Design Criteria and Requirements

Project: JILC Dagupan City Church Building
RE: Design Criteria and Requirements

To the members of the building committee:

It shows in the preliminary presentation that there are design requirements which are not met within the given building floor area assumptions. We could either totally eliminate those requirement needs or, squeeze them in and result to cramming, or, add more of the floor area assumptions which will result to variance application to the city and the cost.

It will be in the part of the building committee to decide which solution/s to adhere to. As your architect, really, there is no limit to the design requirements, except that every requirement we add, also adds up the cost. Provided also in the assumption that these are allowed accordingly to our local municipal rules and the compliance to latest building codes.

Please also remember that in the listing of "criteria" and "requirements", they are not written in stones which we can always revise, add in to, deduct in to, criticize, suppress and so on... up to the closest realities are met.

Being your architect, I therefore urge you to please feel free in examining your entries in the "requirements" and submit your inputs.

Here are some possible leads towards a solution:

- from the criteria "near zero energy" specifically the harvest of rainwater, do you think we can stick to this or, totally eliminate(?);

- from the criteria "near zero energy" specifically the use of natural ventilation, do you think that we will forget about this and go back to conventional air conditioning and result to paying high utility cost month after month for as long. In using the conventional air conditioning system, we can add more floor area to accommodate the needed floor area for the requirements not met as mentioned above, i.e. parsonage, guest room, others. But, we must also be willing to pay any penalties (huge amount due to variance) to the city in violating the building codes regarding the allowed minimum setbacks and so on.

- from the overall building design itself considering the "near zero energy", which will be unusual to customary construction methods in the locality known to workers - should we also forget all about this(?) - and go back to the usual methods and practice.

- from the "design criteria - expansion", shall we forget that idea too?

- from the "design requirements - overflow capacity", shall we forget this idea too?

Committee members, forwarding your inputs is therefore a necessary step towards the documentation and plans for the city permission for us to start building.

Edwin Bambilla Ceralde, Architect, UAP

Email: edwinceralde@gmail.com

Preliminary Design

JIL CHURCH DAGUPAN BUILDING
PRELIMINARY DESIGN

Continuation from www.jildagupanbuilding.blogspot.com

(Figure 1 Proposed First Floor Plan)

Okay, (A) from the lower left corner is the road from Amado Street. (B) is the guard house and quarters. (C) are driveways. (D) are parkings. (E) is the lobby and a space for box office later. (F) is the assembly hall that can contain 943 seats when all doors are closed. Can contain up to 2475 when all doors are open on ground floor only + at least 500 seats for the balcony if balcony is so desired. (G) is the proposed elevator of size just good enough for one person on a wheelchair with a caretaker. (H) is the kitchen and mess hall will serve as backstage at the same time whenever needed. (I,J) are mens and womens washrooms. (K) is the backstage. (L) is the stage extension for performance. (M) is the stage - note the front curtain that goes up and down whenever needed. (N) are overflow areas when the assembly doors are open for overflow capacity.

To the bottom right most is the way to the healing garden which i will present later on.

Some ideas here are:
1 - full front of stage to have stairs all over.
2 - stairs in front of elevator to kitchen maybe moved to close to backstage itself so that the lobby and the mess hall floor will be in one level.
3 - the wall behind the lobby opposite the mess hall maybe taken out so that this whole area may function as a separate hall with a movable partition in between the assembly hall and the lobby.
4 - note how the stage is oriented so that in the case of acquiring (buy or rent) other lots around the site will be easier for expansion. (remember expansion is one of the criteria)

Take note the location of the stairs to the second floor to orient ourselves to the second floor below.

(Figure 2 Proposed Second Floor Plan)

In front of the stairs to the right are offices. To the left is the multi function room. To the back of the stairs are sunday school / conference rooms. And straight ahead is the proposed balcony (if so desired) which can accommodate at least 500 seats. (A) is the upper portion of the stage for railing up the front curtain. (B) is the upper part of assembly hall.

Some ideas here are:

1 - omit balcony because its construction is expensive and will affect the total building cost dramatically. Also, if we desire to put balcony, we should forget the "expandable  criteria" since if the balcony is there, will be a hindrance to expansion later on.

2 - the right of the offices maybe enlarge for more office spaces if so desired, but again it is also a hindrance to "expansion".

3 - letter (B) can be occupied as second floor area but the stage ceiling will not be high enough to match the size of the assembly hall, especially if there will be "expansion" later on.

4 - the division wall between the sunday school and conference rooms could be movable or collapsible.

5 - Also again, the proposed windows are extra wide, floor to ceiling, double glazed insulated glass, and are sliding to both sides may not be altered as a matter of choice - reason? we want to minimize utility cost including air conditioning.

Again, i am calling all committee members headed by Pastor Jun and Sis Carol to please input your ideas, suggestions, criticisms, adding or omitting requirements and criteria so that we can arrive to the closest possible solution to your church... our church.

Please also pray for the Lord's will for these writings, plans, posts, blogs (with the committee's approval) to be published to online sites for probable solicitation to whoever the Lord Jesus might use.

Below (Figure 3 Proposed Third Floor Plan)

The green decks are platforms only not floors with roof. Library will have prayer rooms. Above center are washrooms.

Over all, going back to the requirements mentioned above, some rooms will not be incorporated, these are:
1 - Parsonage.
2 - Guest room with ensuite.
3 - Or, make the green decks to be full storey and house the parsonage and guest rooms here.

Shortly, I will be presenting the configuration of the whole building while waiting the lead from the committee.

In summary, these are what we want to confirm from the committee:
1 - which of the three rooms we can eliminate: parsonage, guest room, or library.
2 - make the green decks to be full rooms to house the parsonage or guest room or the library.
3 - again; ideas, minor requirements, or anything that you think we left out.

UPDATE as of October 8, 2011
Yesterday, I accidentally deleted the third floor so it took me another four hours again to do just that, but... here it is - the proposed third floor plan.

(Figure 4 Proposed Third Floor Plan)
Viewing from south east, to the left and to the right are the green decks (these green decks maybe part of the third floor which can house the guest rooms, sunday school room, or multi use rooms). About the middle is the library and resource center. (this library maybe omitted and make it as guest room or otherwise).

Above right is the proposed balcony in the second floor overlooking from the third floor as shown in the picture below in figure 5 and 6.

 (Figure 5). This small balcony in third floor would fit at least four people overlooking the assembly hall below. These small balcony is just in front of the stairs and straight ahead.

(Figure 6). The small balcony could be for monitor or security or video purposes.

I am hoping to finish the roof configuration and the chimney profile by tomorrow so I can post for your meeting this weekend. See you later.