2017 Program RFI's

What is an RFI? A Request For Information is a common formal method for a contractor to gather data, clarifications and design intent information from the design professional or client. Like any project we have had a couple questions about the program intent. Here is a list of the questions and answers for further direction or clarification.

Question:

I know the digital site plan is coming but I wanted to clarify something. Site plan on program sheet is labeled at 1" = 100', but description elsewhere indicates it is 1" = 50'. I am fairly certain the latter is correct?

Response:

The Site plan should be 1”=100’-0’. AutoCAD file has been provided here:HSDC AutoCAD site

Question:

I have some students that would like to add a catering staging area / small kitchen area near the gallery space.  In addition, they are asking about storage for tables and chairs, etc. for the gallery space.  Lastly, some students are planning on raised platforms, etc. and will need elevators to access those spaces (FYI)

Lastly, can the boats be of varying sizes?  Some of the students are having difficulty planning the circulation space around 2700 SF of boats.

Response:

Additional spaces for a staging area / small kitchen area or storage space for the gallery are all acceptable provided they fit within the overall square footage of the gallery space.  Raised platforms with elevators or lifts are acceptable.  The boat sizes were given to us by the Great Lakes Historic Society, but they are average sizes.  Deviation from these sizes should be minimal.

Please let us know if you have any more questions or clarifications.

Program RFI's

What is an RFI? A Request For Information is a common formal method for a contractor to gather data, clarifications and design intent information from the design professional or client. Like any project we have had a couple questions about the program intent. Here is a list of the questions and answers for further direction or clarification.

1.     Is there a required layout or orientation of the main pool area?

a.     The only requirement is that the 75’x75’ general pool has (4) 10’x20’ finger pools for specific functions in an H shape. Student may offset, shift or rotate the layout of these 5 pool areas as they wish. Two BIM/CAD Pools REVIT families are in the resource folders; one is a set 75’x75’ H shape pool, the other is a parametric pool that that can be pieced together to offset or shift the finger pool in any location. Student can also create or modify the given resources anyway they want to arrange the pool in any fashion to resemble an overall H shaped layout. Below are some examples:

 

2.     The program states there are to be (10) individual private shower/toilet areas at 75 s.f. each.  Are they individual rooms with toilets and sinks?  Are they grouped together? 

a.     The Individual private shower/toilet areas are to include a shower, toilet, and sink however the fixtures do not need to be shown on the floor plan.  The designer can incorporate the location as they see fit however they need to be adjacent to the pool area and accessible for public camp use.

3.     Can the building be multistory?

a.     The facility may be one or two stories, but remember to protect the views of the lake from the future Dining Hall at the top of the hill.  If the student decides to design a multiple story facility then the building shall include a minimum of one staircase (minimum 4’ wide) and an elevator shaft (6’x8’).

4.     In lieu of creating a rendering, can a student build contours out of foam core and then 3D print all of the buildings to create a model? 

a.     Physical 3D models may be constructed rather than digital renderings, however photos need to be taken and placed on the board to be submitted at the completion of the project for judging. 3D models were phased out of the HSDC as an award category with digital rendering capabilities becoming available in schools. The student is more that welcome to bring their constructed model to display at the awards banquet in April. If there is are a decent amount of physical models this year, this award may be placed back in the award list for the 2017 program.

5.     Should the design take into consideration safety, security or controlled access to the pool area?

a.     Ideally the main entrance into the pool area should be through the entry lobby past the check-in area. Students should be conscious of the general pool area access, but nothing is required to isolate or protecting the area. Students may choose to place a fence, retaining wall, vegetation, seating or any other obstacles that may address this issue, but not required.

 

 

Thank you for the great questions and please feel free to email us if you have any more.

2013 Student Info Sheet

The "Student Information Sheet" has been posted at the link below for your students to fill out and attached to the back of their boards (please attach one sheet to the back of each board, sometimes these fall off so we like to have a backup plan).

Student Information Sheet 

Please email us at hsdc.aiatoledo@gmail.com if you have any questions.

[Links updated 9/22/2014]

2013 Program Q&A #1

The 2013 competition is well underway, and we have received questions from several schools regarding the program.  So without further fanfare, here is the Q&A:

COMPETITION QUESTIONS
Is there going to be a model portion of the competition this year?
Due to the reduced quantity of models that have been submitted in recent years, there will not be a model competition this year.  The "Architectural Detail Competition" has replaced that.

Will there be a rendering day this year?
Again, due to lack of attendees the last few times we had it, there will be no rendering day this year.  Architectural advisers are encouraged to provide advice to the students, and may pull in outside help if needed.

Can my students draw their plans at 1/4" = 1'-0" scale?
The 1/8" = 1'-0" scale shown on the program sheet is the minimum; students are allowed to draw their plans at 1/4" = 1'-0" as an alternative.  Please make floor plans, elevations and building section the same scale.


PROGRAM/DESIGN QUESTIONS
Can I stack the 2 units of the duplex and place the ADA unit on the first floor and the second unit on the upper floor?
Yes.  Units are not necessarily required to be side-by-side.  There must be ground-level access to the upper floor unit.

