...

Here is an example of poor truss to wall connections and a typical bad joint that Miyamoto (Structural consultant) had instructed to be fixed; note that all welds non-structural:

Plates were not well connected to the beams and were likely to break or pull out with uplift as most trusses connected at 2 points only. The amended truss detail drawings signalized a layer of l angles which subsequently was doubled due to the low quality of the steel and the poor workmanship.
All adjustments and additions were unrestrainedly made and the outcome was approved by Miyamoto.

...continuing in part3

From our last construction update report, progress has been made enormously to the point where the project is at its punchlist walkthrough. An illustrated summary of the work completed in in the last 5 months can be read below:

Work on the toilet block ceased last October. No major issues were encountered other than the toilet seat covers which were put in less than a month ago.

All masonry work on the building was completed late october. Crepissage and Enduissage work on the building dragged on as they also serve as rectifiers to a few inaccuracies on a number of construction elements.

school bldg 2012.10.17

The metal trusses were finally put up after a series of contradictory directions. The whole procedure (from fabrication to installation) had its flaws and two of its weakest points were the welding job and the connection of the truss element to the plate embedded in the walls and beams.
making the necessary corrections
Installing trusses
Laying the battens

...continuing in Part2

From conception...

...to REALITY!

Strong progress has been made at Haiti Partners over the past few weeks! The bloc sanitaire (toilet building) is nearing completion. This "temporary" toilet building is constructed out of wood with a concrete base. A handwashing station is located in the front of the building, and bagas bins are located in the back (near the hinged doors for bucket removal).

The bloc sanitaire is comprised of six stalls total, 3 for girls and 3 for boys.

The toilets are a composting system where bagas is added to the bucket chamber. The buckets will be emptied from the back of the building through hinged doors.

Bagas bins located in the back of the bloc sanitaire building.

A hand washing station with four spigots is located in the front of the bloc sanitaire. Rainwater harvested from the roof will feed the hand washing station with water.

While the bloc sanitaire building was under construction, the contractor has been crepissaging and enduissaging the upper floor of the main classroom building. The ground floor crepissage work has already been completed.

Upper-floor classrooms being crepissaged.

Hopefully we will be seeing some color popping on the walls at Haiti Partners real soon!

So much has happened in those last few weeks. Sincere apologies for not keeping you up to date. A quick summary of what's been done since our last update is presented below:

We received the modification drawings from Miyamoto for the metal roof structure. Those were thoroughly explained to the metal workers. Sketches of the trusses were also issued to the steel workers. Fabrication is ongoing.

3d sketch of metal roof truss

We've had a number of meetings, John, the metal workers and AFH, to discuss the window and door settings. We've made a few visits to the metal shop to make sure that everything was carried out correctly.

windows in fabrication

Windows and doors have been installed on the lower floor.

GC had some minor issues with the hurricane clips. first, there was some major confusion regarding who was to fabricate and install them. Consequence of which construction worked stopped for a number of days. Second, the issued roof structure drawings didn't have any specifications for those embedded ring beam clips. Therefore we decided to go with the ones shown in the original drawings. Work was delayed again by those unfortunate miscommunications.

Clip in place

Upper beam was finally poured about two weeks ago.

TEMPORARY TOILET BUILDING
Haiti Partners is working with GiveLove, an eco-sanitation organization co-founded by Patricia Arquette, in implementing the composting toilet system (dry toilet that uses a predominantly aerobic processing system that treats human waste, typically with no water or small volumes of flush water, via composting or managed aerobic decomposition) to its grounds. The toilet building is a 16mx3m plywood sheating construction supported by 2"x4" timber members and covered by 3'x10" corrugated roofing sheets. It sits on a stone wall foundation footing. Construction of same is ongoing.

front axonometric

back axonometric

Toilet buiding in construction

More site visits and updates to come!

We met on june 28th with two metal workers that have previously worked with John (Boss denis and Boss jovert). They're designing, fabricating and will later be installing the different doors and windows for this project. They're also doing the metal trusses for the roof. The meeting was brief: we discusssed the different design options for the doors and windows and elaborated some sketches.Going through the drawings specifically the ones with the roof structure details, we realized that the materials specified to be used for thetrusses are not available on the haitian market. Therefore some structural changes are needed to be made in the design and specifications. We reached out to Miyamoto(firm providing structural oversight services) and requested a quote from them to provide a new design for the roof structure that uses materials readily available in Haiti. They've provided a quote today (July 12) and we're waiting on the completed plan

Date: 2 July 2012

Meeting Location: Hotel Ritz Kinam

Project Name: Academie Timoun - Haiti partner's

Attendees:
John Engel (HP)
Mikanol
Ing. Jaques (Miyamoto)
Meret Devalus (contractor)
Brett Fergusson (AFH)

