What’s in a Red Line?

One of my first pages of red
(and blue and orange) lines.

What’s in a red line? That which we call a change
By any other line would be as bright?

Red lines. The infamous fate of an Intern Architect. Though not always red, an intern enters the world of architecture by highlighting lines day after day until the page becomes so colorful it looks like it should be hanging in a modern art museum. They are a rite of passage. Some even have an old page of red lines displayed proudly in their cubicle to remind them of the good old days.
I began my time at Shive-Hattery doing red lines; it was expected and I eventually learned to embrace it and find a lot of knowledge in the act. I learned about proper noting and how to put together a set of construction documents. I also learned that not just interns do them. I saw very experienced architects participating when the going got tough.

I haven’t done red lines in quite some time, but yesterday I found myself in a stack of them. At first all I could think about what the work I needed to do on other projects and how I wasn’t mentally prepared to think about this project. Then, just before noon, I felt so much comfort in highlighting those pages until the red was no longer visible. I felt almost rested by the end of the day. Most of the decisions were made for me and all I needed to go was look for items missed and learn about the project I was working on.

Another beauty of the red line is that it is something you can check off your list. When you’re working on your own project and calling the shots, the decisions never stop. When you are doing red lines there is an end point; it is when you hand them back to the project architect complete and let them continue with the decision-making. If you’re a list-maker like me you will find so much gratification in that act.

Take pride in those red lines and use the time to learn about what you do. There is a lot of value in that simple line.