A toilet in a park can appear to be a tiny component of a bigger public project. Landscape architects, engineers and contractors can be involved in the building of one structure.
Every transition brings up a simple but crucial question:
Who is responsible for ensuring each stage is properly connected to the next?
For park owners and project teams comparing the best park restroom designers, that question can be more revealing than looking through a portfolio of finished buildings.
Handoffs: Be aware
Think about a bathroom that has already been designed conceptually. The dimensions are perfect and the exterior was picked and the rendering is appreciated by everyone.
Image credit: romtec.com
Then engineering begins. The layout is affected by a needed change. The modification will affect a component’s specification and therefore the procurement. The contractor is later able to determine that the design assumption doesn’t correspond to the actual product.
None of these issues necessarily mean that someone made a mistake of major magnitude. They demonstrate how coordination can be difficult when the responsibility is split among several individuals.
The ideal candidate for a park design professional should be judged on more that only creativity. Knowing the codes, accessibility requirements components, engineering documentation, as well as construction realities can assist in connecting design decisions with the building that is ultimately constructed.
Consider What the Proposal Really Includes
Two seemingly similar building proposals might have different aims.
A package could consist of building supplies. It could include preliminary design assistance and drawings, renderings and engineered plans.
Comparatives solely based on the lowest price can be misleading.
Romtec can provide you with free estimates and designs, as well as specifications, drawings and renderings, to complete your bid package. After approval, the process will continue to include submissions that are complete and engineered plans.
This gives designers and owners an easier path to turn an idea to a building which is ready to be constructed.
Custom Requirements require early attention
Rarely are public works implemented under the same conditions.
Some communities may prefer environmentally-friendly fixtures and materials. One community might have specific architectural themes. Landscape architects may need special siding or colors that are unique or roof designs which visually link the restroom to other buildings in the park.
The decisions they make can affect more than appearance. They could impact the design, documentation, and components.
If you address special needs as soon as they are possible, the project team can integrate them in a planned method rather than retrofitting them once major decisions are made.
Construction Knowledge Influences the Design Conversation
The ideal park bathroom builder for a particular project should be aware that a sketch eventually will become a physical structure.
Romtec produces, supplies, constructs and designs structures for public use. Romtec can provide building kits to integrate into larger projects or complete installation.
That design-to-construction experience creates a practical perspective: decisions made at a desk eventually have consequences on a jobsite.
Be sure to evaluate the journey, not Just the Endpoint.
It’s impossible to gauge how much coordination was involved in a bathroom before it was open.
The building is visible to the park owners. Visitors can see the building. However, the project team is exposed to everything that came before it: design decisions, estimates, documentation, engineering, approvals, supplies, and construction.
That’s why picking a park-building partner shouldn’t begin and end with asking “Do we enjoy their building?”
A more useful question is:
This company can help us get from the building we envision to the one we can actually open to the public?