Core Team Minutes 12-14-12

Minutes from 12/14/12 meeting
Present: Kathy, Kinny, Abby

Question: How do we systematically review plans for correlation with principles?
-need all Core Team members present for a session of playing devil’s advocate
-Kinny took notes (see her email of 12/13/12) on principles, but we really need to step back and evaluate project as a whole
-too easy to convince ourselves that a job is being done well; can we get outside critical thinkers in?

Questions/changes for before January DRB hearing:
-Do we need an elevator in each shop/studio building? If we do, should we be clustering the contents of those buildings (combining two and having work space on either side?)
-Andres hasn’t reviewed the updated site plan for stormwater management suitability (and what about the stream continuing down to current pond, passing north of main building?)
-There’s something strange about berm/swale uphill of studio/shop buildings…seems like a swale would want to go all the way across or it wouldn’t work
-Does the initial entry view invite community in? Kathy sketched what a turn-around might look like (attached image), and landscaping could make a pedestrian entry from driveway to campus structures
-Bus stop and its infrastructure are still missing. Combine with a turn-around?
-Somehow the pole barn in the parking lot got smaller than we recalled—did we miss a change?
-Do we need to put in the Mad River Path? (Kate sketched paths a few weeks ago)
-What about landscaping? Would a narrative about screening (i.e. all existing screening will remain) suffice?

Action items:
-Kinny to ask Andres about stormwater and stream issues now that site grading is revised
-John to update CAD
-Abby to hand over Agency of Agriculture stuff to Kinny next week
-Abby will review the principles with intern perspective in mind before leaving

Core Team Minutes 12-10-12

CORE 12-10-12

·         Initial findings from Peter L showed that we don't have enough elevation difference to have the walkout arrangement shown on all out drawings...easily.

o    If the front of the school is at 784 and there is no articulation between it and the front of school building and the studio/shops then the back of the shops will need to be 794 (+ 2 or more for drainage). 

o    This gives us a grade difference of 10' between front  and back.  A flat quad between the existing school and the shops and also a big useable flat field in the upper area.

o    The new DRB date is Jan. 8th whatever is the second Tuesday in Jan
Materials need to be in the week before…..Kate will research and inform.

·         RESOLVED: Connect the building envelopes for the residential units and the shop studies.

·         RESOLVED: Kathy and Kin will be working up a turn-around for the entry.

·         RESOLVED: Remove the trees along the entry axis...or some of them.

·         RESOLVED: We need a Landscape Team to undertake the resolution of:

o    The turnaround.

o    The pedestrian access.

o    The Quad between the main building and the new buildings.

o    What the look will be through the different phases.

·         ACTION: Peter L to update the site plan

o    Topography

o    Path alignments

o    Connect all building envelopes

o    Lighting (narrative)

o    Screening (narrative)

o    Turn off old parking lot boundary

o    Label greenhouse and everything else….

Solar Team Update

Greetings Solar Team ~

Attached is the current version of the Yestermorrow campus with the center of gravity now returned to the Alpen Inn.  This change was driven by a zoning requirement that no more than 25% of existing buildings may be destroyed.  Budget and schedule also played a role.

So this is great news for those who monitor our solar income as well as many who felt the previous layout was not sufficiently compact.  The current layout is more densely configured and the buildings will receive significantly more sun.

You will see that the parking area has been turned into a solar garden with PV trellises over many of the parking areas.  It is hoped this area may be able to generate some serious electricity though certainly not all that the school uses.  Not really a traditional parking lot, this is meant to be where arrivals will leave their carbon cars and go native…or at least electric.  It is also meant to be a multi-purpose area where the school can host farmers’ markets, flea sales, civic functions and other informal events.  Serving all these functions makes it an important design gesture that goes beyond mere parking.

Currently this draft plan is in the hands of our civil engineer who is working out the topography, septic, and drainage issues.  The results will be combined with our forestry plan, feedback form the Dept. of Agriculture, the storm water study and various other input we have been collecting.

I send it along to keep the Solar Field Team current and invite input.  We are trying to make progress even during the holidays.  Things are moving along nicely but we have put our DRB (Design Review Board) presentation on hold in order to have time to embrace the fullest spectrum of input.

I will send an updated version as soon as we get something back from the civil.  Don’t wait to give any feedback you might have.

Thanks for your thoughts!

John