Design Dilemmas & How They Were Solved.

Commercial & Healthcare Story #1
(PROBLEMS IN CONSTRUCTION)

Price Waterhouse was building two facilities within an hour of each other. Sharon and her team were designing them both. One of the facilities was to be the regional hub for key clients and key employees. Budget was not a major consideration. The library was to have marble flooring, rich woods, built in bookcases and millwork, fine rugs and artwork. Just the footprint of the existing suite (exterior walls & elevator shaft) was to be left intact.

However, when the contractor was removing one wall within the future library space, an angled steel beam was discovered within it! It had not been in any of the original building drawings. It protruded into the future library space. It clearly was a support that could not be removed. And it clearly was right in front and above where the beautiful bookcases would be built. The contractor called the designer, the designer got some critical dimensions of the beam and its location, put together a few alternatives for the client to see, and then client, contractor, and designer discussed the alternatives. It was decided to build in a type of extended soffit, enclosing this angled beam. The soffit would have recessed lighting within it, to illuminate the (now) recessed bookshelves below. It would be finished in the same rich woods as the bookcases, and have an elegant crown molding at the ceiling. It became an enhancement to the space, rather than a camouflage for a steel beam. Because of great teamwork, an unforseen problem was turned into a useful and beautiful feature.

Commercial & Healthcare Story #2
(FURNITURE SYSTEMS PROBLEMS)

A western Cancer Center had just gone through construction of a beautiful new headquarters. Breay Design Associates were brought in to handle reconfiguring the existing office systems furniture in the administrative department. As soon as we looked at the architect’s layout for workstations, we needed to tell the client that the basic layout would never work because it did not fit fire codes in two different places, and because the furniture panel thicknesses were not taken into account in the drawing. Understandably, the client was astonished and frustrated. Surely, the panel thicknesses were only a few inches, and could be handled in the existing layout! Surely, dead end corridors could be that long, besides why call this a “corridor?” Had they known about this earlier, they could have taken more square footage, but it was too late now. Additional space was no longer available. Besides, there was nothing in the budget for new furniture or smaller furniture panels. What could be done?

We showed him the consequences of those few inch thick panels, multiplied, when there were several rows of them. After the client spoke to the county building department about the fire code issue, he called and thanked Breay Design Associates for catching the problems before they were built. To be ripped out and corrected, would have been expensive. We created another workspace layout that allowed as many workspaces, although some were a little smaller, and in a slightly different configuration. Some auxillary areas had to decrease in size. But the budget was kept intact with only some additional wall strips and fasteners to purchase. The employees could move in on time. The client sighed with relief. Now he could enjoy the lovely wall colors!

Commercial & Healthcare Story #3
(RETAINING EMPLOYEES)

Over the years Breay Design Associates has handled hundreds of ergonomic evaluations for employers. They use a 35 point analysis of both on the job and off the job criteria. However, THIS case didn’t fit the criteria. Everything was set up fine, and the employee (a high ranking administrative assistant) was doing everything she should to be healthy. Unbeknownst to her, the boss was wondering if she could handle the job anymore with the almost constant headaches she kept experiencing at work—but not at home.

I’d been brought in as an almost last attempt to blame something ergonomically incorrect—but I couldn’t find anything! As I stood at a distance pondering, staring at the entire scenario—there it was, the problem. Out from one of the light fixtures right above her desk was an almost indiscernible flicker, but a flicker that was constant none the less. People can become extremely stressed under such conditions. (Ever hear of mental torture?) With a ten dollar baffle replaced, this valuable employee was her typical great self.