I’m Mindy Tangney, Architectural Coordinator for Acoustics By Design. Clients often ask me “What does ‘architectural coordinator’ mean? Are you coordinating Architects? Are you doing architecture for ABD?” Well, not exactly. Let me explain.
In the world of architecture, there are titled positions including: Principal in Charge, Project Manager, Designer, and what used to be called “Drafter”. Now, these position titles may vary from firm to firm, but they fall in these same categories. The Principal in Charge is the person that meets with potential clients; once a project is awarded the Project Manager and Designer will be introduced to the client to work on the project and come up with a design; once a design has been determined the project is sent to the “Drafter” aka Architectural Coordinator or Production Staff, so that documents can be created for construction of the project.
The Architectural Coordinator uses AutoCAD to produce the construction documents and is also in constant communication with the rest of the team involved on that project. The team can consist of Mechanical Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Structural Engineers, Landscape Designers, and any specialty areas (including Audio-Visual Designers and Acoustical Engineers). It is the Architectural Coordinator’s responsibility to communicate with the team to ensure they have all of the documents and information they may need to complete the project. We also help keep the team on schedule – it’s all about communication.
So you may be asking yourself, “What is an Architectural Coordinators’ role in an Acoustical Engineering & Audio-Visual Design Firm?” Well, my day to day tasks are somewhat similar to what they would be in an architecture firm. I work on all of the AutoCAD documents and coordinate with the team of architects and engineers. The big difference is that our project involvement is on a smaller scale than in an architect’s office. Instead of working on one project for months, I am usually working on 3-5 different projects every day. Another program I use is called EASE, a 3D sound modeling program that assists the Audio-Visual Designers and Acoustical Engineers in the selection of the appropriate audio equipment and acoustical materials.
At Acoustics By Design, we work on projects from small churches to large IMAX theatres and everything in between. Our consultants do the design work and focus on the big picture, and I focus on the details making sure everything is accounted for and nothing slips through the cracks. With my architectural background, I have been able to bring a “fresh set of eyes” to the way our office creates documents and communicates back to the architect and client.