Quick notes-
1) Discussion around when to pull formwork off slab. Consensus was to wait 28 days. Slab poured on 28th (?), so formwork can come off on July 25th.
2) Had some conversations about schedule and trying to maintain it. Contractor seemed to be totally focussed on completing on time, John said he'd rather have it done right even if takes an extra week
3) Discussions around putting up block walls, electrical within the context of scheduling.
4) Conversation about beams - contractor concerned than 4 #5 rebar in a 30x30cm beam wasn't enough - that either beam had to shrink to 20x20cm or more steel needed to be added. After conversations around spans, and just before John was to send out an email to Rick, Natalie & Darren, contractor agreed that current configuration was OK.
5) GC and John waiting on AFH for truss clarification. As per Open Office last week - kick it off to BAR to have Miyamoto figure it out
6) Extra rebar coming out of slab - contractor said they'd trim it to the surface, epoxy the ends (of course!) and then they were going to put down a 1" skim coat over whole surface.
7) Using cement bags as formwork - Ing. Jaques said he wasn't there when they started doing it and asked them to stop. They agreed that they need to see what happens when they pull the formwork off. I expressed concern that the bags might not just be on the surface, but deeper through the concrete, essentially causing cracks/cold joints through the slab. They assured me that all the bags will be completely on the concrete surface and don't project into the slab. Their approach is to remove the bags, gouge out the paper, and then use epoxy + grout to patch (???).

Minutes drafted by Brett Fergusson

June 30, 2012
This past Wednesday(june 27th) the cement slab of Children’s Academy’s very first building was poured. This is a major milestone and we’re so grateful for the supervision of Miyamoto International and Architecture For Humanity toward making sure that it’s done well and that it’s an earthquake resistant building.
We’re also deeply grateful for huge amounts of probono work done by BAR Architectsfor Children’s Academy and Learning Center. In addition to designing the entire complex, they’re also providing ongoing support. BAR are superstars!
In the video, I estimated we’d be done by 9:00 or 9:30 pm. It was 11:45 when we finished. What a day! This is a huge step forward in this construction. I (John Engle) find cement pours in Haiti to be inspiring and invigorating and fun. People sing, work as hard as anyone I’ve ever seen work, joke, laugh, yell and just keep pushing on until the job gets done. And, it’s gotta be done all at once so it’s a race against the clock and takes careful planning to make sure there’s adequate materials, food and water for workers, and electricity for lighting if necessary. In the pour we did Wednesday night, we used 431 50kg sacks of cement. Rain water collected in the 50,000 gallon reservoirs underneath the school was a Godsend.
For future buildings, I plan to invite Children Academy supporters to come be a part of these pours of major cement slabs. What an experience it is. We give thanks to all the people who are making this exciting vision become a reality.

http://www.haitipartners.org/2012/06/major-progress-in-childrens-academy...
By John Engle

After a series of meetings and back and forth correspondences, we finally got to the bottom of the technical issues and confusions at Academie Timoun. We attended our first construction site meeting with Miyamoto International, M&L construction (GC) and John Engle (Haiti partner's) on monday june 25th where we discuss previous issues and future planning. Work on site was a bit slow with the site needing to be cleaned up and detail amendments needing to be done to the existing work. Minor corrections were being made to the the slab steel grid and steelwork for the grade beam.

Client and contractor are eager to move forward.
A new Grant Agreement has been signed between the client and us,(AFH) where it stipulates our involvement and budget for the CA work we'll be doing. It's good to be moving forward again.

The project has been on hold for many weeks because of a question about the construction method for the elevated slab, which brought up the need to clarify the roles and responsibilities for the construction process - and for the administration of the contract for construction. We have all been working hard to figure out a solution.

It was very clear that a structural engineer was needed to resolve any construction questions and that neither AFH nor Haiti Partners are able to find a regular engineer to have on call. We would like to thank Shane Copp for stepping in to help with some much needed wisdom and advice.

photo taken feb 24 2012

John Engle and I met (April 3) with Kit Miyamoto, of Miyamoto Engineers, who was introduced to us by Jim Stone a new face at BAR. The engineers and staff of Miyamoto have been a source of great help and we are very happy to have made the connection. With their help it looks like the project will soon be back on track. The delay has been difficult but it seems as though a really strong team from all parts will soon be in place, so things should move forward smoothly.

We all knew this first building, the prototype, was going to present some challenges, and we have learned many lessons which will be applied to the next phases.

M+L is ready to move ahead as soon as we have an engineered solution to the question. They have promised to have a senior superintendent on site regularly and to meet the specified construction standards going forward.

1. Why did you decide to approach AfH when you wanted to begin developing the Academy? Had you worked with them in the past?
I had heard great things about them and while we have 20 years experience working in education in Haiti, we have very little experience in building schools. We knew a partnership with AFH would be golden if they were willing and able.

2. How has the Children's Academy project mobilized and empowered the local community? Do you have any metrics for specific benefits it's brought (for example, in terms of number of people it's employing, etc.)?
The energy is incredible. In addition to roughly 30 locals who are employed in various aspects of construction (this number swells to 40 at times), 54 members of community--cross generational from 12 to 82--are participating in weekly Circles of Change training, which builds their skills in communication and collaboration. We created Circles of Change training a dozen years ago and it's an effective way to help communities and institutions to move away from the top-down dictatorial model of leadership so common in Haiti.

3. Do you have a sense of when Phase 1 might be completed? How many phases will need to be complete before occupancy/operations begin, and when (approximately) might the school opening be?
The school is scheduled to open in September 2012 with approximately 50, children ages 3 and 4. This is phase 1. This first building will be done by end of June. This is the first building in an entire complex that includes a full elementary school for 250 children and eventually, a secondary school so that students in elementary school can complete secondary school on site. The plan also includes three buildings to house up to 36 visitors--Haitian educators and visiting internationals--and an auditorium. This is a longterm project that will take 7-8 years. Also, thanks to a partnership with Grameen Creative Lab, the community will be receiving a loan and technical support to create a bakery that will help fund the school.

