93058 T2G0X6
Date : May 6, 2024
Subject : Memo RE: Management of Top-level, Secondary, and Tertiary Documents under a Topic Area
To : Architecture Office, Calgary
From : Ann Lee
The objective of this MEMO Document is to give instructive basis to generating, in the creation and maintenance, of an organizational method, ie. the $CABINET and the $classification-system, for crisis risk management as related to architecture and urban forms in the city of Calgary, over duration near future and further into time.
Current date for this memo gives basis that timely and present attendance to this important real time instrumentation for the maintenance of important and supportive pertinent files in ready access for an office can provision for optimal thinking and response as related to any novel actions, any preventive preparations, and any real time response.
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The eventual presentation of a library-like cabinet set containing all curated files to record and access requires understanding that at any given moment, an optimal amount of documents provide for reasonable working knowledge for human cataloguing to enable immediate and functional research access. The raison d’etre is like that of a cyclopedia for the functioning health of architectural and urban forms, now beginning in existence due to one particular timestamped event generally described as concerning the response to incidences of diminishment and affect to very tall architectural forms. The goal setting regards what additional endeavors would be possible, likely to be confined to what related to architecture and urban affairs in this city of Calgary, so that in the future method and contents to effective information keeping for the ARCHITECTURE OFFICE may be developed in expansion is technically beyond the scope of this memo article.
By introduction, let us first look at the $CABINET. Here is proposed for actuality that a cabinet in furnishing or several cabinets of traditional metal make or other more agreeable material is to occupy space of the place of the ARCHITECTURE OFFICE. Cabinets as usual denote the stor of document files for organizational methods, referal and reference, as well as for permanent record. While it is to the hopes that eventually this office does hold the physical furniture of cabinet or cabinets, as to the author’s understanding, at least one or two top-level documents do in fact exist for the city in this city, it is first earlier important to note that the “cabinet” also exists as a notion, ie. an abstraction that provisions for common agreement that common organization of important documents relevant to the tasks of the ARCHITECTURE OFFICE does exist, and should pre-date, endure, and maintain in parallel to the actual furnishings which we also call “cabinets”. This understanding is critical for the holding in common and under responsibility by architects and citizens of not only the existence of the furnishings and copies of files, but more importantly, the sharing and delegation of tasks as by source of or as resultant from the existence of documents. A later section of this memo document could show an example trajectory of how the cabinet develops as a working method, including that of the furniture of cabinet.
Insofar as that $classification-system is too a project within the same project related to information keeping so for that our current crisis risk management as related to built forms may not only have account possible for over all the work in tracking in real time, but further inform further efforts to stabilize or return the general affair to that of a normal state, or to inform in some future in case of scenarios requiring course correction as per to have back in time the goal, ie. what was suggested in the “Interim Standing Order for Architecture Calgary” interim top-level document. The generic objective of a classification-system for a stor of documents of value to reference is the intrinsic fast access based on the coherence of logic in keeping all files in order. That a classfication system arises as an aspect to a microcosmic bounded coherence, an ideal state of documents in order, is to keep in mind as we venture forward in grappling with the multiplcity of documents hopefully expanding were the scope to expand so for many topics in architecture to become within records and reference. The older idea of “category’ has told us that the human action of ordering by organizing using interpretations of his own of content legible and read is the basic mechanism to keep information tidy and neat. This often missed, the effective ability for those in office to not only read and remember, and apply and interpret, information in a cabinet in their office is that which gives measure to whether a cabinet and its expressed classification systems is functional.
A few remarks to follow on the next page concerning what in essence a cabinet is, and how classification become common place amongst users. Finally, word on the community’s potential to apply computer storage of files to use after practiced use of actual physical furnishing of the same, with the note that the “analog” or paperbased method is not to be discarded and that it may remain primary.
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First, the reminder reiterated, the cabinet in furnishing containing all selected pertinent files is in fact to exist in the actual physical space to the ARCHITECTURE OFFICE.
The number of documents to be held for access is at all times to be determined at an official meeting for a period of time, with the expansion potential minded, and the number of documents to be held in holding and distinctly to be archived are two separated but related matters. To be succinct, the finitude in a cabinet concerns the quantity reasonably understandable for office use and public enquiry being delimited for effective function. In this sense, the art world’s terminology of “curation” is relevant. Side note, were all files submitted to be evaluated at cyclical time or at leisure then holding is another problem where generation and use of indices so for distributed location of files were possible could be considered. It is acceptable to begin with one single three drawer metal file cabinet.
