A
COMPETITION INFORMATION AND PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Q: How close do the
areas (square footage) of rooms have to be to those stated in the program?
A: As stated in the second column of the program, the final design solution
should be within 10% of the program requirements. The building may be 10%
larger than prescribed in the program or it may be 10% smaller than stated
in the program.
Q: Is the area of the
mechanical room stated in the program correct? What should be placed in
the mechanical room?
A: The 484 sq. ft. area prescribed in the program for the mechanical room
is correct. Nothing specific needs to be placed in the mechanical room. We
simply wished to be realistic with regards to the size of space that would
be necessary for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and systems for such
a facility. It is not within the scope of this project to actually design
any mechanical systems, however, the space must be there.
Q: Should the office
double as reception area?
A: The office space could double as a reception area for the public. As it
is a utilitarian facility rather than a public building, a reception area
is not particularly necessary, and the current facility does not have a reception
area. Such an area could be beneficial, however, for public that may wander
in, so you're welcome to include a small reception area provided the overall
project still remains within the prescribed area requirements.
Q: Can equipment storage
and vehicle storage be within a single building?
A: Certainly. All programmed areas could be placed into a single building
if desired, or multiple buildings may be utilized in the solution.
Q: May the students
build in the meadow?
A: The students may design their projects anywhere within the dashed area
on the site plan labeled "Buildable Area". Because the program requirements
are not great enough to necessitate developing the entire site labeled "Buildable
Area", it is suggested that if the new facility is designed in the current
meadow that new natural spaces - new meadow space - could be developed in
the locations of the "Buildable Area" not being used for programmed
structures. Natural meadow space could be incorporated into your overall landscape
design. Often times in "green" design, meadows of native grasses
and plants or wetlands are started on their way by the developers of the site
and nature will eventually take over. If underclassmen design their new facility
in a different location of the site than the existing buildings, the layout
of the existing yard (which non-seniors do not need to redesign), could simply
be moved next to the new building(s) and the location of the existing yard
could become natural space.
Q: Are floor plans
available of the existing buildings on the site?
A: Floor plans of the existing buildings are unnecessary and will not be made
available. As they are simple in construction, their overall dimensions, available
from the site plan, are really all that's necessary. If an existing building
were to be reused, the interior could be reconfigured as desired because no
interior partitions/walls are structural.
Q: Can the project
deadline be changed?
A: Unfortunately, no. We're hoping enough schools were affected by snow days
that no schools have a particular advantage over the others. As far as some
schools beginning a new semester after the new year and some finished the
old semester and having exams, that's a situation to which we haven't found
an easy answer. It is impossible to reschedule the awards show and the judges
need ample time to review the projects.
Q) How many elevations
are necessary for the storage bins? (It is already understood that no
seperate floor plan
is necessary for these. They're comprised only of exterior walls and a roof
and are a prescribed size and their being shown on the site plan is adequate.)
A) Only two elevations are necessary for the storage bins, just as with the
main building(s). You will want the front elevation
and one side elevation for the storage bins. If every bin looks exactly the
same and if each of the six is freestanding, you only
must draw elevations for one individual bin. You don't need to draw a full
elevation of all six bins lined up unless they form a single
structure or if they are seperate but vary in appearance so that when they
line up they create some desired "whole".
Good luck with the project!