4. How will the school function as a full-time resource for the community? (i.e. through its library, auditorium, etc.)
Haiti Partners vision is that elementary schools are motors for community development. Not only do children receive a quality education that is relevant to their lives, but in afternoons, adults and young people can attend courses in computers, literacy, parenting etc. There will be community gardens at Children's Academy as we have at other partner schools along with composting toilets. And, the governance of the school will be a laboratory for democracy. Our Circles of Change training is being used by USAID and other institutions to help community leaders and elected officials develop skills in participatory leadership.

5. Will you be working with AfH and/or BAR Architects on drawing and construction for the later phases?
Yes, we look forward to their continued partnership in building secondary school, auditorium and residence for visitors.

conducted by Yukiko Bowman over email

We have posted some construction photos sent from John Engle and have spoken to Mikanol about the progress of the construction. The work is going close to schedule, and no problems have been reported. The team is in good hands.
AFH plans to visit the site this week and will provide a more detailed report.

The construction manager for Haiti Partners, Micanol Gracious, will have access to a computer with internet at John Engle's house. This will facilitate getting quick answers to questions to BAR architects in San Francisco. The work is moving along well.

The work has begun!
Here are some wonderful videos from John Engle.
here is the link:
http://www.haitipartners.org/2011/12/childrens-academy-community-engagem...

John Engle and Meret Devalis of M+L Construction signed the contract for construction today.
Work is scheduled to start Tuesday the 29th of November.

The talks continue on finding the best solution soon. Lots of great ideas and interesting possibilities. Everyone is pitching in to help from Petion-ville to San Francisco. certainly the decision will be made soon. Thank you to everyone for working so hard to figure it out.

The team has been working hard to match the budget to the scope of work. We think we will be building the one story, 2 classroom building on the top of the hill. We all hope to be starting soon.

All our coverage has led up to this celebratory day:

Look out for our own Kate Evarts and Dot @1:50 ! Members of BAR Architects, who co-designed the project, were not able to fly out for the ceremony, but they will be holding a toast at their office in San Francisco to commemorate the occasion.

"It was a beautiful clear day and during the 30 minute ceremony we heard from special advisory to Children’s Academy Mèt Antenor (longtime friend and neighbor and a school principal for more than 20 years), a mother of a child that will attend Children’s Academy, a 14 year old young leader, and Joyce Johnson, Mission Director of Calvary Church. We also of-course heard from WOZO choir, which is made up of children in the surrounding neighborhoods." John reports on the Haiti Partners' blog.

We are excited to announce the ground breaking for the new school Children's Academy on Thursday September 22, 2011 at 9 am.
TOUT MOUN ENVITE
LANSMAN KONSTRIKSYON NOUVO LEKOL
LOKAL: BAWOSYA
LE: 9 ve di maten pou 9:30
pou jenn li: Pran Rue Borno, pase nan Bwo Moket, monte Malik. Swiv wout pou rive Grefen . Se 2.5 kilomet apre kay Majistra Lydie Parent.
We hope you can make it!

They are prepared and the bidders are coming in tomorrow to pick them up. There are 4 invited companies.

- The ground breaking is now set for late September.

The BOQs are being finalized and the last of the drawing set is being printed. This has been a wonderful project and everyone is excited to see this work go out to bid as soon as possible. The first construction element will likely be one of the classroom buildings and then work will progress as funding is created.

Sherwood Design Engineers based in San Francisco, California has donated their services to assist us in understanding issues of water capture, storage and reuse on sight as well as the issue of erosion control. Working in teams with BAR volunteers in SF, they held a charette on each topic and at the end they have provided us with drawings and calculations. The first item they created was a water management plan that provides for water capture from the roof for drinking water as well as capturing stormwater runoff to be used for irrigation. The introduced the idea of contour swales to prevent erosion where the water transitions from developed surfaces to undeveloped surfaces. The next item provided was a cut/fill calculation for the site with suggestions for balancing them out. The third and final item which sould be arriving shortly is a calucation for the cistern size. We greatly appreciate their contribution to this project.

MEETING MINUTES

PROJECT: Children’s Academy, Haiti Partners DATE: June 14, 2011
LOCATION: RBC, Petionville, Haiti PROJECT #: 10072

PERSON COMPANY INITIALS
ATTENDING: John Engle Haiti Partners JE
Stephanie Amend BAR Architects SA
ITEM / DATE TOPIC

