I just finished the attached photo collage for a building my firm designed. We got the C.O. on it yesterday.
It is not a residence but I thought maybe a few of you would enjoy seeing something a little different.
Kevin Halliburton
“The Greek comic poets, also, divided their plays into parts by introducing a choral song, … they relived the actor’s speeches by such intermissions.” Vitruvious, (Book V)
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That's a nice design
oh, and cograts to you and your wife on your new baby your expecting!!!!!!!!!
oh, and cograts to you and your wife on your new baby your expecting!!!!!!!!!
Where are my manners? Thank you!Kevin Halliburton
"The Greek comic poets, also, divided their plays into parts by introducing a choral song, ... they relived the actor's speeches by such intermissions." Vitruvious, (Book V)
Love the dramatic entrance!
the design is beautiful, but it always strikes me as somewhat unseemly for a charitable organization to spend that kind of $$ on such grand digs. sigh...
m
And how much money would that be? Actually, I'm really glad you brought that up. This might be a great opportunity to talk about the value of good design and how such architecture impacts an organization's ability to serve its community. Anyone is welcome to play.
First off, consider what the purpose of the building is then shoot me a maximum cost per square foot that you think is reasonable for a 9,573 square foot commercial building, including reception and work areas, 9 spacious offices, a large boardroom and volunteer lounge, an ample area for volunteer meal pick-up, and an efficient modern kitchen where 1,100+ meals per day can be prepared, packaged and coordinated for delivery.
Keep in mind that we value engineer which means the building should remain in full service and be architecturally relevant 50+ years from now. Ok, never mind, you can skip the architecturally relevant part - it just has to remain fully functional and be flexible enough to adapt to the growing demands of the community. The facility they are moving out of were designed with cost as the primary criteria and they didn't last them quite that long.
Please Include in the number you are comfortable with all kitchen equipment, permitting, design and construction fees and I'll get back to you with the real numbers when a general consensus has been reached about a reasonable cost for a functional building that would simply meet the basic requirements listed above.Kevin Halliburton
"The Greek comic poets, also, divided their plays into parts by introducing a choral song, ... they relived the actor's speeches by such intermissions." Vitruvious, (Book V)
seems i've touched a nerve...
a more relevant standard for the average person might be how this structure (or any other for a similar organization) compares to the average project for a private corporation on a number of points, ie- cost/ft, sq ft/user, level of construction and finish, etc (isn't commercial real estate rated according to the quality of the space and amenities?) and how that jibes with the expectations of its donors and supporters vs what should be dedicated to the core mission.
at some point does a charitable entity risk alienating its support base by spending what some may consider an excessive amount of funds on their own surroundings? in other words, might it turn off potential donors by planting seeds of doubt as to how much of their money is actually reaching the intended beneficiaries?
nobody is suggesting the employees should work in a refitted concrete cold war bomb shelter with olive drab army surplus file cabinets, but when discussing what is appropriate, "9 spacious offices" strikes me as potentially off putting. if i'm an executive of a large company being given a tour of the charity's new place for the purpose of soliciting support, does it help to have me thinking, "hmm, my middle mgrs don't have offices this big or nice. how much is being spent on good works?" basically, is "spacious" a term generally associated with most folks' idea of this type of operation? especially those who live in a cubicle 40+ hrs a week? does such a place really have a frequent need for "a large boardroom" or could free use of a conference room at a nearby hotel (or even the volunteer lounge) serve for the occasional bigger meetings?
other considerations include: how much of the work and/or materials were supplied gratis or cheap?, how well can the project be sold on its durability, efficiency, ability to meet longterm needs and expansion?, was it built with dedicated funds earmarked for the purpose from perhaps a bequeathment?, etc.
all i'm saying is that image plays a huge role in the minds of current and potential donors, and charities need to be particularly sensitive to those impressions. it's really much more of a philosophical question than one of cost per square foot or any other objective dollars and cents measurement.
m
EXCELLENT! Precisely the kind of discussion I hoped your question would inspire. I assure you - you didn't touch a nerve, I just thought I would use your comment to open a door. I wish there was a way to better convey intent of tone on a written forum.
My intent is not necessarily to discuss the practices of charitable organizations as it is to compare the costs and benefits of good architecture versus, say refitted concrete cold war bomb shelters with olive drab army surplus file cabinets. It might surprise some here what a visually stunning, highly functional and durable building can be built for using some solid principles of design and construction management.
I'd like others to weigh in so I'll clam up for a while.Kevin Halliburton
"The Greek comic poets, also, divided their plays into parts by introducing a choral song, ... they relived the actor's speeches by such intermissions." Vitruvious, (Book V)
Since the kitchen equipment would have had to be purchased for any facility, for the purposes of this comparative discussion on the architecture that surrounds it, maybe it would help to eliminate the kitchen equipment from your reasonable square footage numbers. FYI, The kitchen equipment alone cost around $230,000 installed.
The new facility was built because the old one simply could no longer support the growing demands of the organization's services to the community.
Run of the mill commercial buildings in this square footage range, where the numbers are disclosed, probably average between $130 and $140/ S.F. in our area.
Here is a little more info from the marketing data sheet I'm putting together:
Design: This new state of the art facility for Meals on Wheels Plus allows for three very distinct functions to harmonize in order for the agency to efficiently serve Abilene. Administrative, volunteer services, and meal preparation functions are designed to all for ease of operation by the facility users. The volunteers, perhaps the most important aspect of the agency, find the facility well suited for the assembly and routing of meals to be delivered. Entry to the administrative area of the building is separate from the volunteer entry area so that business transactions can be accomplished without congestion from the meal pick-up functions. The kitchen is designed to allow for the preparation and assembly of over 1100 meals per day. In addition, the new facility also incorporates all new modern food service equipment.
