Wednesday, May 23, 2012

MU East Wing

While reviewing renovation options and cost effective strategies earlier this week, committee members, alongside Opsis architects, and Anderson engineers focused on maximizing leasable space while creating an open, experientially pleasing feel.

MU conversation highlighted committee direction. Is retail space in or out relative to the north end? Will rooms be successful and programmatically useful at their current size? Many questions arose, however top priority was awarded to the cultural kitchen under the pretense that concluding that space would allow for build out.

Homework for the next week will be the resolution of program placement in an effort to lock in individual spatial needs. Concurrently, Opsis will create a package of organized options defining expectations and scoping documents.

Craft Center

Craft Center representatives came prepared for their meeting with Opsis, equipped with a presentation highlighting all concerns, necessities, and wishes. Among many ideas presented came the preference for an LCD screen on the first floor in an effort to increase their presence throughout the building. Additionally designs were suggested for a mini store, gift gallery, and student/faculty storage among many foundational necessities.

With this information at hand, Opsis and Anderson will calculate cost difference while Craft Center representatives examine general options presented to them for the closest fit.

SAPC

After looking over notes supplied by the SAPC, Opsis incorporated changes into SEC layout. Though concerns were voiced about maximum space capacities for offices, architects were quick to remind all that the building is still in the allocating stage. Once that is polished, committees will begin looking at individual group arrangements.

Questions concerning the first floor were appeased, as it was decided that the stair-style seating area would be removed, with the possibility of a food cart in its place. Additionally, in what may have been one of the most controversial discussions, it was decided that the International Resource Center would be placed in what was once retail space.

An area that hasn’t received much attention in this blog, the plaza between the MU and SEC, was highlighted during the meeting. Discussion focused on the need for a fire lane, permanent benches to help define the space, possible stage locations, stage cover and power box locations. The covered portion of the plaza will be around 60 feet by 135 feet or 8,400 square feet; however, to further plan for the space architects will need a cleared idea of what it will be used for.

Student Media

Opsis showed new floor plans for the fourth floor of the SEC to Student Media and requested feedback on their incorporation of warranted changes. A few issues arose such as the problem of mixed light coming into the TV studio, the edit bay size, need for a widow between the two radio studios, a window in the control room and the placement of a TV screen on the first floor to stream what is happening on the fourth floor.

Additionally, Student Media began discussion about a possible change of location of the stairwell which would benefit them, but sparks concern of how it would affect the arrangement of rooms on the fourth floor. 

Updated news on the antenna/microwave dish on the roof of the SEC revealed a strong possibility of the antenna tower finding a home atop a different building.  If the tower does end up on the SEC, it will be a simple pole, rising forty feet in the air, not the traditional tower currently residing on Snell Hall.

Accessibility Workshop

Opsis started this workshop with a review of the SEC project.  The design incorporates several components, historic appearance, campus flow of people, LEED certification, campus master plan and the principles of universal design.

Each floor of the building was highlight and reviewed, indicating various ADA elements incorporated into the design. Concerns from students included campus parking, ADA access from other parts of the campus to the building, ADA access on campus during construction and renovation, and emergency exits from the workspace. Other circumstances warranting attention were; location of bike parking in front of the SEC blocking foot and wheelchair flow into the building, size of restroom turn-a-round space, adaptable workspaces, and entrance over hands to cover students as they enter the building.