The cabinet is a furnishing and notion unit whose presentation and usage is comparable to a functional library of any size. The presumption is made that there is more than one document, which by its proper unit content, is called a “file”. In examining the current problem related to the risk for crisis management, there is a “single” scenario being reviewed and under endeavor work, so the cabinet and associated files all are categorized within the same positive mission, to be typified as for architects and colleagues, so for real time examination and organization of files’ content to be for the goals related to proper response to the crisis. That there are many files already written and some submitted, for them to then exist within the cabinet, an initial cursory action to organize requires that we view the documents as though they could belong under one of three labels: “top-level document”, “secondary document”, “tertiary document”, but also “other documents” and “files to be discarded or put aside”. This initial organizational scheme provides for the application goals towards the completion of the mission, for example, to ensure that buildings do not suffer further injury, or more ambitiously, for that architecture to return to form as per determined official blueprint.
Later more formal attempts at organizing content beyond personal or group business use that involves efforts to improve the presentation of dependable organizational schema of the selected files may be undertaken when the understanding is achieved concerning how the cabinet may accommodate more functions beyond the current function, in ameliating the conditions as per what emergent sceanrio was unfolding previously, which now is at a plateau when stability could be detected and optimism be allowed to show for the downtown core area. After the note be given that copies of files may be made early on to allow some sorting in places other than at the office, we can now take a look at a few notions that enable faster, more efficient work that moves towards organizing properly. One of the most prominent tool today is a “folder”, also understood as a “module”. These enclosure of files allow for textcopies containing similar and related content to be held together, for example, to a topic transiently or more permanently, so that actions like understanding, adding notes, drawing connections, be basis for general pictures towards diagramming solutions, etc, may be possible. Another tool is called a “cache”. This tool allows for temporary holding of any files with content relevant, and can hold any file for a length of time, not exceeding, for that the cache may be overloaded, then sorting and correct placement would be delayed due to backlog. The “archive”, presently not relevant in this project, is for “very important documents” to be held forever, ie. permanently, however such files are not seen to be likely to be required for access and review. Finally, the concept of the “console” is comparable to the traditional but now rarely seen “information desk”. It is where interface to the volumes of files is possible, where actions such as communicating through description for refinement of an inquiry; viewing notices concerning common interest notices, ie. posterboard; and a “sketch space” where reviewing through self generated notes and diagrams and study could be undertaken.
An interjection, the availability of current documents found important by the top architects, even if only in title and short synopsis may help the author to contribute freely in the present effort towards adding a cabinet to the office, were the physical space of the office still maintained to be standing. The author is willing to contribute a small three drawer metal cabinet without charge, in additionally.
Other relevant notions in finding the method of the cabinet may be listed as follows: lex or keyword, dated agenda, public presentation notices such as webpages, media graphic logo or “kit”, press releases let and held, list of subjects of interest, major milestones, representational challenges whether overcome or failed, relevant legal clauses applicable in city and or in province, folios of works here located with special implications, categories of accepted documents, court proceedings synopsis, etc.
The last note to be rended here concerns the use in primary of paper and ink based documents and correspondingly the use of the physical furnishing of a cabinet or more than one cabinets as primary, for these are easiest to apply, having been perfected over more than a century. Without doubt, the maintenance of redundant copies electronically in backup is possible and mostly easy, especially when removable and permanent media like external hard drive not connected to any digital wireless network or 20 GB DVD respectively is used. The trick of the physical textcopies and cabinet system is the ease for reading and review, the natural openness to be regarded and respected, and the potential to be facilitated for making copies – these are all relevant to the maintenance of records, and also the officiality of distribution that decreases the risks of multiplicity and malicious semblances of actual official content. Digital filecopies and digital computer storage enable other possibilities, such as the maintenance of versioning of organizational attempts and even schemas, however, to date, digital electronic management of files is not known to be perfect due to the wide open openness to vulnerabilities often not yet widely known. To an office to a city, the use of paper and ink copies and the use of physical cabinets enable more growth potential as per professional intention and determination, especially when in regards a specific, special, and somewhat describable as bizarre, but finite scenario. The restrictions for the complexity of managing architecture related issues, the author believes, rend that paper and ink copies and physical cabinet to be of a greater usage appreciation. Of course, the use of computer enable tools such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to improve the process towards method of maintaining official records cannot be denied as of wisdom.