I have several students interested in possible solutions that would result in shared driveways / common areas distributed over all 4 parcels. This is being explored in the interest of creating a mini community of sorts.  Is this permissible?

Yes; however keep in mind that indoor and living areas must be separate.

Each of the 4 units is to be a duplex, correct, for 2 families? Does just one of the two in the duplex have to be handicap accessible, or both?
Each of the 4 buildings is the be a duplex, for a total of 8 dwelling units.  The accessible unit applies to just one of the two units of the duplex (although both may be accessible, at the student's option).

On the site plan, do the students need to show just one unit (duplex) and just indicate the others?

Just one duplex needs to be designed; the other three can be "boxes" on the site plan.  

More Questions & Answers

There's only a couple weeks left until projects are due, so hopefully the students' plans are starting to shape up and they're starting to think about how this is going to be presented.

Sorry for the late response, but there are a few questions which we realized had not yet been responded to.  These affect program elements, although they will hopefully clarify the project:


1) Can the 1000 sf patio be split up to be used with the bird watching station is station is detached from larger structure? 
The patio cannot be split; it must remain one space.

2) Can a student fill in the shoreline and create a break wall/seawall type of structure?. (on the side where current loading docks are, and they would of course stay within the development zone)  
Yes, this is allowed.

3) Is the 1/4 acre for Habitat Restoration need to be within the development zone as well? The habitat restoration area can be outside the development zone.  
Habitat Restoration zone is no longer required, it is now optional, but recommended.  "Habitat Restoration" is simply an area of the site that is reserved for native plants and/or animals to reside; further specifics of the type of habitat being restored are not necessary.

4) There is some confusion regarding the sustainability and site features requirements.
Change the last paragraph under “The Project” to read: 

The project will incorporate a building of no more than 3,300 square feet. Please consider sustainability issues and utilize at least one (1) item from the Sustainable Building Features listed below. Also, please consider at least three (3) items from the list of Site Features listed below.

Under the heading “Required Site Features” delete the word “Required”. Please show three (3) of the seven (7) Site Features on the site plan. 

5)  As those who visited the site know, there are two beacons on the site that, when aligned, guide watercraft along the dredged channel in to the boat launch.  We recommend keeping these beacons where they are (or, if you remove them, add provisions to replace them), but since it is late in the project that will not be a required site feature.  If you did make special provisions to keep these elements please make a note of it in your project description or on your site plan so the judges are aware of it.

6)  Will there be a Rendering Day this year?
No, there will not be a Rendering Day for the 2012 competition.  Instructors, if you think we should bring this back for the 2013 competition please let one of the Committee members know; we cancelled it due to apparent lack of interest in previous years.


We will be posting the student information sheet soon, so keep an eye on this site for the latest updates!

Question: Please explain the Boat Dock requirements?

As part of this year's site plan, we are requiring "Six (6) 25 ft long boat docks".  These are simply a place to moor a boat up to 25 feet long.  These can either be along the shore or parallel to the shore.  These can be made of wood, concrete, or any other common "dock" material (your advisor may have suggestions for materials).

Example Toilet Room

Updated toilet room plans have been posted for the 2012 competition.  The previously posted toilet room plans only had two toilets (or one urinal and one toilet); the current toilet room plans have three toilets (or two toilets and one urinal).

Toilet Room Plan (1/8" scale PDF)

Toilet Room Plan (DWG format)

Toilet Room Plan (DXF format)

These toilet room plans are to be used as an example or starting point for toilet room design; if you wish to enhance them with any design features feel free to do so.  Students are not required to use these exact toilet design if they have another design that responds to their design better (and maintains functionality & accessibility).

Site Plan - Required Scale Fixed!

On the original program, there were discrepancies between the scale shown on the site plan and the site plan shown on the sheet.  All should be 1" = 50'-0"; the current links have been updated to include this revision:


2012 Program Sheet (PDF, 5.83 MB, 24x36)

The CAD versions of the site plan are posted at the following links:
DWG format
or
DXF format

Questions & Answers

1. Why do the roads "in white", from the original colored layout that was given out at the meeting, drastically differ from the site plan posted on the web? Which one is considered the final design? Use the CAD file on the website as the "latest" layout. The color graphic is a "conceptual" layout for the development, which is typically revised several times over the years-long planning process.
2. Are all of the outside elements such as landscape boxes included in the pavement square footage (2400 sq. ft.)? All of the outside elements may be included in the 2400 sq. ft. of pavement except landscape beds and fountains. The intent of the 2400 sq. ft of hardscape is to provide a space for outdoor events, concerts, gatherings, etc.
3. The program sheet says the students don't need to make the Clock Tower but provide the base for it. What is the size of the base? How big will the tower be? Also is the tower at the East or West side of the Project site plan? The program requires a minimum of one elevation of the clock tower; the base is all that needs to be shown on the floor/site plan. The tower is approx. 85 feet tall (per program), but we did not require a specific footprint area for the tower at the base because it could vary greatly based on the student’s concept.
   
4. Is the square footage of the restrooms (150) for both mens and womens combined or 150 for each? Please use 150 sq. ft. for each toilet room (total 300 sq. ft.).