A bathroom in a park can appear like a minor part of a massive project. The construction of one building could involve landscape architects and engineers, contractors permits, construction officials, the suppliers of materials, fixtures manufacturers and the owner.
Every transition brings up a basic, yet crucial problem.
Who is responsible for ensuring that the stages are linked in a proper manner?
If park managers or project teams are discussing park restroom design, this may reveal more than studying a few finished buildings.
Watch the Handoffs
Imagine a bathroom that is already conceptually designed. The dimensions are perfect well, the exterior is chosen, and everyone is happy with the rendering.
Image credit: romtec.com
Then engineering begins. The layout is impacted by a necessary change. The change affects a component specification, which influences the procurement. Afterward, the contractor figures out that an assumption in the design doesn’t match with the specification provided.
These situations do not always indicate that someone has committed the wrong choice. They show how coordination can be difficult if responsibility is dispersed among multiple parties.
The ideal candidate for a park design professional should be evaluated on more than just creativity. Understanding accessibility requirements, code and components can help you integrate the design into the end product.
Ask questions about the proposal and see what it’s made of
Two construction proposals that seem similar may have very different scopes.
One package might comprise a whole building. It could also include assistance with the design process renderings, drawings or engineered plans.
Comparing just the lowest price without understanding the difference can lead to a misleading comparison.
Romtec provides preliminary designs and estimates at no charge upfront, and also designs, specifications renderings, and specifications for bid packages. After acceptance of the design, the process moves forward to submittals that are complete.
This allows designers and owners an easier path to take an idea to a design which is ready to be constructed.
Custom requirements need to be addressed early.
Rarely are public works executed under the same conditions.
A community might want fixtures and materials that are environmentally friendly. Others may have a distinct architectural style. Landscape architects may require unique colors or styles of siding to visually link the bathroom with other park structures.
They can affect more than appearance. These decisions may affect components and documents, procurement, engineering and construction.
By addressing any special requirements as early as possible it allows the project team to incorporate them in a deliberate way rather then retrofitting them after major decisions are made.
Construction Knowledge Can Change the Design Conversation
The best park restroom builder for a particular project should understand that a drawing eventually has to become a physical structure.
Romtec produces, sells the construction, design and manufacture of structures for public use. Romtec can offer building packages that can be integrated into larger construction projects, or provide turnkey installation.
That design-to-construction experience creates a practical perspective: decisions made at a desk eventually have consequences on a jobsite.
Consider the Journey, Not Just the Endpoint.
It’s difficult to determine how much coordination was involved in a bathroom before it was opened.
The building is visible for park owners. Visitors view the building. But project teams experience everything that went before the design decision, estimates, documentation, engineering, approvals, supply, and construction.
That’s why picking a park-building partner shouldn’t begin with asking “Do we like their structures?”
A more useful question is:
Are you able to help us get the building from our thoughts to a building that is open to the public?