Beth Steinbauer
Building Committee Presentation Minute:
This minute was taken to the best of my ability. Not everything stated during the presentation is present, but everything that is written below is correct to the best of my knowledge.
Introduction: JVJ and Jessica Ducklow
The first thing that came up was a list of concerns from the building committee- 14 concerns
JVJ: “Does that sound like we have covered the concerns of the building committee?”
David: “Sounds good so far.”
Listing of what was covered in the programming process by this class thus far.
David: asks why we are not addressing the desk charette at this time.
Problem seeking book introduced: function, form, economy and time. Each topic addressed and discussed in how it relates to aiding in the design process for the UTA Architecture building: Alaina
David: “Why are you telling me this? Is it really necessary that you tell me the process you are taking? I don’t think it is necessary. This is my opinion, it may not be professor Boles opinion. I realize that this is a programming phase, but when you are talking to a client you don’t really tell them what brought you to this conclusion. I have read William Pena, taught William Pena, and met Willy Pena.”
Alaina : “I understand.”
Susan Appleton: “Actually, David, we set up this so that the students could explain to you the process which the students have gone through thus far.”
David: “Oh, okay. Well I guess that I am confused as to exactly what role I am playing here. I thought I was supposed to be the client here.”
Alaina: “I think that you have brought up valid points about what we should do for the clients in the future. Thank you.”
Ann: “I think that David brings up several points, we can summarize what it is that we have learned, but this project is about what we learned. For example what the importance of sustainability is…”
Becky: “It is an interesting situation, because of the user groups in this case…”
Mary: “Actually, that was only a summary of the book. We do have some answers, but they will come up later in the presentation.”
David: (Discussion on the Summers’ Personal Space book)
Ann: (Questions the class “whether the left hand is talking to the right hand” and if there are answers as Mary stated, why are they not being addressed here.
Class answers that this is only a summary of the initial parts of studies, and the students as a group will address the answers they have found at a later part of the presentation.
David: (suggestion that we question all that we read and come up with arguments and validity of the information provided to us)
Information of the Interviews presented:
David: (Addresses that the interview he was in was important not only for the information gained but for the questions addressed. He was surprised by the Dean’s need for another conference room. He asks why if Ruzicka was interviewed, why wasn’t Snyder (sp?)
Susan Appleton: we have asked and set up appointments…
David: I feel your pain… I can’t find that man for anything. (It is discussed that a different set of people be surveyed. He suggests that history professors and different sectors needed to be approached because they all use the building differently)
Becky: (seconds this opinion heartily)
Edward T. Hall’s Hidden Dimension is presented: Brooke
David: Are you sure?... Actually I think that it is really good that you guys are reading Hall. I don’t know who suggested Hall, but that is really good that you are reading him. It is believed that resources that are 20 years or more in the past that they are obsolete, and that you can’t really use them. I disagree with this. I believe that older sources are something that can definitely be used still. (Davie Jones continues into Evidence Based Design. He relates it back to his health care grad studio, and how it is a hot topic because if a patient room is set up in such a way, perhaps a patient heals faster.
Precedent studies are attempted to be passed over with a brief description by Susan Appleton:
David: Addresses the Holes Minnesota precedent, and his disappointment with that space.
Becky: Addresses that she has been looking through these, and is curious how relevant they are to the study of our school.
Ann: verifies and rewords the question for clarity.
Becky: responds that she does not feel that it is very clear that the diagrams are something relevant to the school.
Class returns with various discussion and responses of the different responses as to why they feel the document is relevant, and how the individual diagrams have been selected.
David: Reminds students that they need to be careful about what they are reading on the internet, and where they are getting their sources from.
Ann: clarifies that Davie Jones is suggesting we should read with a skeptical eye.
David: Agrees and expands on it
As Built Drawings introduced:
Susan Appleton: shortly briefs building committee on the process by which the as-built drawing were completed.
David: compliments their refinement and level of completion
Susan Appleton: informs building committee that there is still red lining to be done.
User groups observations introduced: 10:50 AM Eddie
David: questions if the students are using the sliding doors because their hands are full.
Eddie: responds that for the most part that this is true.
David: agrees with the observations taken. Asks if there have been any studies of the library or other spatial areas. Feels that these would be important.
Alaina: describes findings from the library interview
David: Implores the students to further investigate and push for greater usage of the libraries. Tells us to allow ourselves to not just gather information, but to also mentally begin redesigning the project.
JVJ: Brings up that Pena says not to design at all during the programming phase.
David: suggests that this is one point that he disagrees with Pena. He suggests that it should not be presented with the programming, but should be done somewhat concurrently.
Becky: follows Davie Jones comment regarding the library. She addresses that it is one of the nicer spaces in the school, and could be changed so that it could become a nicer space for gathering, study groups, practicing presentation.
David: feels that there could be a few more of those private conferencing rooms. Continues to expand on library.
Ann: “putting on my designer hat, and taking off my programming one” discusses the hours of the library do not fit the hours that the students need the space. Also mentions her wish for a large table. Agrees that while programming takes place, the designer should have a sketch book with them, and note things.
David: seconds this strongly.
Eddie: asks if there will be more computers on the 1st floor.
David: addresses that the computer lab downstairs will be removed so that the space can be used for the expansion of the library. Calls on Susan for more information regarding this and the render farm.
