Resources

Along with our blog and the dozen or so social media and Web 2.0 applications we maintain (all of which are accessible from our landing page), this page contains a number of  additional free online resources meant to support a more efficient, collaborative and worthwhile specifications experience, all compliments of AWCWEST.


poll-logo  FEEDBACK SURVEY

If you’re a client, please take a few minutes to complete our online survey. Your comments and feedback are greatly appreciated. Thank you!


downloads  DOWNLOADS

Available here are several tools to support the task of preparing specifications. If there happens to be something else you need or would like to see made available, but don’t see below, then contact us and if we have what you’re looking for we’ll send it to you; if not, then we’ll be happy to create it for you.

pdf-logo  Division 08 Spec Kit
With this PDF you can manage door and window opening, and glazing information for your projects. Instead of using randomly-assigned opening designations that vary from project to project, we think it makes a lot of sense to utilize industry standard nomenclature on your opening schedules for different door and window types. Also, we know how difficult it can be to visualize and coordinate glazing types, especially for a large complex projects. This file will help you with both of these tasks.

excel_logo  MPL Spreadsheet
With this live MS Excel spreadsheet you can manage Revit family assembly codes and drawing keynote nomenclature, organize filing and retrieval of drawing details, develop facility standards or office standard-of-care practices, and record specification information during early project stages, including product and manufacturer selections, available options, performance requirements, and similar information. With slight modification, the MPL Spreadsheet can also be used for scheduling, value analysis, structuring of code analyses, and monitoring and management of architectural document production. This file is organized according to the UniFormatTM organization system (recommended by the Construction Specifications Institute to structure schematic phase specifications and the Design-Build Institute of America for performance specifications), as well as cross-referenced to the MasterFormatTM organization system.

excel_logo  TOC Matrix
You can edit this live MS Excel spreadsheet to create a table of contents that assists you with separately tracking the history of each project manual document and specification section. This is a very useful tool for phased or incremental projects, or for tracking items issued as part of an addendum, RFI response, Architect’s Supplemental Instruction, Construction Change Directive, etc. After a quick “save as” and a little more editing, you can even use our TOC matrix to create a separate sheet index matrix to track drawing sheets in a similar manner.

WordLogo_100  Material and Product Designation Document
With this live MS Word file you have a Division 00 document with which you can index keynote nomenclature used on your drawings to designate various materials, products, systems, assemblies, components, and accessories. This document also contains a brief description of each keynote along with a reference to the general location within the project manual where each designated item is specified. We believe it’s the missing link that helps to better tie drawings and specifications together.


tadalogo1  TA-DA LISTS

Ta-da List is the web’s easiest to-do list tool. After you create a free account, you can make lists of things you need to do and then select other people with whom you want to share your list via a simple email invite form. You can also track your list in different ways. Simple buttons allow you to email the current list to yourself, or if you’re a fan of RSS newsreaders you can have updates to your list syndicated, meaning changes made to your shared list automatically appear in the web browsers or other RSS readers of everyone who subscribed to your list. This certainly isn’t rocket science, but it is an exceptionally effective collaboration tool because of the simplicity of its design.


1  DESIGNER PAGES

Designer Pages is an online collaborative environment for people to discover and share product information across the web; to save products to their accounts and assemble materials libraries; and to manage, share, and discuss products with team members in project-specific, media-rich workspaces. We recommend using Designer Pages in lieu of preparing traditional 3-ring binders for cut sheets and other project information. Once you start using this site you’ll never look back.


youtube_logo  AWCWEST YOUTUBE CHANNEL

View multimedia content intended to assist design professionals who want to expand their understanding about a range of building-related topics.  Presently, we offer a couple of different types of content.

Over-Shoulder Crash Courses
These are brief videos explaining the absolute least amount of information an architect may like to know about a wide range of topics related to building design, performance and construction.

Lunch and Learn Webinars
These recordings of our online lunch and learn webinars go into greater depth about particular topics. The production value, duration, and format of these presentations are typically higher than our Crash Courses.


Podcast_logor1  AWCWEST PODCASTS

Listen to our free audio dispatches, which are available to download and to our subscribers on iTunes. Often they’re conversations with industry and other professionals on topics ranging from design, performance, and construction, to specifications, products, business, collaboration and more.


050908logo  LARGE FILE DROPBOX

Securely send large digital files (up to 2 GB) to AWCWEST from anywhere in the world without having to install any special software. Our Dropbox is a convenient, hassle-free, easy-to-use FTP replacement and e-mail attachment replacement that eliminates e-mail bounce-backs when sending large attachments.


drop-io-logor1  DROPS

Drop.io is an easy to use, online collaboration and file sharing service that provides users with a simple, real time, and private way to chat and share images, video, audio, documents, and other digital content through unique, user-created and controlled sharing points called “drops”. In just two clicks, users are able to seamlessly create personal sharing points, upload content via web, e-mail, MMS, Facebook, Firefox extension, telephone, and fax inputs and share it on-the-fly through drop.io’s various outputs like web, e-mail, MMS, Twitter, iTunes, fax, and more. Each ‘drop’ is non-searchable, non-networked, does not require any type of account registration, and can be password-protected and set to expire after a period of time, so you can share exactly what you want with whom you want for as long as you want. Each drop holds up to 100MB and you can make as many as many drops you want, all free of charge.