muttleynfelix
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 15:32:52 GMT -5
Posts: 9,406
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Post by muttleynfelix on Jan 8, 2014 9:47:20 GMT -5
DS's preschool is back in session today! WOOHOO. DH said DD is wondering the house wondering where "everyone" (aka her brother) is.  |
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Regis
Well-Known Member
Joined: Dec 27, 2010 12:26:50 GMT -5
Posts: 1,415 
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Post by Regis on Jan 8, 2014 12:28:19 GMT -5
Good questions, Mutt. When you get some answers, please share them.  In nice weather, yeah, it's a wonderful thing that the kids can wander outside and get some fresh air. But, would it have hurt them to at least put covered walkways between the buildings? Oh, wait there is one between the gym and the Administration building. But, it's a 100 yard uncovered walk at least from the classroom building to the Administration building (cafeteria, auditorium, nurse, fine arts classrooms, etc.). I'm doing the Civil engineering for a new elementary school and OMG is the school board involved. They have had an insane amount of input over my stupid detention basin (I used standard engineering practice, but somehow they wanted something more that I could not provide). I can't imagine an architect giving them a design for something that is dysfunctional for the climate and them being ok with it. C'mon man! They're architects. They don't worry about function... I once had an architect send me a site plan with a request to design the storm system, including a detention basin. He showed me where he wanted it - in an area that was a good 20 feet higher than the lowest point on the site where we needed a drainage structure. And he couldn't understand why the pond was going to be 30 feet deep. When I asked if we could possibly move the detention basin to the lowest part of the site, he indicated that it would mess up the "vision"! They actually constructed a pond that is 30 feet deep and only needed to be less than four feet. And you should start putting in your proposals what we put in our survey proposals: The proposed fee is X. If you want to be there and watch, the fee is 2X. If you want to help, it's 4X.  |
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muttleynfelix
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 15:32:52 GMT -5
Posts: 9,406
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Post by muttleynfelix on Jan 8, 2014 12:50:27 GMT -5
I'm doing the Civil engineering for a new elementary school and OMG is the school board involved. They have had an insane amount of input over my stupid detention basin (I used standard engineering practice, but somehow they wanted something more that I could not provide). I can't imagine an architect giving them a design for something that is dysfunctional for the climate and them being ok with it. C'mon man! They're architects. They don't worry about function... I once had an architect send me a site plan with a request to design the storm system, including a detention basin. He showed me where he wanted it - in an area that was a good 20 feet higher than the lowest point on the site where we needed a drainage structure. And he couldn't understand why the pond was going to be 30 feet deep. When I asked if we could possibly move the detention basin to the lowest part of the site, he indicated that it would mess up the "vision"! They actually constructed a pond that is 30 feet deep and only needed to be less than four feet. And you should start putting in your proposals what we put in our survey proposals: The proposed fee is X. If you want to be there and watch, the fee is 2X. If you want to help, it's 4X. 
Right now it is the owners giving me a harder time than the architects. The school board on the school project and then this building that has party walls with the 2 neighboring buildings and I have steps out front of the building, but I also have 4 handicap ramps. He keeps getting on me to eliminate the steps and to do that I have to go in the back and tear out about 50' of asphalt. Well, he doesn't want that ... how about having the back entrances below grade.... fine if you have a place to send the stormwater, which we don't. Somehow telling him I was not ok flooding his building didn't get him to shut up.  Add in freakin snow and my surveyors forgetting they had to do a boundary topo on a 2 acre lot for me - (that school wants to move their detention offsite because it just takes up too much room on their site and the kids don't have playground room) - I'm going batty.
I take that back. I do have an architect driving me nuts. We are doing a bank, they have a standard section for the drive thru but didn't feel like sharing it with me until I started questioning him. Really man. I'm doing the site grading and you don't think this something worth my information.
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michelyn8
Familiar Member
Joined: Jul 25, 2012 6:48:24 GMT -5
Posts: 926 
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Post by michelyn8 on Jan 8, 2014 13:34:26 GMT -5
I haven't read the whole thread but I grew up in central VA (right outside Richmond). This seems normal from what I grew up with... And it was always explained to me that even though I was ok, streets and schools within the district were so varied, that they had to close to the least common denominator. I was in chesterfield. So Matoaca had to be clear before I went to school... Hi simser!!!! I grew up in Colonial Heights so we are pretty much from the same area. It is so funny to me to see Matoaca mentioned on this board. My mother grew up there. I get the least common denominator thing when roads are bad. I live in Dinwiddie now and while it may be just fine around Edgehill, if Carson is a mess or Prince George County has problems (shared VoTech), the schools close. But the weather here this week is just cold - no snow or ice and no reported road problems like black ice. And it was still just as cold this morning but nothing closed or opened late so now I really don't get it.  |
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