn’t even sources that pop out quotes over the course of thirty or more minutes. It’s years of work to go back over.
If I want something turned around fast, i’d rather have numbers, but it seems that this is really where stories lie.
And again, I find myself back at sourcing. I really need someone to tell me what to look at. I need a roadmap. (Funny how that comes up)

Preliminary Reporting… Again.

Posted: October 10, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

It’s time to get back to research and reporting after some snags and hangups.
I’ve done some looking around, to be sure my topic and angle will hold up. The deadline for this may be far in the future, but two topics falling through will cause a serious push at the end of the reporting period. (there’s a lesson there)
At this point it is time for sourcing. A look into my address book turns up a few sources, some new since my last attempt. The importance of this kind of continuously building resource is completely invaluable, and can only build after doing extensive work on a variety of topics. I realized, that the idea actually came from Barry Holloman in my first course after entering Grady, and I wish I had started the ongoing list then. I can’t imagine how many contacts have been lost to memory by neglecting that piece of advice.
Right now, I am looking at Kevin Kirsche and Andrew Lentini for insight into the renovation of the Jackson Street Building, and UGA’s vision on sustainable building.
I also know of an important Architecture History professor at Georgia Tech that has looked into the topic of historic preservation, especially in the southeast, Georgia and Georgia Tech’s campus.
As an expert source on the topic, with information on a nearby point of comparison, he could be an excellent roadmap for questions that need to be asked.
I need to make contact with the Athens Historical Society and UGA Architects, to find sources to talk about the history and future of the university.