1.01 Plans and Elevations
• The current plan and elevation options were reviewed with JE. For floor plans we have the option of exiting out the end of the walkway as previously shown or exiting to the front like the central steps. The trouble with exiting to the side is the ability to fit in the stairs to the lower level which cut across the window. Keeping the windows were critical to JE. To avoid cutting them a landing was introduced at the lower level side windows which pushes the stairs up the hill and into the path of the side exiting stairs. The stairs were moved to the front. JE approved this change.
1.02 Metal Gates, Doors and Screens
• There were questions as to whether the entire metal gates were unique at every classroom which raised concerns to me about the ability of the gate to coordinate with the metal door and panels. In the end we agreed that all of the metal will be the same but that each classroom have an element within the gate that is unique. He envisions that one classroom is the "whale", the "flower", etc. Our challenge will be to come up with something that works everywhere (classroom and admin uses) that can have this unique element inserted. We agreed that we can show one generic pattern on the drawings for now with instructions in the drawings about frame sizes and notes that architect/client to approve final design. The metal will all be painted. Enameled metal like that at the office will be too expensive.
1.03 Awnings
• We reviewed the awning with the corrugated metal roof and I showed him drawings and example images. It was acceptable.
1.04 Above Ground Water Tanks
• Although it has been in the drawings and previously discussed, JE expressed concern about the above ground holding tank being located directly in front of the classrooms. We reviewed the idea that water flows from the downspouts into the cistern and is then pumped to an above ground tank where it will gravity feed to wash basins. Water does not directly pump from the cistern because the motor will turn on everytime the faucet is turned on, hence the need for above ground holding tanks. The practice used at JE's residence and commonly around here is for the cistern to pump to a holding tank that is located on site uphill from the building, then when there is a demand for water it uses gravity to feed that location. In our case we identified a few locations the holding tank could be located on site. They do not need to be enclosed but could use retaining/site walls / landscape to help screen them from view. The washbasins would still be located at the classrooms as planned.
1.05 Restrooms
• JE confirmed that Give Love will provide restrooms for Phase 1A. Permanent restrooms should be included with Phase 1B. We will work with Give Love to design restrooms based off their model.
• On 6/16/11 JE and SA met with Jean Lucho of Give Love and Stacey McMahon from AFH to discuss how the Give Love toilet works and to review the composting toilet that AFH is developing. We also reviewed the site plan and selected a location for the temporary toilets and the composting center. JL suggested that we have only one composting center regardless of how many restrooms we have. It should be located close to the gardens so that finished compost can easily transported to the gardens. This will also keep it away from the classrooms and areas where kids will be. The temporary toilets will be near the auditorium. They will be roughly 3 meters x 5 meters. We only need to indicate where we want them on the plans. No other drawings for temporary toilets are needed from us. The compost bins will be located on the east side by the 8th / 9th grade classroom.

Authored By: Stephanie Amend, BAR Architects

MEETING MINUTES

PROJECT: Children’s Academy, Haiti Partners DATE: June 8, 2011
LOCATION: RBC, Petionville, Haiti PROJECT #: 10072

PERSON COMPANY INITIALS
ATTENDING: John Engle Haiti Partners JE
Benaja Antoine Haiti Partners BA
Stephanie Amend BAR Architects JBP
ITEM / DATE TOPIC

1.01 Construction Document Schedule
• JE indicated If we finish in August they will start Phase one in September, this is required so that they can show meaningful progress at their annual fundraiser in December. This is greatly increases their ability to fund future phases.
1.02 Trusses
• JE confirmed trusses will be metal, they can get a truck there, they will find a way to put them up even if no crane is possible, structural engineer will explore what size steel is available and design them accordingly, the truss cannot be any lower or the strength of the web and the design is compromised.
1.03 Cisterns
• BAR will study with Sherwood Design Engineers to determine size/piping/capacity/pumps. There will be a dual wall system between the cistern and habitable space for weeping, with simple vents and drains.
• HP will find a way to get power to pumps, solar or generator.
• The cistern will be a traditional Haitian cistern comprised of a big concrete basin with crepisage (plaster) and possibly a cementitious finish above that.
• One manual pump will be provided with each cistern as a back-up. One pump that is available in Haiti is the India MK II/III by Simple Pump. http://www.simplepump.com/APPLICATIONS/Developing-Nations.html It is a metal pump, works without power and can easily adapted for power (including PV) with a simple conversation kit. They have a cost of $800 USD (quoted here yesterday) and is available to 501C groups at a discount.
• It has not determined how many buildings in Phase 1a/1B will have a cistern. Much of that will depend on what SDE tells us we can reasonably capture.
• JE confirmed that the 12/13th classroom building (nearest to the road/entry gate) will definitely have one as that is where the community will get water. During the day the community gets water at the nearby watershed area (a USAID funded water management project). In the evening or during the dry season they can get water at the school. Further, JE has talked with the water management people and during the evenings/rainy season water from the water shed will be directed INTO OUR Cisterns. We don’t have a capacity amount to work with but we should be aware of that in planning the size. This apparently already happens at other area cisterns.
1.04 Rain Protection
• BAR does not need to include any sort of screening at the truss level. JE was not concerned about intrusion on the sides with the overhang and only slightly concerned on the high side. JE, BA and I reviewed this area thoroughly in both section and elevation and JE understands the risk. The reason is more of one of cost. He asked if the area was designed in such a way that if they feel it’s needed in the future that they can add them on their own. The clear space above the concrete beam at the truss level was evaluated just as much for security as it was for rain. If they feel it’s needed they will screen at the truss level themselves in the future.
1.05 Project Schedule
• Many of the structural issues are settled. JE accepted the additional shear walls. We reviewed the building envelope and confirmed which areas are moveable gates, which are the woven shutters above block wall, see the attached drawing. We will begin moving ahead with details.
1.06 Shutters
• JE saw photos of Ceverine and an actual sample of the woven shutter with a metal frame. Either the awning or swing installation is acceptable. They were slightly concerned about the frequency that the woven materials will need to be replaced (3 or so years). Bamboo cane infill in the metal frame is also being considered. We will look into this further here and make a recommendation The pros / cons are as follows:
• Rattan-like material: plentiful and very cheap all over Haiti, need to replace more frequently
• Bamboo screen material: grows in Haiti but not common, could be more costly, much stronger
1.07 Construction Manager
• A CM will start in late July and they will work out of the AFH office. For constructability questions that we have before that person arrives we can rely on John's building experience as well as the CM's already at AFH. Currently our schedule shows the need for a CM in June. We will work with John to see if we can move up the start date.

