Thursday, August 31, 2006

We Have Mechanical


At long last, we have received our approved mechanical permit from the city. This means that we can begin work on installing our HVAC units. That's heating, ventilating and air conditioning, for those of you not in the trade...

We've got 5 different zones in our space and have done analysis on how much power each unit will need to adequately heat and cool the space it serves.

They're also installing an additional 3 units for future tenants on the ground floor. Just have to wait for the roofing guys to finish pulling off the old roof and start laying down the new one and then the HVAC can be set in place and connected to all the duct work that's already inside.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Flux Capcitor?

No, this is not our version of Doc Brown's 1.21 gigawatt, time travelling DeLorean DMC-12 flux capacitor (remember Back to the Future?).

What it is is a backflow preventor (a re-flux capacitor?) for the fire sprinkler system as required by the Water Purveyor and city code. This prevents water in the sprinkler system from draining back in the city water supply after having sat in potentially rusty pipes for extended periods of time.

Can't wait to see what the elevator cylinder looks like when they take that out to replace!

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

The Roof is Coming Off!

Workers have now started taking the roof off the building and will be replacing it with a new one with much better drainage. Of course, the day after work started the weatherman's predicting showers, but so far so good.

On the inside, they've finished with the skylights. Here's one in the new conference room. It's one of four that will let in light from the roof and disburse it throughout the workspace through floor to ceiling glass on three sides of the room.

It's going to be so cool!

Monday, August 28, 2006

Floor Monuments

Well, last week at our construction site meeting, the discussion was all about what to do with the floor monuments that are supposed to go into the International Family Center.

What are floor monuments, you ask? No, they're not tombstones in the floor, although that's what they sound like they should be. They're electrical, voice and data outlets sunken into the floor instead of the wall.

We had several of them in the Family Center near the movable walls since we can't put electrical outlets into the panels. But as they were drilling into the floor of the Family Center, they discovered that the concrete floor is only 4 ½" deep. And the monuments are 4" deep. That doesn't give much room for error.

Instead, we decided to relocate all the floor monuments to outside walls and structural columns that run through the space. It won't look as nice, but at least we won't have people falling through the floor into the parking lot below.

By the way, the reason they were drilling the floor was to put in plumbing for the Children's Room. There will be a kitchen area for the Family Center and pre-K program in the space that has been sponsored by an anonymous "For the Love of Kids" donor.

Monday, August 21, 2006

The Bitter End?

No, it's not the end of the project, it's the name of our carpet for the first floor entry way. Really! We suspect that they ran out of normal names years ago and have had to come up with "interesting" new names every time they come out with a new color or color combination. Regardless of what it's called, it looks nice.

All of our interior finishes were chosen by designers at Jensen/Fey based on a concept of "warm, Northwest colors with a slight Asian flavor" or something like that. It's kind of hard to tell from the little sample board we've seen, but we have utmost confidence that the end result will be something we can be proud of for decades to come!

Friday, August 18, 2006

Waiting Room

If you've been to CISC in the last few years, you know what kind of a first impression the waiting room makes. It's small, crowded, and very uninviting. The carpet needed replacing long ago, and oftentimes we have clients and seniors standing out in the halls because there aren't enough seats to go around.

In the new building, we will have more than enough seating, a bright airy space, and a picture window looking out toward downtown. OK, so it doesn't look like much now, but just wait a couple of months and you'll be surprised at the change!

CISC will be a place where people actually want to come, not just because they need something. Our clients, visitors, staff and volunteers will be much more comfortable, and have a sense of respect in their new surroundings. We can't wait!

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Check This Out!


Work continues on the project at a steady clip. Drywall has gone in on one side of each wall (the other side will go up after inspection), insulation is being installed, and electricity and voice/data cables are being strung up.

These guys are really fast. Like the guy on stilts, installing the insulation. He finished the entire wall in about the time it took to take this picture!

Friday, August 11, 2006

That's Easy!

Things are moving right along at 611 S Lane St. The top of the monitor got put on this week and the last of the windows has been cut out.

Now as we look to the interior walls and finishes we have a whole new set of questions and issues to address. Like what kind of blinds should go on the interior windows since the ones originally called for in the specifications won't fit the window frames? Should they be vertical or horizontal? Are the 3"? or 1"? or something in between?

We now have the perfect solution to these all all future questions. From now on, whenever we have a difficult question we need answered, will will just go to Construction Superindendent Armin Bunkelman's hat and push the large red button on top. Problem solved!

Monday, August 07, 2006

Northwest Asian Weekly


In case you missed it in the

The Chinese Information and Service Center netted $25,750 — more than the final 10 percent needed to complete its Moving On Up campaign — at a dinner July 30 at New Kowloon Restaurant. The money helps the agency move its headquarters to a larger, more updated space at 611 S. Lane St. in Chinatown/International District. Guests at the dinner included Lt. Gov. Brad Owen and Hong Van Mac, who was asked to provide an impromptu auction donation. He agreed to host a lunch for four inside his Olympia office during the next legislative session, at which he will explain the nuts and bolts of the Legislature. For $600, Ruoxi Zhang and her husband Victor Wu were the winning bidders. Later, Mac said he would donate the final $1,450 needed to bring the evening’s totals to an even $25,000 only if Owen plays the saxophone at an upcoming event at the restaurant. The lieutenant governor agreed. Also at the dinner was Duc Tran (pictured above, left, with CISC director Alaric Bien), owner of Viet-Wah Supermarket, who worked at the agency soon after coming to Seattle as a refugee. Tran donated $500 that evening.

Reinforcements

You know those huge, long bolts they put in to hold the walls to the building? (see July 30 post) Well, this is what they look like on the outside. They attach to these metal plates to provide extra support for the building. They did the same thing on the Bush Hotel just before the Nisqually Earthquake and fortunately, even though it looked bad, there was really minimal damage to that building.

On the other hand, this building had no reinforcements at all and came through that earthquake totally unscathed! But since this is going to be our home for at least the next 6o years, we might as well make it as strong as possible.

Friday, August 04, 2006

Air Conditioning

As we suffer through one last summer in our old office, we look longingly at the newly installed vents and ductwork that will be our new heating and air conditioning system.

We can only imagine what it will be like not to have to close all our windows at 11:00 am because it's hotter outside than in, and work with all manner of papers and things flying off our desks because we're trying to blast our fans as high as they will go...

In the meantime, we'll just think cool thoughts and make due with popsicles and bubble tea!

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Work Continues

The cutting of the windows is taking a bit longer than anticipated. It's really not easy being up that high, cutting half of the building's walls out. But oh, what a view! From the 3rd floor, Sunshine Garden seniors will have a light and airy space looking out on Uwajimaya, the stadium, and downtown.

They're also having to redo some bricks because they are hollow and when they cut the windows, there were gaps exposed. Here's one of the guys cutting some of the bricks to make them fit back into the space.


And these must be the rejects...