Hello
I am seeking a
theatre facility design architect and/or consultant.
In short, we are planning for a new performing arts center. The general architects have given all they can, and now, to move forward, we need a
theatre design consultant to
pick up the ball and
nail down the details so we can move to that next step.
Board approval.
So, I am looking for connections to
theatre design consultants who work internationally (we are an international school in Shanghai) with experience in designing performing arts centers for K-12.
If you have some contacts, please steer them my way. Email, website,
etc…
Thank you
Chad
@hamlett22 A few comments while you're waiting for other posters.
Short version: I suspect finding a consultant within China would be far better value for your money.
Longer version: Most of our 'Big name'
theatre consultants are based in the New York area; the cost of flying one consultant to China and back for a site visit would be high. A preliminary site visit plus one visit mid-construction plus another site visit for final approvals would likely be prohibitively costly and 3 site visits would be a minimal number.
Full length version: A little over a decade ago a new opera and ballet
venue was built in Toronto. From memory the project budget was a little over 100 million Canadian dollars; with cost overruns, the project cost approximately 120 million.
The architects were one of Canada's big name companies located only blocks from the site. Junior architects visited the site often; at least every week or two.
The senior architect made site visits every two to three months over the course of the approximately two year project.
Getting a site visit with the New York consultants was a less than desirable experience.
The project was 14 stories high; 3 basements below grade plus 11 floors above
ground.
The New York consultants slept in their own beds at home EVERY night.
In the first year or so, every three to four months one of the consultants would fly to Toronto, be on site for approximately 3 hours then be on his way back to the airport.
In the second year, we received similarly brief visits every two to three months.
In terms of the construction hierarchy, the senior architect was at the top of the pyramid followed in order by:
- 3 junior architects.
- 1 senior
theatre consultant.
- 3 junior
theatre consultants.
- 4 or 5 PEng's.
- 1 General contractor.
- 4 or 5 trades. (at least)
- Approximately 10 or 12 sub trades.
- Myself and the rest of us humble minions.
In the second year of the project, every two to three months the General Contractor would post signs asking every trade to submit one, and only one, item they felt needed the
theatre consultant's attention during his next three hour visit.
- Workers took their questions to their immediate supervisors.
I was the site supervisor for the A/V sub-contractor supplying and installing all of the A/V systems. (6 - 41 pole sequenced powering
breaker panels; 12-44 RU racks, 4 or 5 shorter racks; left, right and centre clusters, 46 channels of
monitor / paging, at least 44 channels of surround / augmented
acoustics; 1/2 a rack of BSS
DSP; 12 channels of ClearCom and a whole stack of video [the details of which I can't remember])
- I took my questions to the electrical contractor.
- The electrical contractor received questions from his A/V sub (me), his IT sub, his security systems sub, his fire alarm sub, his elevator sub.
- From all of us minions, the Electrical Contractor had to choose ONE (1) item that he felt definitely needed the
theatre consultant's on-site attention.
- The Carpentry,
HVAC, Plumbing, Flooring, Painting, yada, yada, contractors were all in the same boat: Getting your item addressed by the
theatre consultant was like playing the lottery. If / when you "lost" you kept on working, building, installing and hoped you might win the "lottery" the next time the
theatre consultants graced us with their presence.
As I said several chapters back: The
theatre consultants slept in their own beds EVERY night; by the time they woke up, dressed, drove to their airport, flew to Toronto, landed, passed through customs, were fetched by an architect, driven to the site, spoke with the General Contractor, made a quick tour of the
venue, returned to the airport, flew to New York, passed through customs, drove home, ate and went to bed. In spite of how little we were seeing them on site I doubt they were getting much sleep. The total costs per hour of on-site time were likely
astronomical.
I've zero knowledge of the quality of
theatre consultants within your country but I strongly suspect they'll provide better value for money spent.
@BillConnerFASTC @MNicolai @anyone else Care to comment
? How much would you charge per site visit to
@hamlett22 's project
??
EDIT: To Add
@AlexDonkle
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