Authored By: Stephanie Amend, BAR Architects

path: C:\10072 Haiti\1 ADMINISTRATION\1.10 Project Management\1.13 Meetings\110608 Haiti Partners Meeting Minutes.docx

ATTENDING:
John Engle, Haiti Partners (HP) (JE)
Peter Meadow, Haiti Partners (PM)
Hannah Meadow, Haiti Partners (HM)
Benaja Antoine, Haiti Partners (BA)
Jeremy Butler-Pinkham, BAR Architects (JBP)

ITEM TOPIC:

1.01 Site Plan

o Reviewed revised site plan including addition of two-story buildings, elimination of single module classroom building and consolidation and re-distribution of classroom buildings.
o Haiti Partners was okay with changes, but were concerned with the lack of a play area in front of the Pre-pre-K/Pre-K and K/1st buildings. Discussed moving the younger grades 2m down the hill to the west to provide a more generous play area with visual control from the classroom buildings. Play area should be terraced to create a variety of levels for the younger children and would be separated from the main site circulation path by a retaining wall. Terraced play area should be grass with .5m steps for sitting/playing. BAR will update overall site plan to reflect this change. Terracing needs to happen during the last phase or else circulation path needs to be wide enough to accommodate construction traffic during construction of later phases.
o Switch location of community room and administration functions, so admin is directly adjacent to the main entry.

1.02 Phasing Plan

o The 4 two-story buildings will be broken out into Phase 1A and Phase 1B with two buildings in each phase. Phase 1A will consist of the 10th/11th and 12th/13th which will function as the Pre-pre-K/Pre-K and K/1st until Phase 1B is completed.
o Phase 1A will also include admin/flex space below Pre-pre-K/Pre-K (future 12/13) and community room/storage below K/1st (future 10/11). Community room/storage will later be converted to computer/library.
o Entry gate, site wall and perimeter security fence will be included in Phase 1A.
o Current location of latrine is not close enough to Phase 1A buildings for the younger children. Haiti Partners will provide temporary latrines (8 total) as part of Phase 1A that are closer to and visually connected to the classrooms buildings. Permanent latrine at current location can be built in Phase 1B.

1.03 Typical Classroom Building

o Reviewed revised truss design, reduced roof pitch and material options for typical classroom.
o Trusses are currently shown as wood with steel brackets and gusset plates. However, John is meeting with Williams Engineering/Supreme Group to discuss their possible involvement in the project which may affect truss design. JE will follow up with BAR after meeting.
o Painted crepisage enduit finish preferred for structural walls/columns. Bright colors are preferred to help children identify classrooms. HM also suggested painted concrete tiles as a possibility. HM will send photos of tiles.
o Suggested corrugated panels and louvers as shown in the latest renderings, but Haiti Partners preferred decorative metal work for openings/railings. BAR will work on design of operable shutter/louver system to enclose trusses above classrooms walls. Trusses at arcade can be left open.
o Ceramic tile or mosaic floors are preferred over raw concrete for ease of maintenance and cleaning.
o PM suggested stepping the floor slab with the grade to create levels within the classroom. Plywood risers over the floor slab were discussed as cheaper and less permanent way of achieving the same effect.

1.04 Two-Story Building Design

o Two-story buildings have been incorporated into the design near entry where topography is the steepest. Classroom spaces have been located at upper story to maximize access to light and air. Haiti Partners is okay with this change.
o Reviewed proposed layout of accessory spaces (admin, clinic, computer, library, and maintenance/storage) below classroom buildings. S
o Reviewed proposed layout of Admin, Clinic, Computer Lab and Library spaces. Separate nursing clinic space is not needed. Space can instead be used as flexible office space or temporary community room until later phases are completed. Bathrooms not needed at computer/library.
o Proposed below grade water catchment and storage beneath arcade of classroom buildings with smaller point of use cisterns above grade. Haiti partners liked the idea of large capacity water catchment. Will require additional excavation, so may only be economical to do in certain areas. Proposed including water storage cisterns as part of Phase 1A. Upper cistern could then gravity feed to lower buildings.

1.05 Latrines

o Discussed modern flush toilets at the administration building. The rural location of the site and proximity of limestone to the surface of the site prohibit proper percolation so a leech field is not a viable option. Septic tank is also not a viable option in Haiti as there is no way to service.
o Discussed using indoor composting toilet or eliminating the admin bathroom entirely and having staff share the latrine with students. BAR will discuss indoor composting toilets with AFH and consult SOIL guide.
o Haiti Partners has used the GiveLove (http://www.givelove.org/home.php) model of composting toilets on their other school projects. It is a simpler and more cost effective sanitation solution that may be applicable to this project especially in Phase 1A where a temporary latrine is needed. PM will contact Alisa Keesey at GiveLove to discuss the Children’s Academy.
o Bathroom monitor is required for the younger children.

