Restrooms

When working with clients on designing their new facilities, building additions and/or interior renovation projects one topic always seems to come up: Restrooms. The questions about restrooms range from; How many do I need? Can they be unisex? Where should they be located? And the biggie; Do all of them need to be Handicapped Accessible?

A while back, we were working with a client on a renovation and addition to his office building. There was only one existing unisex restroom in the building, and it was very small. In fact, as my grandfather used to say “It was so small, you’d have to step outside to change your mind!” During the planning process, we told him that due to the specific conditions of his building, the building code would not require him to change, enlarge or relocate his restroom. That was good news to him.

The most frequently asked questions we get about restrooms seem to be about required handicapped accessibility. They include…

• Do all restrooms need to be handicapped accessible?

• Do I need to upgrade my existing restrooms to meet today’s ADA requirements?

• Why do the accessible restrooms need to be so big!

The answers to each of these questions are not always the same, as they are based on the specific conditions of the building. Give us a call and we will be glad to answer your restroom questions.

One last final thought: It is true that all restrooms must comply with the current building codes, but remember those requirements are the minimum and what your final restroom layout looks like in your facility must support your business. That is a successful design!

Planning for the Expected & Unexpected

We talk a lot about planning here at PDMi. It really is THE single most important part of a building project. I won’t bore you with specifics of how many projects we’ve seen go sideways over the years due to lack of planning, but I will remind you that projects do tend to go sideways when you rush the planning process (or skip it all together). With all that said, I’d like to share a quick story of a client that we are currently working with that has embraced the importance of planning.  

We met with the client at their Detroit facility earlier this week, as they are looking to remove two very old manufacturing lines, renovate the existing building and then install two new state of the art manufacturing lines to increase output and profit at the bottom line. The existing facility is a 60+ year old building with multiple challenges. In the 1970’s a large underground utility vault was abandoned inside the building and they signed papers with the city stating that they would not remove it at a later date, so we know that is a monument that cannot move. The issue we face is that we need to install a 12’ deep pit for the new equipment that is in the general location of the underground vault. Since no one is exactly sure what the vault entails and why it could not have been removed 50 years ago, we are doing extensive due diligence (that’s a fancy way of saying planning) to be sure that we do not disturb the underground vault while still optimizing the space constraints of the new manufacturing line. It is a project we have been working on for most of 2024 and we now have a solid plan in place to move forward with the renovations of the building and the installation of the new manufacturing lines this spring. 

Despite all of the time it has taken to get everything correct, we now know that the location of the manufacturing line is in the right place to optimize the space. We went into the planning portion of this project not knowing exactly want to expect, but have gained knowledge through the process of what the best outcome will be. If PDMi can help you get through the unexpected portion of your next project, give us a call and let us help you put a plan in place.

Pre-Planning, It’s a Great Choice

I realize that the title of this week’s e-bits sounds like I’ll be talking about making funeral arraignments and selling you a burial plot, but I promise this one won’t be that morbid! We talk a lot here at PDMi about planning before you build and today I’d like to take that to an extreme.

Nearly four years ago, we met with a new client who was looking to build a 6,000sf warehouse and showroom for his construction supply business here in Ft. Wayne. He had multiple branch locations around the state and wanted to expand to the Ft. Wayne market. This client knew what he wanted, but also knew that he was on a budget. During the pre-planning phase of the project we discussed adding a storage mezzanine above the showroom area that could be accessed from the warehouse. This is a great use of space without needing to make the building footprint any larger. The issue was that this would add cost to a project that was already at the top of his budget. So, PDMi designed the showroom area with thickened footings and load bearing walls, so that in the future (when funds allowed) he could add that storage mezzanine with little disruption to his current operation. As you probably already guessed, that client called us about 2 weeks ago and said they are ready to add the mezzanine. 4 years later, they will now be able to easily add that needed storage space with minor disruption to their current operation.

By pre-planning, this client untimely got the building that he needed without the headache of major demolition to his existing space. If PDMi can help save you a headache on your next project, give us a call and let us help you pre-plan for the future.