Concerns
Robert Feldman
great concern to me with the current plan for the Middle School. First
is the design that increases the size (square footage) of the
building. There is no compelling justification for a larger facility
other than the desire to have more flexibility and increased space
available. The best and most cost effective design is one that uses
less space. It is a contradiction to call this a ‘green’ building
design when there is a nonessential increase to the square footage.
All of the innovation available today does not compare to just having
less space and conserving with tight energy controls. Some of the
desired ‘green’ features such as geothermal and solar may have their
place but you must consider the return on investment before deploying
any technology. Using innovation that is motivated by politics and
misconceptions will only lead to failed systems and costly upkeep .
Making best use of the existing space along with an aggressive re-
engineering to include new heating/ventilation, electrical, windows
and insulation along with proven and exciting new approaches such as
zero runoff with the use of green (living) roofs and natural light
tubes for classroom lighting will return the highest value while
reducing the impact of the operating facility. Making this building an
example of effective renovation rather than new construction while
reducing the dependence on purchased energy is the best approach.
Tanya Marquette
i think your concerns are valid. and i further think we need to tighten
them
up with more critical details. i would add my concern about the excessive
exterior walls and foundational structure. the additional 2 pod design adds
8 new exterior walls with all the expense of an additional 25% foundation
cost.
this alone adds significantly to building costs and diminshes energy
efficiency.
the roof, i understand is not specified in the plans. commercial roofs
tend to
have a life of only 10 yrs. and many of the newer roof designs are not well
tested. i recall the new age middle-roof put on in the 1980's. it was a
total
disaster. that roof was a flat roof consisting of insulated roofing
'tiles' with
all the open seams between them. when i was on that roof (1985) there
was so much greenery growing between the tiles and, of course, the roof
was leaking badly. not all new designs are worth the price.
energy efficiency is not just about new hi-efficiency boilers or high glass
windows.
some of the most basic line items are the most efficient. proper window
installation;
properly installed insulation (a rarity in building), ensuring well sealed
openings such
as doors and electrical outlets on exterior walls are a few examples of
energy
efficient building. and no expensive technology is required for these
efforts.
what i would like to argue is the need to structure any remodeling so that
it can
utilize local building talent. any construction manager has to bid out
locally and
local contractors need to get preferential treatment.
i don't know if there is any way to get around the prevailing wage laws,
but in this
economy i wonder if there isn't some way to negotiate that legally.
tanya
> [Original Message]
> From: Robert Feldman <totalwe...@gmail.com>
> To: Unite Our District: Vote No <uniteourdis...@googlegroups.com>
> Date: 1/6/2010 3:32:32 PM
> Subject: Concerns