1.06 Guest Houses

o Guest houses are a low priority at this time. There will be 3 two-story houses with sleeping accommodations for 6 guests and shower on each floor (36 total guests). Guests will share latrines with school or additional latrines can be added as needed.
o Roof forms and architecture of guest houses will be similar to language of classroom buildings.
o BAR will target schematic design of guest houses by end of August.

1.07 Project Schedule

o BAR will focus on finalizing overall site plan and completion of construction documents for Phase 1A and 1B buildings and schematic design of later phases. Phase 1A and 1B will provide prototype building/classroom design for later phases with minimal documentation required to complete the later phases.
o Haiti Partners to confirm time frame for start of construction. BAR will have a volunteer in Haiti through the end of August. Haiti partners to confirm if end of August for completion of bid package is acceptable. Bid process takes about 6 weeks from the completion of the bid package/construction documents, so start of construction would be mid-November.

1.08 Construction Manager

o It is critical to retain someone to fill the role of a construction manager to field construction related questions and handle construction administration tasks. Could also review bids, help with the selection of a contractor and offer insight into design.
o Haiti Partners and AFH have reviewed the credentials of Frednel Blanc and are hoping to hire him as a construction manager for The Children’s Academy. Frednel would be available for hire in June.
o Haiti Partners will initiate a contract with Frednel as soon as possible.
Authored By: Jeremy Butler-Pinkham, BAR Architects

ATTENDING:

Lisa Victor, BAR Architects (LV)
Chris Haegglund, BAR Architects (CH)
Douglas Oliver, BAR Architects (DO)
Jeremy Butler-Pinkham, BAR Architects (JBP)

ITEM TOPIC:

1.01 Review classroom module alternates A (current layout), B, and C

o Leave classroom module as is (Option A). Shorten the module if necessitated by site constraints.
o Reduce pitch of roof and orient truss so that larger volume is above the classroom area and building opens up towards the view (as shown in most recent renderings).

1.02 Two Story Buildings

o Incorporate two-story buildings into the design near entry where topography is the steepest (massing would be two-stories anyway, so may as well utilize this space).
o Locate all classroom spaces at 2nd story to maximize access to light and air.
o Locate accessory spaces (admin, clinic, computer, library, maintenance/storage) underneath classroom buildings.

1.03 Grading issues at Pre?pre?K, Pre?K, and Kindergarten

o Eliminate single module classroom and shift grades so that all classrooms utilize the two module building (Pre-pre K/Pre K, K/1 st, 2nd/3rd, etc.).
o Relocate Pre-pre K, Pre K and K to more accessible areas of site.
o Relocate bathroom to serve new location of Pre-pre K, Pre-K and 1st grade classrooms.
o Incorporate additional gardens or guest housing at existing location of Kindergarten buildings.

1.04 Project Schedule

o Discuss phasing alternatives with Haiti Partners and finalize selection of phase 1 buildings. Consider incorporating two-story buildings into phase 1.
o Discuss construction date with Haiti Partners and determine and extent of scope for BAR to complete by August.
o Construction Documents for phase 1 buildings and design development of other phases as time allows seems realistic.

ATTENDING: John Engle, Haiti Partners (JE)
Kate Evarts, Architecture for Humanity (KE)
Karl Johnson, Architecture for Humanity (KJ)
Jeremy Butler-Pinkham, BAR Architects (JBP)
ITEM TOPIC

1.01 Grameen Creative Lab

JE has been in discussions with Grameen Creative Lab, an organization that promotes social business. Grameen Creative Lab focuses on advancing education, supporting agriculture and increasing nutrition and they are looking to get involved with Haiti Partners on the Children’s Academy project. JE is hoping to incorporate the idea of social business into this project. By facilitating on-site income generating activities, the project could raise money for the school and the community. The community members could participate in the business as an alternative to paying tuition to the school. JE presented this idea to the community and solicited ideas for income generating activities. Ideas from the community members included agriculture/vegetable production, animal husbandry (chickens/rabbits), egg production, milk production, tomato production and/or processing and peanut production and/or processing

1.02 Hydroponics

JE suggested the idea of hydroponic agriculture on the roofs of the classroom buildings as a way of increasing the growing area on site. JE and a representative from Grameen are meeting with a hydroponic farmer on Tuesday to tour his facilities and discuss the idea of incorporating hydroponics into the Children’s academy. Roof top hydroponics would require the roofs to be constructed of concrete rather than corrugated metal and roof access would also need to be provided.

1.03 2 Story Structures

The community members raised some questions about the lack of 2 story structures. They felt that with the constraints of the site, the addition of 2 story structures may help to conserve space that could then be which used as additional play areas or areas for agriculture. They were okay with using 2 story structures as long as they were properly engineered. There are opportunities on the site to include 2 story structures at the steeper areas while retaining single story structures on the flatter areas of the site.

1.04 Maintenance/Storage

The community raised the concern about the lack of onsite storage for maintenance equipment. The idea of locating a maintenance/facilities storage area under the 1st/2nd grade classroom was discussed.

