The Woodward News

Features

June 9, 2010

Building committee looking to finalize designs

Rowynn Ricks Woodward News

Woodward, Okla. — Members of the Woodward Conference Center Building Committee learned Tuesday morning that city officials are hoping to have construction plans finalized and bids awarded by early September.

However, in order to meet that deadline, City Finance Officer Doug Haines, City Manager Alan Riffel and Principal Architect Jim Hasenbeck explained that a number of things must happen, not the least of which is improved communication with site architect Roy D. Easley of Easley Associates in Enid.

Easley Associates has been hired by the city to conduct all the civil engineering and site planning for the exterior of the new conference center, which is being designed by Hasenbeck’s team at Studio Architecture in Oklahoma City.  This site planning includes parking lots, outdoor patios and all the “infrastructure,” such as water and sewer lines.

However, Hasenbeck said the exterior design plans are currently “an unknown.”

“I haven’t seen any site plan,” he said.

Nevertheless, the architect said “this coming Monday the 50 percent construction documents (for the building) will be turned over to Timberlake who will then spend the next 2 weeks doing pricing and come up with one of their first numbers.”

After being interviewed by the conference center committee in late April, Timberlake Construction was hired as a construction manager (CM) for the conference center project to help ensure that the city stays within budget without sacrificing quality as the project moves forward.

But representatives from Timberlake were not present at Tuesday’s conference center building meeting even though one of the main goals for the meeting was to discuss interior finishes, which must be decided upon based on price since there is a $7 million budget limit for construction of the conference center.

Even Haines admitted that price will be an important factor in determining interior finishes.

“We want a building that has a wow factor; something that’s rich, sleek and warm.  We want something that’s going to take your breath away, but, of course, within budget,” he said.

Committee member LaVern Phillips, of the Woodward Industrial Foundation, said he would also like a design that reflects the city’s new motto: “Energy for Life.”  With energy industries continuing to grow in the Woodward area, Phillips rejected ideas to bring the area’s agricultural ties into the building.  Specifically he rejected the idea to use wheatboard and sorghum board for interior finishes.

Fellow committee member Gary Whitcomb, representing Woodward Tourism, agreed.

“Yes, agriculture is a big part of our community, but it does not need to be a big part of this conference center,” Whitcomb said.

Hasenbeck noted that he appreciated the feedback, noting that his goal for Tuesday’s discussion about finishes was “to get a general flavor of what you would like to see in the building.”

Now with a better understanding of what kind of atmosphere the committee would like to create in the building, Hasenbeck said he and his design team, which includes intern interior architect Courtney Brown, will go back and narrow down options that fit within that “flavor.”  Then in an upcoming meeting, he said his design team will present the committee with just 2 or 3 options from which they will pick the final finishes.

Hasenbeck also noted that it will be important to bring Easley and Timberlake into the mix at the next conference center building committee meeting.

But Haines later told The News that city officials will probably meet with Easley and Timberlake before then as well, “probably within the next 10 days ... to get everyone on the same page.”

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