Susan Appleton: explains that the render farm does not have a finalized size yet. She also addresses that Ruzicka and Slide Library would be moving into the library.
Eddie: asks if it would be possible to get more of the programs down stairs to make the research more possible.
David: asks him and anyone else to send him these problems so that he can address them at the library committee meeting.
Jessica D: asks If there is a list of things needed to add to the library.
Susan Appleton: informs class there is a list from the last year’s library redesign.
Ann: mentions the moving of the 1st floor computer lab. Asks what the size will be of this render farm.
David: says that 100sqft is more than large enough. “we could shoot a rocket to mars with that amount of space.” Davie Jones and Becky explain that it will require more information from Charles in regards to how much and what type of cooling system is needed. Davie Jones and Ann discuss that is not needed by this group and will be readdressed if they are doing a “tacky” job of this.
Building Analysis: 11:20 AM Jamie Wallace
David: discusses with Jamie what the terms public and private mean in this case, and the need for a definition of both when presenting in the future.
David: completely agrees that at the end of an axis, something more significant than a fishbowl office or closet door. He speaks on the material statements made, and that while he agrees with them, they may be inappropriate for this discussion. “you don’t want to give tile a bad name now do you?” He informs the class that a lot of the material choices got made because of cost. He gives the example that we could have had oak hand rails on the stair, or the courtyard. We got the court yard. J
Space Type and Area Study: 11:27 AM Danny Cano
David: Thinks that the study is good, but that room capacities should be addressed. University is in the business of turning students in to professionals. And like any business they want to have as many customers as possible… but we have sort of hit the limit. Jones talks about how he is currently working on a plan in which Fall 3rd year studios will only take place in the fall. This won’t help in the fall, but in the spring, this opens 3 studios.
Becky: Wants to know why there is a difference in the usable square footage in the 3rd and 4th floor since they have the same foot print but are listed as having a difference. Class discusses and it will be further looked in to. Jones : “That’s a render farm.”
User Survey: 11:39 AM Mary Stadelman
David: “How are you going to translate this information into your deigns? It is one thing to say “I’d like a lounge,” and another to say “I’d like one on every floor.” It seems like you are missing some information here. Did you have an area to write in commentary?”
Mary: “yes we did”
David: “Some of this needs elaboration. This may mean that you need to use your intuition, but I still think you need more information. In the next phase you may need to give priorities…”
Mary: “we did ask some questions like that. Overwhelmingly, the students want a lounge. They wanted power and data…”
David: “well, we do have wireless internet. And as Becky knows after designing the computer lab, it is a difficult process and you have to jump through hoops to get power in there. You don’t know this yet, but you will learn it.”
Discussion continues with Becky about responses given, and the amount of participations and what was gathered. Kara expands on the differing answers from the different groups, and the level to which they responded, and their enthusiasm.
David: from this you need to find the problems that merit your attention and work on them.
Becky: “But there is to follow; PROBLEM STATEMENTS”
Problem Statements: 11:55 AM Kaci Etheredge
David: “Let me tell you what I think about that… that is a start. When you get into the design phase you will realize that that needs to go further. This is a good start. When you get into the design phase, you are going to find a whole new list of questions. all of the energy put into this comes to the last 4 pages, and when you start designing there is going to be so much more that you are going to want to know… these last three or so pages are going to need adjustments and additions. This may only be possible to know this when you start designing, and maybe when you get into this you will find that you need to re get together and re discuss this. I tell my students, you need information to design things. If I said “design me something” you would ask, “what?” Well if I said, “I don’t know, just design me something, you would come back and design clothes, or chairs or …. I just think you have a way to go on this. That is my comment”
Becky: “You are use to getting a list that states ‘you need this many studios, and this many offices’ ……. These last few pages are qualitative, and they need to be quantitative.
David: “I think that you need to figure some of this out as a group. I mean, are we going to get 30 d9fferent locations of the 4 different lounges, or is this something that is going to happen as a class decision. I think it needs to be worked as a class.”
Becky “I think that that is a good example”
Ann: “Professor Jones, have you been here since the time when 105 was a student lounge?”
David: I have been here since the beginning, when the oaks were in training ties… that lounge had a long unmovable formed seat….. the sun shined in the space at people’s faces, the seat was uncomfortable…. Students didn’t got there, it was not used. It was an unsuccessful space. The spaces that were lounges and used successfully were the 3rd and 4th floor offices, like Hamilton’s. They had better furniture, and were alcoves. They were also used occasionally for pin ups. We would have to fight to get those spaces back… but we could fight for them.”
Becky: “Has there been any possibilities of food service being added?”
David: discusses that there is likely not because we are so close to Einsteins. But he does suggest a cheap coffee maker type possibility.
There is class wide discussion about the juice bar in the MAC that has recently disappeared. Discussion continues and Jones mentions that there was originally a possibility of a café in 201. Jones discusses that achieving a food service may be possible. Quiet studios are addressed.
Conclusion: David Jones suggests that we aren’t ready to design yet, but we need to start due to time constraints. He feels that we should get together and rework the last few pages. Ann and Jones discuss the possibility of growth. They aspire to find space for another 10% (room for 100 more students) in an addition or perhaps even in a close building. Ann asks about further needed offices; the director of interiors office (200 sqft), another administrative assistant. Jones provides that he would be more than happy to aid us in our continued research and we thank him for his and Becky’s time.