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Company Information Jobs and Partnerships Intern Testimonials Josh's Third Letter:Josh's Letters 7.24.01 Dear Dan, I'm writing you as part of my responsibilities for the Extended Internship Program. This is my final letter documenting the course of my internship. The first three letters covered weeks 1 through 24; this final one covers 25 through 28. I have been gathering materials for both my internship presentation and my Capstone Project. I contacted Frank Hayes, Superintendent of Manzanar National Historic Site in eastern California. We are looking for a way to benefit each other as a part of my project. He would like to come up with some walking tours of the site. Currently, an auto-tour route facilitates visitor interpretation. Several alternative walking tour routes could be devised as part of my project, either beginning from the retrofitted visitor center currently underway, or from somewhere else. Additionally, the Olmsted Center is performing a cultural landscape assessment. Though I doubt they need any assistance, I would be interested in performing an assessment myself as another part of my project. Frank provided me with a contact at the Olmsted Center for more information. Obviously, part of my deal with the Park Service will involve sending them copies of my work. How does that sound? I believe that the next few months should be enough for me to narrow or broaden my topic as necessary. I am interested in doing cultural landscape work in the future, either through restoration, preservation, or reclamation. This would give me an opportunity to see what that work is like, supplementing my internship, charette, and journalism experience. I have been busy the length of my stay here at Carducci Associates. Both on and off the computer, my various tasks included: 1. Helping with proposal work 2. Preliminary Design work: a. Concept statements b. Preliminary grading c. Cutting sections d. Preliminary zoning/master planning e. Rendering f. Site visits 3. Schematic and Design Development work: a. Preparing base drawings b. Schematic master planning c. Cost estimation d. American with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) accessibility analyses e. Rendering f. Schematic presentation packages g. Meeting with consultants h. Researching specifications i. Value engineering 4. Construction documents: a. Preparing base drawings b. Demolition c. Layout d. Lighting e. Grading f. Irrigation g. Planting h. Details i. Addenda and clarifications 5. Helping move the office 6. Helping with community work for Loma Verde Elementary School in Novato, CA This week I will meet with my employers, Bill Fee and Vince Lattanzio, for an exit interview. This Friday we are celebrating our new location with clients, consultants, and friends. On Saturday I will meet my parents on vacation in Oregon. From there I'll work my way slowly back to Kansas with stops in Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. My work has been constantly reviewed. Before I complete a task I allow someone else to redline it, similar to proofreading something I typed. Bill and Vince, partners, and Paul Donnelly, an associate, all evaluate my work. Kay Lundgren, our office manager, has also checked some of my work. They provide me with projects and review what I have completed. I receive feedback daily. During the past few weeks I have continued my work on the six schools from the San Mateo Union High School District. There was some debate about the budget for the schools. A meeting was held between the consultants discussing subsequent budget reductions. As a result, many of the improvements proposed in the schematic phase were value engineered or even cut. Despite this, the district was very happy with our performance and they agreed to let us continue without reducing our scope. We did a good job thus far. As part of the above, I'm preparing A.D.A. Assessments in graphic form. I am using data provided by a previous consultant to show which areas need improvement and how much it might cost. A picture is worth a thousand words, each sheet acting as a checklist that allows us to document each instance that doesn't meet current codes. The cost estimates, which I have yet to complete, will compare our estimated costs with the previous consultant's, including subtraction of work finished between when their estimate was done and now. I have also helped a little with the Peninsula Jewish Community Center. There is a debate with this project regarding the use of piles to support the building. The structure is located on the infamous "bay fill," a sponge-like matter that settles after placement and rolls like Jell-O during earthquakes. The piles, resting on bedrock, will keep the building from settling while the surrounding site drops. There will be differential settlement throughout the site because some buildings will be on piles, some will not, parts of the site will drop, and some of the site has been surcharged. Surcharging induces compaction of the soil, sort of "presettling" it, minimizing future elevation change. The greater the load of a structure, in kips, the more it will settle. To complicate things even more, an outdoor pool will settle slightly until it reaches groundwater. Then it will be supported by hydrostatic pressure, sort of like a boat. Currently, we are awaiting the consultants' decision to use piles or not. All of this information influences our grading plan and A.D.A. accessibility. I hope this answers any questions you might have. If not, please feel free to contact me here at the office or via my email address, ------@ksu.edu. However, after this Friday I'll be unreachable until August 17th. Sincerely, Joshua M. Bender |
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