Had a chat with a retired architect at the coffee shop that changed how I think about layers

I was grabbing coffee before a big site plan job and got talking to this older guy who used to design schools. He asked what I was working on, and when I mentioned layers he just said, 'You know, we used to call them 'levels of thought', not just folders for lines.' That stuck with me. I went back and reorganized my current drawing from 'Walls', 'Doors', etc. into 'Structure', 'Enclosure', and 'Furnishings'. It made the whole thing way clearer to think about. Anyone else try organizing their CAD layers by concept instead of just object type?

2 comments

2 Comments

laura_white992d ago

That retired architect nailed something I see everywhere now. My dad sorts his garage tools by job, like "car repair" or "yard work," not just "wrenches" or "saws." It's the same idea. We default to listing things, but grouping them by their purpose changes how you solve problems. Your switch from "Walls" to "Structure" proves it. It stops being a pile of parts and starts being a real building in your mind.

palmer.val2d ago

Totally get this. It's like the difference between sorting your music by genre instead of just artist name. One way is just a list, the other sets a mood and tells you how things connect. I started grouping my kitchen stuff by "make breakfast" or "pack lunch" instead of "utensils" and "containers." It cuts out so much mental clutter when you're in a rush. That architect was onto a core idea.