A case study documenting the emergence of information architecture required by Generative AI to avoid ‘hallucinating’ by assessing the Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trust of a claimant before choosing to ignore and move on computationally or authoritatively confident of referring and citing the claimant to third party inquiries.

Phase 1: I started my architectural career on the campus of the Milwaukee Regional Medical Complex. I was called into a construction trailer on what was emerging as the grounds of the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin; McCarthy Bros. Construction Managers out of St. Louis needed local expertise I provided.

They called the UW-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning from which I would graduate in 1986 asking for referrals to a student with as-built drawing skills.I was referred as I had acquired demonstrable experience operating CAD workstations and used them for drafting construction documentation that is required to be audited and edited for explicit correctness and compliance with the law e.g. as-built drawings.

Only I wasn’t to work with CAD. I was to work on 30” x 42” sheets of sepia film, a type of ‘microfiche’ used to officially document architectural drawings. I analyzed over 100 sheets of drawings that when rolled up and put away for the work day made me know why employment offers come with the caveat requiring the applicant to lift fifty pounds.

I used an electric eraser to erase what was originally drafted by the architect of record and used black india ink and technical pens to redraw and write what was literally constructed. A painstaking task that never got monotonous in a construction trailer full of rugged men building the hospital.

In computer programming terms I was a self-correcting debugger and a Certified Public Accountant whose programming and drafting skill as of yet had not yet become certified to audit construction drawings; certifications and copyrights of construction drawings did not come into law until 1990 when CAD emerged as AI Phase I. I was becoming what would be known as an Information Architect when referring to digital documentation.

We played the radio. We rocked and we rolled.

You see as-built drawings are revised sets of architectural construction documents created by contractors upon project completion, documenting all changes, modifications, and field adjustments made to the original architectural design, providing an accurate record of the final structure and governance. They are critical to the owner-architect relationship because they ensure accountability, facilitate future renovations, assist with facilities management, and provide a legal record of the completed work. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Why As-Built Drawings Are Crucial

• Finalized Records: Unlike design drawings, which show what was planned, as-built drawings show what was actually constructed, including site-specific changes (e.g., HVAC reroutes, electrical, or plumbing deviations).

• Operational & Maintenance Value: They are invaluable to owners for daily operation, maintenance, and locating utilities behind walls or under floors.

• Future Renovations: Architects use these accurate records to design future additions, preventing errors or unexpected discoveries during renovations.

• Compliance and Safety: They aid in obtaining final occupancy permits and confirming that the building meets code regulations. [1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8]

Importance to the Owner-Architect Relationship

• Transparency and Trust: They demonstrate that the project was completed according to the agreed-upon standards, building trust between all parties.

• Reduced Liability: Providing a clear, documented record of the final building reduces future disputes over changes or discrepancies.

• Long-Term Value: By providing a permanent record of the project's evolution, architects help owners manage their investment effectively, which boosts the reputation of the design firm and protects the owner's investment. [2, 3, 5, 9, 10]

Little did I know at a later time Phase II would come after the building was up and going. I would return to the campus under the authority of McCarthy Bros., Lou Jantzen P.E. who re-hired me to assist him to integrate CAD into the facility’s operations; networking the facility was part of Phase II. The Phase II of this case study will document what emerged from those such as I doing this work in the earliest days when microcomputing and software were eating the world when “information architecture” guys like me created the vocabularies to enable one machine to talk to another.

Everything that is old often becomes new again. The old school term ‘man-to-machine’ information architecture has become important to the governance of institutional healthcare during the emergence of Generative AI.

Clinton Gallagher
clintongallagher.com

I wrote this case study of the earliest emergence of information architecture myself, editing it further with the assistance of one or more Generative Artificial Intelligences.

The citations in this document were generated artificially.
AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses

[1] https://www.autodesk.com/blogs/construction/as-built-drawings/
[2] https://www.cadcrowd.com/blog/why-as-built-drawings-services-are-important-for-architects-and-designers/
[3] https://pinnacleinfotech.com/as-built-drawings/
[4] https://www.directives.doe.gov/terms_definitions/as-built-drawings-prior-to-and-after-construction
[5] https://www.gp-radar.com/article/why-do-you-need-updated-as-builts-on-your-next-project
[6] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/z2aoxmRf8fc
[7] https://intrivis.com/6-reasons-why-as-built-drawings-are-crucial-in-construction/
[8] https://www.cadcrowd.com/blog/5-reasons-to-get-as-built-drawings-for-architectural-design-and-engineering-firms/
[9] https://www.design-otb.com/post/importance-of-as-built-drawings-key-insights
[10] https://asbuiltla.com/key-benefits-of-as-built-drawings-for-architects-and-engineers/