New Custom Home-No Mech Rm-PGP

J.C.A._3

It doesn't surprise me a damn bit. For some reason...architects think heat just flows from the edifice...apparently.

How did the homeowner feel when you told him that the design was flawed? I'm gonna bet that the architect will be kissing his boots from here on in, unless the ego is too strong...then he'll probably try to sell him on some electric basebaord and a new 400 amp service.

Paul, I know you're a standup guy. Drive the spike a little deeper into the designers heart...and give him your card. Ask him if he would EVER consider giving you a call when the situation arises again. (o.k. boys, let the bets fly....I'm giving 1:20 odds that Paul never hears from him again!) Chris

Paul Pollets

How Come??

I met with a client today to consult on his system design for a new 3000sf custom home with a detached garage/office/apt. The garage is 80 feet from the main residence. The Seattle architect, (who shall remain anonymous to protect the guilty) designed a "radiant home" without a mechanical room!!

The owner laughed when I told him the plans would have to be amended to include a suitable space. Since he wants to burn oil, he'll have to deal with a metalbestos chimney. The project is in permit phase and this will slow the process, to be sure. He remarked on how the architect's ego was more paramount than a buildable design.

Talk about serious ommissions....

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Mark Hunt

Well


You better plan on a mechanical room the size of a postage stamp.

Good luck!

Mark H

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Al Letellier_9

no mechanical room

Maybe the architect wanted to use a Rinnai Continuum outdoor wall mounted boiler.....

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Paul Pollets

Not a Chance

Hi Chris, I happen to know the architect and have bid on previous projects he designed. He doesn't like any input that either raises costs or provides something inconvenient for him to deal with. Some people are like that.

He'd never call me. But his client did....

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S Ebels

Been there done that, it's a PITA

The other scenario is that the mech room is buried deeply in the center of the house, behind pocket beams in all four directions and wide open space for two floors above it. One guy said to me, "I thought you just needed plastic pipe for venting these days". "well yah," I says, "but you still have to get that plastic pipe to the exterior of the house!"

Have some fun with him Paul. Write a bid with as many disclaimers in it as he has in his spec's, putting responsibility for the function and performance of the system on him. (the reverse of the famous "field verified" phrase we are all so familiar with.

My son in law is building a house whose owner and designer is an architect. He brought up the fact that the floor construction (joist size) is not up to code and neither are the load bearing interior walls. The architect replied that he has been drawing/designing structures for over 25 years and the building inspector had pre approved the plans. I told my boy that he had better have the guy sign a disclaimer stating that these facts had been brought to his attention, which he did, and the guy signed it. He told my son in law that his architects stamp trumps the building inspector. That, I had never heard of. Be interesting to see how this turns out when the guys drywall starts to crack this winter from truss lift.

Brad White_123

Architect's stamp trumps the building inspector....???

But according to Newton's Fourth Law, "Gravity Wins".

God save them from their arrogance, for it is not borne of their ignorance....

Scott Denny

Architect's stamp trumps the building inspector....???

> But according to Newton's Fourth Law, "Gravity

> Wins".

>

> God save them from their arrogance,

> for it is not borne of their ignorance....



Horse pucky! As for structural considerations, it's the engineer's stamp that's paramount. That's why plans have to be submitted with a complete set of stamped structural drawings

Scott Denny

Architect's stamp trumps the building inspector....???

Horse pucky! As for structural considerations, it's the engineer's stamp that's paramount. That's why plans have to be submitted to the building department with a complete set of stamped structural drawings. It's the sin qua non for a building permit.

Dave Yates (GrandPAH)_1

get his attention

Tell the Mrs. that she'll lose her walk-in closet for the mechanical needs. Then stay out of her way while she gives him the attitude adjustment he evidently needs so badly.

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David Sutton_6

I love it Dave !!



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ALH_4

Too Bad

Too bad it's oil. You could have distributed 6-24 combi Vitodens' around the house instead of manifolds. They always show them wedged in the laundry or kitchen in the literature so why not?

Architect owners seem to be the worst. After a couple "20-lbs in a 5-lb bag" jobs for architect/owners I'm pretty wary. No matter how well it worked or good it looked it wasn't good enough. I'd like to see them fit a 15-60 Vitodens, 53gal, 79gal solar pre-heat, and 30+ zones in a room not much bigger than a coat closet and make it look like a work of art. It worked, though, and looked pretty good I thought.

-Andrew

Perry_2

The purpose of the stamp is to ensure

that the building does meet code and other state and federal requirments.

Turn the guy and his work over to the state licensing board. They will make short work of him.

I own a stamp (PE); and have never used it because of the liability issues (huge). Every now and then the state licensing board sends all of us a copy the summary from all of the administrative and licensing hearings since the previous newsletter. It is sobering to consider what people try to get away with. In my home state - they don't think twice about permanent revocation for people who knowinly underdesign or misrepresent. Mistakes or possible misunderstandings are dealt with more leanancy.

Perry

Leo G_99

Every plan that I

have looked at in the last 2 years has NO vent chase drawn in. It seems that to gain that extra 2-3 sq. ft. (that they can then charge for), the combustion appliance just magically sends all products of combustion to some never-never land!

Leo G