Those Damned Front Doors ECIAD has just completed its latest expensive amendments to the infamous front doors. This is the most recent in its history of makeshift jobs that have been trying to solve the nagging door prob- lems that have hounded us since the new North Building entrance was designed and built in 1994. Two summers ago, at the same time the new South Building was going up, the old front doors to the ECIAD’s North building were replaced with a set of new, aesthetically pleasing, bigger, brighter front doors. Since that time, they have earned infamy from the abun- dance of complaints so many ECIADians have lodged con- cerning the doors’ functional inadequacies. You might remember how almost all winter long, the centre two front doors were locked up tight, leaving only the one far door functional. This was a temporary solution to prevent all that precious warm air from escaping from reception, an area suffering a large share of the effects of our dysfunctional doors. You may also remember how for a while, fear was instilled into potential door users by a sign posted on the doors warning of the danger the large gaps near the hinges posed to hands and limbs. Or how easy it was to hit yourself in the forehead when opening the doors because the door handles were positioned too far inwards from the edge. Prior to their construction, John Patkau Architects (the people responsible for the original doors’ design, as well as that of the new South building) assured the ECIAD building committee that the doors would make a positive statement for ECIAD, while being functional and adhering to building codes. The plan was to have big open doors so that the public would feel invited to enter our institute; to increase our visibility so that more people would know what we are all about. Perhaps the new doors have helped to improve our public image, but they obviously weren’t fully functional or safe. May-June 1996 / Planet of the Arts 5 The first structural changes to the new doors took place last year. Both door handles and hinges were repositioned closer to the edges to reduce the risk of door-related human injury. But the problems weren’t all solved. The doors would still have to remain locked all winter to preserve the indoor environment, and they were still very difficult to access by wheelchair. This past month, the latest in structural modifications to the doors took place. At an estimated cost of over $10,000, one of the two centre doors was bolted into place, and the other was retro-fitted with a sliding mechanism triggered by a motion sensor. A heater was installed above the doors as well. The money to pay for the modifications is coming out of the budget for the new South building’s construction, paid for with a special capital war- rant provided by the provincial government. This money couldn’t be spent on anything other than building-relat- ed construction. In other words, it couldn’t bring down the Institute’s operating budget. ECIAD has approached John Patkau Architects, requesting their firm to cover the costs of the modifications, because of the flaws and hazards in the doors’ original design. There could be more effective solutions than a heated sliding door, such as a double-door vestibule to retain most of the building’s heat. But that would cost even bigger bucks that the school doesn’t have. | guess we'll just have to wait until next winter to see if the money was well spent. “@ STORY & PHOTOS BY JONATHAN LANDER Doorspeak Heard at the Audio/Visual Counter “The doors weren’t fully functional by any standards. They were a safety hazard, made for a poor environment, and were difficult to access — that’s why we ripped them out” —Glen Black, Facilities “Those ‘Big Doors’ are a comedy of errors. From the outset, the objective for the main entrance of the North Builting were not satisfied — despite the cost. Since then, each attempt to correct earlier deficiencies has been pasted over the previous revision with marginal success and more expense. Meanwhile, this continuing entranceway farce serves as an embarrassing indictment to the claim that designers (in collabora- tion with their clients) solve problems rather than creating them.” —Ken Hughes, Graphic Design instructor “There wasn’t anything wrong with the old doors. They didn’t bother me. The new doors are a waste of money. Why don’t they put in double doors like in the Library?” -Luke Kamikawaji, 3rd year Film/Video “$10,000 for modifications on a set of doors is obscene” —Teri Snelgrove, A/V monitor. “The old doors looked great but they did- n't work. The new doors remind me of the airport. | don’t mind them. | do kind of like airports, generally.” -Ryan Tunnicliffe, 2nd year Film/Video “The current [modifications to the] front doors seem to be easier. | like it now. It’s a lot easier for hauling in equipment; those doors just open for you, | like that...but if it cost $10,000, that’s a big chunk of money for a couple of doors. | had no idea it cost that much.” —Nancy Bleck, 4th year Photo “The front doors were impractical and ridiculous. | never knew which side to open. Then when | did, they were always locked and you couldn’t open them because the receptionists were freezing their asses off. It didn’t work. Too much time and money spent.” —-Sharon Bloedorn, 2nd year Film/Video “We need a boom box now blasting music to go