The idea that no perfect file comes of a single attempt by one author, despite rare but laudable exceptions, highly doubted for no perfection comes without studio, needs to be stated. The idea that a file contains a document to a special office is the basis that grounds for all attempts even to iterations to files to office should be kept in the domain of responsibility of the author and to a smaller measure yet very significant to an Office as well. We must mind that files to be submitted should be timely, yes, but that the complication natural for a document to mind many aspects of importance to mission, works, notions, and agenda to the office is one requiring elucidation and even instruction especially to younger workers who necessarily cannot appreciate many things an office undertakes or finds relevant despite best intention. The current agenda of the city to “upgrade” education is relevant here insofar as that much work transpires without recognition and compensation – the teaching by more experienced personnel and knowledgable individuals respected across the city could and does reach young fellas, but that such instructive tips could reach some systematic representation to be shared and reviewed by young minds so for public lectures and groups seminars to be most effective, here concerning how to maintain and support architecture, as well as curate for new architecture, should be of a priority requesting a project space in the cabinet under discussion. This matter is of a scope far larger than this very document, however, as we can see easily, architecture and masterplanning mind all things in a city, but that learning can prevent unnecessary trial and error is where the educating of young architects and friends could take the lending of experience as for that records can be a reference.
What remains here in this memo with instructive manners towards the cabinet and its documents to support risk management as per crisis previously transpiring is the problematic writing for calling as well as curating what documents to be founded in making the cabinet as of content and functional for access and reference. Here, what clues supplied by the top-level document “Interim Standing Order for Architecture Calgary” will prove most useful. Unlike bourgeoisie conceptions supporting Free Thought that all things are subjective to interpretation, it is simply untrue that all files could contain the same quantitative value of worth when relative to a special mission. The author understands that the top-level document aforementioned shows a way to understanding that not only architecture built on the way of being realized should stay to the form and proportion as shown in the general final official blueprint, but that the improvement by very deliberate and careful measure could be possible. Furthermore, but beyond this current consideration, the city scale domain of Calgary containing the downtown core where the very tall architecture mostly are located, as in relation to other domains like metropolitan areas in Canada and beyond, that zoning itself could reach legal protection for the city and its populaces, minding such difficult issues as capacity of a city as per the resources to support population survival and thriving and more suggestively the maintenance and improvement of built forms within budget, such is the excellence in the short written document called for its being of the current order in spite of the then emergent scenario by a foreign action. So the question for raising that the problematic exists in regards the making of a cabinet and its files, even expandible considering how many other topics relevant in architecture, it is in regard what would support the stabilizing and the opening towards return of form by restoration. The top-level document indicated held not only the then current news representation, the major items as within architecture and urban considerations, but also some suggestions of what actions could be undertaken to monitor and check conditions in real time. These three areas are proposed by the document to be the most important areas where understanding towards correct action is possible. Therefore, all thinking and actions towards filling criteria within these three areas may lead to documents fitting of the cabinet. However, when a few thoughts have assigned to this matter, it is easy to see that there are too many documents to fill a three drawer cabinet. We continue to assume all documentation and notes and also real documents are to be kept intact, and that indexing of such is possible but such index will not automatically fit into the cabinet, for that 1.6 million contributors would have an index too large to fit into the physical drawers. However, such is the background reality for considering what is to be written, and what is to enter organizational method by the cabinet. Were the intention behind that document “Interim…” could be discerned by some, both architects and their friends, then the likelihood of discovering how to pose a call or how to pen the right items become more probable than otherwise. This type of event as that scenario previous is secretly an opportunity for the ARCHITECTURE OFFICE to strive towards becoming a functional office with physical space, furnishings, and content that would be the good and lasting architecture for all interested parties who are vested in order by architects in this city and beyond. It is the reality that even a grain of sand is a world unto itself, therefore no doubt a place with its many peoples as large as a city, even when very modern and in some psychological aspects a civic town becoming, is too a world. The method cursory towards the furnishing of a cabinet for the endeavor to create the right documents for present use and posteriority – this is about what orientation could be maintained by top architects and all people working to the same mission, the improvement of the city of Calgary, this orientation should find commonly legible expression through pervasive expression of architectural intention approved, good style in written or other mediated form, good format to suspend inside the logic of the cabinet, proper and informative content fit for now and later and truthful to the past. Then, too the mission of the ARCHITECTURE OFFICE as per its many projects and tasks and objectives could relay its content forward in the logical content at once positive like any established libraries for special personnel use as well proper to be grounds for public inquiries. As like all other offices, the project of the $CABINET can too embody what great outcomes when realized with Best Practices.
Appendices to this Document, untitled, but with the subject line “Memo RE: Management of Top-level, Secondary, and Tertiary Documents under a Topic Area”. PENDING.
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