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Holy cow. I’ve been crazy busy with school recently. We did a really cool public restroom project last week, which was both a challenge and very informative. It’s probably a bore to most people, but I was amazed that even though I’ve been in hundreds, nay thousands, of public restrooms in my life, I felt like I was putting a puzzle together when I was laying it out. Anyway, done and done with that project… and right on into the next.
I am currently working on designing an office space for a mergers and acquisitions lawyer, and her small staff. Over the weekend and yesterday, I worked and re-worked the floor plan, and came to school feeling confident that I was set, and could begin moving forward. And then, OF COURSE, my instructors added a public restroom into our assignment. It only makes sense after just doing the other project, I guess. We are working with the floor plan of an existing building and were allowed to take some liberties with the space we chose, as long as certain features of the building remained as shown (elevators, stairs, and other means of egress), and the portion of the floor plan I chose had to be 2400 sqft or less.
I really worked at figuring out the puzzle: Executive office, conference room, technology room, smaller private office, law library, reception/ waiting area and work areas for receptionist/ legal assistant, and paralegal to work. Those are the required elements. Additionally, I was able to squeeze in a personal room for the attorney (complete with personal restroom with shower, custom designed wardrobe/ media center, and sofa), as well as a kitchenette, a uni-sex restroom, and I made room for a ton of storage with horizontal work surfaces. Like I say, I worked really hard to figure it all out, and I was psyched with what I’d come up with. But, OF COURSE!, (things just can’t go that smoothly) there were some changes made to the assignment and we are now required to add ADA compliant restrooms that are up to current code. I’d already designed a public restroom for the space, but in order for the office to be at code, two restrooms are required- one for each gender. UGH. I had to basically start from scratch and re-work the entire puzzle.
Finally, after about 8 hours of working on it today, I’m feeling content with what I’ve got. I’m just scared of what’s yet to come… We’re working on 3-D drawings in my CAD class, so I’m afraid they’re going to make us draw and render our perspective with CAD. Double ugh. I’ll do it, and it’ll probably look pretty cool, but it’ll take me for freeking ever to do it.
As much as I was frustrated but the addition, I feel really good about it now- I faced the challenge, and I learned a lot in the process. I think my floor plan is all the better for it, too. It flows nicely, and seems like it would function well.
In order to end this entry, I’ve got some more Good Things. Five, to be exact. I could probably think of more, but my brain hurts from all this AutoCAD.
-I spent the day with my nephew the other day. We went out for lunch, made a volcano erupt (baking soda and vinegar! SO FUN!!), played wii, and took a really sweet nap. He’s so great.
-My sister is pregnant agin, and is due at any moment. If she doesn’t deliver before 11/23, she’s scheduled for a C-section. She’s so great, too. And I’m SuperDuper excite to meet the baby.
-I went out for sushi happy hour yesterday with my so-awesome-BF and some of our friends yesterday. Both the food and the company were top notch.
-It’s almost Thanksgiving. I like Thanksgiving.
-I FINALLY HAVE MY FLOOR PLAN SET!
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