BEFORE THE ARCHITECT – BUILDER DRAWINGS – DETAIL

Carpentry Plans, Ceiling Coffer

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It's a bird.  It's a plane.  It's three or four conventional Builder Drawings in one.  See an amazing drawing of the basement remodeling to a coffer ceiling frame up close and personal.

The AG features this basement remodeling in other pages on this website — 

Builder Drawings — 

And, 

It just might further your understanding of basement remodeling to read the AG's selective overview on the subject — 

The coffer ceiling for this basement is borne of need — need to cover up the forced air conduit of the HVAC system.  This architectural element works well in concealing pipes and the like, too.    We have developed various configurations of coffer ceilings to get the job done, often starting with what seems to be  overwhelming difficulties and ending amazed at the successful outcome.  This study is about the largest of the coffers, the ones usually running along the edges of a room's ceiling, the ones containing the largest conduit.  Thereafter, we design and apply patterns of one sort or another in step-down sizes, crisscrossing a given ceiling more or less symmetrically.  These coffers provide excellent means by which to dress up a room with varying clads and surface treatments, create intimacy with the lowered ceiling area, and permit space definition of themselves and, particularly, with the lighting used within and between coffer sections.

Because this basement remodeling has a coffer ceiling to be clad in only sheetrock, nothing more sturdy and more stable, such as wood paneling and heavy trim.  The sheetrock needs a nailing surface that is continuous at its perimeters.  This refinement should be brought to the carpenter's attention.

The usual way to get this specific frame across to a builder is to draw the coffer frame in at least three carpentry plans:  a plan view; an elevation; and a cross-section.  Maybe even a detail drawing or lengthy explanation to go along with all this paper.

On the other hand, Autocad 2006 demands such incredibly detailed drawing to get most places from the get-go, you have the makings of exacting close-ups at your zoom-in fingertips.  Add the wonders of 3d design drawing and you get the drawing below.

Isn't she a beauty?  Everything a carpenter ever needed to know about the coffer's building specs and more.  Really.  More.  It's in 3d design dimensions. You can visualize what the whole framing project will look like when you're done with it.  That's a big plus for any craftsman.  And it's an excellent way to show the owners the major amount of building it will take to make these coffers in a workmanlike manner.

It is a wonderful world.

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Update:  This case is closed.

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