Meeting Minutes - Bethania Kids Center - 03/26/08 Follow Up

Good morning all. Wake up!

Thanks for an excellent meeting last night. The turnout was great
(again), and I already see a good group dynamic forming. Please see
below for a brief recap of the meeting and an agenda for next week. I
have an unusual ability to forget important things, so please feel free
to add/subtract/amend to any of the following.

03/26/08 Recap

-Meeting started with a brief introduction to the different entities
involved in the project and their respective roles.

AfHDC: Us. Good job us.

Bethania: This is the non-profit organization that runs the
childrens center in India and is commissioning AfHDC for design of their
new children's center facility in Rahjamundry, India.

REACH: (Reconstruction Efforts Aiding Children without
Homes) Non-profit organization partnered with Bethania that specializes
in construction efforts for disaster relief, and others in need.

STUCC On Steel: The developer and supplier of the STUCC On
Steel building system that we have been asked to integrate into our
design.

-Group reviewed tentative project plan and schedule. Several comments
and ideas that will be incorporated into the plan are listed below.

1. Involve STUCC On Steel earlier and more often in the project. Since
it is being used so much, our understanding of the system is critical.
Have several meetings early on, and make sure the demonstration takes
places before major designing begins.

2. Begin to think about 'branding' early in the process and how this
relates to the STUCC On Steel system. It's characteristics and
limitations will be very important in the physical branding.

3. A list of questions should be compiled at each meeting and forwarded
to our contact on the ground in India. These questions should be sent
out each week.

4. Leave each meeting with clear goals and directives for the next
meeting.

5. Continuous contact should be kept with the client. Each phase should
be clearly presented and documented for approval and archival. Approved
documentation and images will be used for fundraising efforts. The
schedule for turning over fundraising images will follow the milestone
meetings set up in the project plan (i.e., Site Layout Master Plan,
Floor Plans, Elevations/Massing, etc.)

-Group discussed different approaches to project process. Everyone
seemed to be on the same page. Clear weekly action-items, clear roles
and responsibilities, frequent communication with the

clients, and several peer reviews utilizing both designers and
'non-designers.

-Group discussed process and roles for next week. See Agenda.

04/01/08 Meeting: Meeting Canceled. April fools! Just kidding. There
really is a meeting. Same place. 7pm.

-The first several meetings will be dedicated to research and
documentation of existing conditions, site issues, environment, local
customs, and building/construction methods. There are three areas of
focus for research. Everyone volunteered for one of the below groups.
You know who you are. Please research and bring items to present to the
meeting based on the following. (We will have a laptop and a projector
set up so the information can be presented as such. Save paper!)

CULTURE: Research and present items related to this
particular area of India, including local trades, customs, populations,
religions, markets, activities, etc. This should provide a snapshot

of this area at the moment as well as some history.

BUILDING MATERIALS/METHODS: Research and present items related to
typical construction and building practices in this area. Show typical
materials, methods, building types, and any other information related to
vernacular building. Also look into emerging technologies or systems
that are/could be used. Find patterns in existing building types
related to climate, politics, religion, etc.

SITE ANALYSIS: Research and present environmental and climatic concerns
with the site. Document annual temperature ranges, precipitation, solar
orientation, wind/airflow patterns, etc. Take into consideration the
present site layout and how it can be laid out more effectively.

-Start to compile precedent projects of similar size, scope, and area.
We will begin the meeting with showing a few of these and a short
discussion on them.

OK, thanks again everyone. I will be sending out another email later
with information regarding website access, setup, and a contact list.
See you next week!

MARK PALMER | Designer | mpalmer@rtkl.com

RTKL Associates Inc. | 1250 Connecticut Ave., NW

Suite 400 | Washington, DC 20036

202 912 8184 Direct | 202 887 5168 Fax | www.rtkl.com
/www.rtkl.com/>