Features: The new facility has become a new Architectural landmark for the surrounding neighborhood. It’s modern striking design welcomes visitors and volunteers alike. The building contains reception and work areas, nine spacious offices, a large boardroom and volunteer lounge, an ample area for volunteer meal pick-up, and an efficient modern kitchen for meal preparation and assembly. The administrative areas maintain a corporate feel and image. Spacious parking and vehicular circulation allows for easy vehicular use by volunteers and visitors.
Construction: Construction of the new facility incorporates structural steel framing, concrete foundation systems, metal stud and drywall assemblies, a built-up, and standing seam metal roof combination, color tinted exterior glass, carpet and ceramic tile flooring, acoustical ceiling panels, and a very energy efficient exterior insulation and finish system. The mechanical and electrical systems are state of the art and provide cost-effective air conditioning and lighting throughout the building.Kevin Halliburton
"The Greek comic poets, also, divided their plays into parts by introducing a choral song, ... they relived the actor's speeches by such intermissions." Vitruvious, (Book V)
Ok, here's the bottom line:
Total project cost including kitchen equipment, permits, design fees, construction fees and owner requested change orders...
$1,482,037.00 or $154.82 / S.F.
Take out the $24/S.F. for kitchen equipment and it's right in there with the run of the mill stuff.
The numbers above do not include initial site cost or landscaping but all other site work is included.
In all fairness we've done several projects in this square footage range for quit a bit less. The roof, and a select few finishes on this one, drove the numbers up a little.
The value of the building is quit another figure all together though. What it is already doing for fundraising and volunteer interest is pretty significant. When people see it in the news, or stop to look at the building, some of them are coming in and asking questions about how to get involved. It's an attention getter, and with a volunteer based organization- it's all about getting the attention you need to fund and staff the program. I think, when all the dust settles and the value is measured over a few years, the core values of the program will have been well served by the cost effective and visually stunning design of their new facilities.
Perhaps most significant to me is the fact that the fund raising model the firm did a few years ago was set up in the local mall. I happened by it one day and was so impressed I decided to submit a resume to the firm behind the design. Once hired, it was through the knowledgeable assistance of my current employer that I learned my experience qualified me to complete the Intern Development Program and sit for the registration exam to become an architect. It just kind of struck me that, in many ways, I owe the very pursuit of a personal dream career to this design.
So you see, the value of good design goes way beyond the constraints of the budget, even when it doesn't break it. It's surprising how a building can impact individual lives and the communities they live in. This one caught my attention before it was even built and has certainly made an enriching contribution to mine.Kevin Halliburton
"The Greek comic poets, also, divided their plays into parts by introducing a choral song, ... they relived the actor's speeches by such intermissions." Vitruvious, (Book V)
Nice story, Kevin. Architecture has the ability to inspire in a way that relatively few other manmade things do.
>I'd like others to weigh in so I'll clam up for a while.
I won't weigh in much, be/c I'd quickly become sarcastic, and I don't feel like it today.
Every organization has the same obligation to consider their purpose for existence and whom they serve and whom they answer to. There's no additional burden on a not-for-profit org. They have to be able to fulfill their mission, and that includes attracting funding sources, clients, and volunteers. Should they be expected to live with olive-drab paint and squat toilets? No more so than a business who answers to it's shareholders or a church who answers to its congregants or a govt who answers to its taxpayers.
Do they fulfill their purpose? Do they attract the funding they need to service their clients? Would they attract more funding or be able to service more clients if they operated out of a barren box or, to be fair, just something more spartan? Each organization has to analyze what comes in, what goes out, and how to optimize the flow of services to their clients. Some buildings are built for the glory of some of the people involved, and some are built to serve the functions of the organization. Hopefully the organization can tell the difference.
That said, how dare you use bright colors on this and make it look nice with glass and all! Typical tax and spend policies. Hope y'all at least contributed your design fee back to MoW. Ha ha ha!
Spoken like a man who knows the value of good design. I thought you might appreaciate the curve of that roof line in one axis. :-)>Kevin Halliburton
"The Greek comic poets, also, divided their plays into parts by introducing a choral song, ... they relived the actor's speeches by such intermissions." Vitruvious, (Book V)
Man did you save me a whole lot of time.
You said it perfectly.The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Without more details, this is my best guesstimate.
Hard building costs $1,196,625 $125/SF
Site costs $ 261,360 $3/SF developed (assuming 2-acres)
Total Construction $1,457,985
Soft costs $ 218,698 15% of construction (includes 7% to arch/eng)
Total hard and soft $1,676,683
Entrepreneurial Profit $ 125,750 7.5% of hard and soft costs
$1,802,433 Equates to $188.28/SF, before land costs
Edited to remove kitchen expense.
Scott
Edited 6/11/2004 1:42 pm ET by Summerwood
Those numbers seem reasonable. I don't know what the raw site costs were so I'm glad you broke them out in your estimate.
Any others?Kevin Halliburton
"The Greek comic poets, also, divided their plays into parts by introducing a choral song, ... they relived the actor's speeches by such intermissions." Vitruvious, (Book V)
Kevin: It looks like a wonderful building and you raise interesting questions. My daughter is very committed to community service and is just starting to move out into the world. I'd love to imagine her working in a building of yours rather than a recycled bomb shelter.
I live just a few miles from a brand-new NFL stadium where millions and millions were spent to cover acres and acres so a bunch of spoiled jocks could play a few home games every year. (Go Pats!) Every time I pass it, I start to wonder about our society, our priorities, and what the buildings we build have to say about the state of our civilization.
Al Mollitor, Sharon MA