On 5 May 2006 11:28:07 -0700, wrote:

I don't know if you think the same way I do about this reality show?

I work for an architect firm and even the best designer here will take
several days before making up his mind and finalize a project as simple
as a bathroom remodel. Now we're talking of redesigning a complete
house (and not a small one) for a client the designer(s) don't even
know in the first place. Just the construction alone of a 300K$ is
nearly impossible in a week even if you staff it with 10 000 workers.
You reach a point where the number of worker becomes a nuisance and
slows down the entire project. Plaster, paint, varnishes and all those
products need time to dry too.

I think this TV show lies to the public at least on one aspect: they
have work prepared already before showing up at the door of the lucky
family. The design and the construction dwgs are already made minus
maybe a few details, the prefab house has been ordered already and
ready to ship, etc.

What do you guys believe?

Cyberben

Sure, it ain't no extreme makeover, but it didn't take a week either:


"If speed were all that mattered, how fast could you build a home?
Some years ago, the Building Industry Association of San Diego County
sponsored a competition among builders to answer that question. The
home had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and was made from standard
materials.

The fastest time: 2 hours and 45 minutes. How do you build a house in
less than 3 hours? By forgetting everything you thought you knew about
building a house. The winning team used 700 people divided into
subgroups of carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and other
tradespeople. For weeks, the teams practiced to find ways to
accelerate the process. During the competition, the winners managed to
complete the rough plumbing in 8 minutes and set the main roof in just
over 9 minutes.

It was fun -- and the experience also generated useful insights. Which
is why Professor Tom Malone, of MIT's Sloan School of Management,
shows a video of the competition to his students and executive
audiences. "I use it to illustrate the power of speed," Malone says.
"Not just as a way of satisfying customers but of inventing whole new
industries. It helps people free up their minds to think about how to
build organizations for the 21st century."

Bill :