1.05 Water Catchment and Storage

The community was adamant about onsite rainwater harvesting and storage. They felt that every building should have its own water storage reservoir. Because of the sloping site, there is an opportunity to include a storage cistern under the majority of the classroom buildings. Another idea was to locate a larger catchment basin at the highest point of the site that could then gravity feed the other buildings.

1.06 Wind and Rain

Protection against wind uplift and wind driven rain during a hurricane were of high importance to the community. They expressed concern about the open truss design and its ability to protect against wind driven rain. The direction of the plain (Port-au-Prince) to the north of the site is the direction of the prevailing winds and buildings with exposure from this direction should be designed accordingly. Reducing the roof slope or covering the exposed ends of the trussed as a way to protect against wind driven rain and wind was discussed.

1.07 Energy Production

The community brought up the idea of onsite energy production and brainstormed about possible ways to generate electricity/gas including solar panels, wind turbines and harvesting biogas from the latrines to provide cooking fuel at the kitchen.

1.08 Security

Site security was another important issue for the community. They felt that a natural fence (cactus fence) would not be adequate to keep animals and intruders out and wanted to see something more permanent. Gabeon baskets were discussed, but the community felt that the excavation involved would be too costly. Building a nicer stone site wall along the road and doing something less expensive around the remainder of the site seemed to be the most viable option.

1.09 Community Meeting #5

The next community meeting is scheduled for June 5, 2011 at 3:00pm

ATTENDING: Rick Ehlert, AFH (RE)
Lisa Majchrzak, BAR Architects (LM)

ITEM TOPIC

1.01 Dining open-air structure
o Keep concrete columns; vertical rebar will extend into footings, so additional cross-bracing is not required
- If the columns are steel, cross-bracing is required
o Concrete beams needed in long direction only
o Use continuous footings to connect all columns, 900mm wide footings
o Truss can be steel or wood; detailing for steel is easier
- If steel: 2x2 TS purlins, 2x4 TS top chord, 2x2 TS vertical/diagonal members welded to the bottom of top chord

1.02 Auditorium open-air structure
o Keep concrete columns
o Cross-bracing in first, middle, and last bay of the center rows, parallel to long direction
- If columns are steel, additional cross-bracing required at short ends of side bays
o Concrete beams needed in long direction only
o Use continuous footings to connect all columns, 900mm wide footings
o Truss can be steel or wood; detailing for steel is easier
o Lower roof needs will be framed with rafters that span between upper and lower concrete beams
- Lower roof needs to be framed and sheathed before upper truss can be installed
o Add blocking between every other purlin bay over each rafter or truss

1.03 Roof Monitor at Admin Bldg
o Extend vertical members from truss to frame monitor walls
o Tie 2x6 rafters together with horizontal bottom chord to eliminate ridge beam
o Rafter tail portion of main truss should be doubled, one member on each side of top/bottom chords

ATTENDING: John Engle (JE), Haiti Partners (HP)
Michael Magnier (MM)
Lisa Majchrzak, BAR Architects (LM )

ITEM TOPIC

1.01 Site visit to review soils
o MM says the rock under the topsoil is limestone and has sufficent bearing capacity for the weight of our buildings
- He will write a report with his recommendations for foundations
- MM recommended tying the stepped footings together; BAR will develop the foundation design in May
o JE approved keeping “K” as a single building with “Pre-K” block

1.02 Building materials and window options
o JE approved the use of concrete columns and block walls for building walls, painted crepissage enduit finish
o JE prefers the use of decorative metal for window openings rather than glass
- Operable woven panels or wood louvers may be an option
o JE will discuss the use of steel for the trusses at his meeting this Friday with Williams Engineering-Supreme Group
- Possibility that open air structures can be steel frame

1.03 Next steps
o BAR has brought on Sherwood Engineers (civil/environmental engineers) from San Francisco to review grading and drainage, and to assist with water management design
o BAR will send HP a timeline for client decisions
o MM will submit a soils observation report for BAR/AFH use
o LM gave JE drawings for the Computer Lab/Library plan, Admin building plan and elevations, updated Classroom building plan and elevations, truss drawing, latrine plans, and Auditorium plan and elevations
- LM/JE will review together in further detail this week if time permits
o LM leaves Haiti on 4/29/11; Jeremy Butler-Pinkham arrives on 5/4/11

ATTENDING: John Engle Haiti Partners (HP) JE
Peter Meadow Haiti Partners (HP) PM
Hannah Meadow Haiti Partners (HP) HM
Stacey McMahan AFH SMM
Lisa Majchrzak BAR Architects LM

ITEM / DATE TOPIC

1.01 4.17.11 Community Meeting re-cap by JE
o 35 pp attended
o Community members voiced concerns about water and soils testing
- Wanted to know if reservoir would be built before construction in August
- AFH interviewed a construction manager, Frednel, for the Children’s Academy
- JE will meet with Frednel and begin discussion about water
- SMM recommended a geotechnical engineer, Magnier, for soils report; JE will contact him
o Discussed role of primary school in the community
- Local teachers hired, to be trained in education philosophy by outside teachers
- Many residents leave the area to pursue opportunities; the school may draw them back to the community
o Next community meeting: May 8th at 2pm
- Jeremy Butler-Pinkham from BAR will attend