with our new Honda Civic win- dows.” —Gaye Fowler, reception “Who paid for these?” —Chris Opel “You did.” —Dariene Jones & Gaye Fowler (reception) “You have to manage the process properly or else you rould wind up with a camel when ii should have been a horse.” Wrest Vancouver architect John Patkau, on the pressure-packed world of architecture. {From an April § North Share News fnaide Story.) ces Those Dam ECIAD has just completed its latest expensive amendments to the infamous front doors. This isthe most recent init history of ‘makeshift jobs that have been trying to solve the nagging door prob- lems that have hounded us since the new North Building entrance was designed and built in 1994, ‘Two summers ago, at the same time the new South Building was {going up, the old front doors to the ECIAD's North building were replaced with a set of new, aesthetically pleasing, bigger, brighter front doors. Since that time, they have earned infamy from the abun- dance of complaints so many ECIADians have lodged con- ceming the doors functional inadequacies. You might remember how almost all winter long, the ‘centre two front doors were locked up tight, leaving only the one far door functional This was a temporary solution to prevent all that precious warm air from escaping from ‘reception, an area suffering a large share of the effects of ‘our dysfunctional. doors. You may also remember how for a while, fear was instilled into potential door users by a sign posted on the doors warning of the danger the large gaps near the hinges posed to hands and limbs. (Or how easy it was to hit yourself in the forehead when opening the doors because the door handles were positioned too far inwards from the edge. Prior to their construction, John Patkau Architects (the people responsible for the original doors’ design, as well as that of the new South building) assured the ECIAD building committee that the doors ‘would make a positive statement for ECIAD, while being functional and adhering to building codes. The plan was to have big open. doors so that the public would feel invited to enter our institute; to increase our visibility so that more people would know what we are all about. Perhaps the new doors have helped to improve our public image, ‘but they obviously weren't fully functional or safe. ned Front Doors May-June 1996 / Planet of the Arts 5 The first structural changes to the new doors took place last year. Both door handles and hinges were repositioned closer to the edges to reduce the risk of door-related human injury But the problems weren't all solved, The doors would still have to remain locked all winter to preserve the indoor environment, and they were still very difficult to access by wheelchair. This past month, the latest in structural modifications to the doors took place. At an estimated cost of over $10,000, one of the two centre doors was bolted into place, and the other was retrofitted with a sliding mechanism triggered bby a motion sensor. A heater as installed above the doors as wel ‘The money to pay for the ‘modifications is coming out of the budget for the new South building's construction, paid for with a special capital war- ‘ant provided by the provincial government "This money couldn't be spent on anything other than building-rlat ‘ed construction, In other words, it couldn't bring down the Institutes operating budget. ECIAD has approached john Patkau Architects, requesting their firm to cover the costs of the modifications, because of the flaws and hazards in the doors’ original design. ‘There could be more effective solutions than a heated sliding door, such as a double-door vestibule to retain most of the building's heat. But that would cost even bigger bucks that the school doesn't have. I guess we'll ust have to wait until next winter to see if the money was well spent. STORY & PHOTOS BY JONATHAN LANDER Doorspeak Heard at the Audio/Visual Counter The doors were fly functional by any standards. Thy were aly hard, made fora poor enorme ad were Gc access tats why we ted ‘them out ~Clen Black, Face “those ‘ig Doo ace» comedyo eros From de out, the objective forthe ‘man entrance of the North Buin were ot satised = despite the cost Sine the, ‘ch attempt to corect earker defences hs been pte over the previous reson ‘wath marginal sce and more expense, earl, ts conning entanceay farce seves a an emborrating tment tothe dam that desgners(ncaabora ton wth Ue clan) sve problems father than rating them Ken Hughes, ‘Graphic Design instructor Thee wan sything wrong wih the ‘ld doors They edt baer me The tira? ake Kamawap rd yee 510.000 for mosfcations on et of oor obscene’ Tet Snegrove, AV The od door loked grt but they ‘it work. The new door remind me of he Sport dont mid them 0K of. Ihe sips genet yan Tonite, The current (modiations to the] font Iota forhasng in equpment tase oes pst epen fr you ike tat Bt itcos $10,000, tats a ig chunk of ‘money fora coupe of doo ad no ie Feast tat much” “Nancy Bleck, Ah ear rielou never knew wach eto pen Then when |, hey were vay ick and you cout open them Decne een art Bloedorm, 2nd en Flmiiseo| “Bo pi te no Crs Ope aye Fomter receptor) 7 “You have to manage the process properly or ele 30 intl wd pith eae eit shoul have been 8 forse: West Vancouver architec ohn aka, o the pressire-packed Sori of architect (Prom at April $ North Shore News tnside So)