1.02 Site circulation & Building layout options
o BAR has been studying site sections and identifying grading challenges that may require adjustments to the building layout
o Ron Lutsko’s office in San Francisco (landscape architecture) joined the team last week to assist with site design and grading issues
o HP liked idea of entry courtyard adjacent to public buildings
- Relocate Admin and Computer Lab/Library closer to entry
- Visual connection to big tree in upper courtyard
o Pre-K block will remain on NW slope with access on east side
- HM will confirm with Benaja if “K” should be near “PPK/PK” or up near grades 1-5
- If “K” moves, then 6th moves to upper grades, the single classroom building type is eliminated, and the amphitheater expands downward
- Keep Pre-K separated from upper grades; access in and out of Pre-K zone via path to entry courtyard. No secondary access from amphitheater.
- PM preferred single retaining wall on east to allow more space on Pre-K side
- Pre-K playground is required; it should be terraced with multiple levels for play and to work with slope; Pre-K toilet location near playground is good
o 1st/2nd becomes a single story building
- 10th/11th will be built early in Phase 2a and function as a Community Room (for training, meetings) until the Auditorium is built in Phase 2b
o Kitchen location between upper and lower grades is good
- Golf cart can be used to transport food/supplies to main road
- LM gave JE preliminary plans for review
- BAR needs input on Haitian kitchen functions (outdoor cooking area and prep)
- JE will consult with colleagues about kitchen layout, exterior vs. interior spaces
- Kitchen should have direct access to nearby gardens
- Need waterproof storage room for food (i.e. bags of rice)
o Dining space is an open covered area between lower and upper grades, and will be the permanent location for dining
- LM will size the dining space for 120 children per seating
o Admin Bldg should include:
- Principal’s office
- 2nd office
- Secretary/Reception space
- One unisex toilet
- Nurse’s office
o Toilets are needed for public near entry
- M/W toilets can be added to Comp/Lib building
- Program calls for water-flushing toilets in Admin Bldg and public toilets
- SMM mentioned it may not be feasible (no sewer system or room for leach field); JE will review this with Frednel and water consultant
- Toilets for Pre-K, lower grades, and upper grades will be composting latrines
o Amphitheater will be used for music/school performances
- Must accommodate large community, at least 200 adults
- Access from upper courtyard and path above Pre-K
o Auditorium will be used for community meetings, concentric circles of chairs
- Open air design, similar to Dining space but taller
o Landscape Architect can look at site wall design
- Stone wall in front near road, cactus barrier ok for steep slope

1.03 Phasing and Construction start date
o August construction date is feasible for Phase 1; September 2012 school start date
o Phase 1 (also first bid package)
- Entry gate (not sales)
- Site wall
- Entry courtyard
- Admin Bldg
- Pre-Pre-K, Pre-K, and K (and toilets)
- 1st -2nd classroom building
o Phase 2 (to be broken into bid packages A & B for funding)
- Kitchen
- Covered Dining space
- Computer Lab/Library
- Auditorium
- Amphitheater
- 3rd-4th and 5th-6th classroom buildings and toilets
- 10th-11th built as temporary Community Room
- One Guest Room building
o Later phases will include the remainder of the classroom buildings and guest rooms

1.04 Water system
o Rain water collection at each classroom building, access via spigot at cistern
- Chlorine tablets added to cistern, screen at inlet to filter debris
- May want to put a cistern at each classroom terrace to facilitate access and double collection
o Reservoir important to harvest rainwater during rainy season for use during dry season
o Can design a pond to supply water for the garden
o JE will engage a water consultant for system design
o Drawings will show fixture count and location; infrastructure design by water consultant

1.05 Next steps
o BAR will update site plan per meeting comments
o BAR will calculate rainwater collection and usage for classrooms, and send to JE
o LM will meet with JE next week, possible site visit
o HM will confirm whether “K” is located with Pre-K or 1st-5th
o PM requested a list of deadlines for Owner decisions; LM will send to HP next week
o JE will contact Frednel to discuss water issues, and look for a water consultant
o JE will contact Magnier to initiate a soils report

Authored By: Lisa Majchrzak, BAR Architects

Children’s Academy

Sunday afternoon we visited the site and then went to a church nearby, where the meeting took place. The site has fantastic views, and is more sloped than I had anticipated. Hopefully we’ll get a full survey including the topography by the end of this week.

Haiti Partners, AFH, and BAR met with community leaders from the area around the school site to describe the program and review the three concept plan alternatives. The meeting started with about 30 community members present, but had over 100 when the meeting concluded.

John Engle from Haiti Partner’s ran the meeting and acted as translator. He has lived a couple of miles down the road for over 12 years, and knows most people in the area.

BAR described the program common to all the schemes, and reviewed the plan options in detail. We stressed that the plans were intended to begin a dialogue, and that we truly wanted the community’s input in the programming and organizational layout of the school. The community’s input was provided mainly by four very vocal speakers, yet it seemed that the larger group agreed with their views.

The bones of scheme B, was the favorite plan option of the group. They really appreciated the courtyard organization around the existing tree, the stadium amphitheater at the north end of the courtyard, and the auto/play court near the road. Some of their modifying comments included: the consideration of a compact layout providing two story elements that took advantage of the slope, wall the entire site, pushing the guest housing away from the road, and providing a small clinic.

The community is very excited by the project as shown by the large number of people present. They expressed their gratitude and especially thanked us for our show of respect by including them in the design process.

A follow up meeting was scheduled for March 3, to review revised plan options.