CRC Photos: September 2019 - Beavercreek Farm & Conservation Resource Center

SEPTEMBER 2019 PHOTOS

September 30, 2019 – Last photo set this month – Concrete prep and exterior doors

This panoramic view of the south side of the facility really shows off how large the outdoor plaza area is. Note that the shadows from the tall Douglas fir trees south of the facility don’t reach the solar panels. The trees should not impact power generation at all.

Exterior

Exterior doors continue to be installed but the hardware to latch them hasn’t arrived yet. The doors are “dark bronze” color on the outside and clear wood on the inside.

Concrete at the front entry and for the ramp to the southeast door remain to be poured. Fiber optic cable is being pulled to the building today!

30September2019 – Preparing for concrete at SE doorway

30September2019 – Front doors installed (no hardware)

30September2019 – Preparing to pull fiber optic cable

Interior

Lots of interior light today. In the third photo, note the difference in color between the walls in the private office and the white ceiling.

30September2019 – Main entry, looking north

30September2019 – PANO – Open office space, looking north

30September2019 – PANO – Interior of private office

30September2019 – Hallway, looking south

30September2019 – Hallway, looking north

30September2019 – PANO – Conference room

30September2019 – Door installed at second front entrance

September 28, 2019 – Curbing, sidewalks, exterior doors, painting

We are only about seven weeks away from being able to occupy the completed facility! We expect to be moving in from Thanksgiving through the second week of December. During that time, we will have interruptions in phone and internet service while we move systems into the new building. After the move, service to customers should resume by in mid-December.

Exterior

Panoramic images of the exterior of building at the end of September show new concrete curbing and sidewalks. Each image has an explanatory caption.

28Sept2019 – North side of building with new curbs and sidewalk

28Sept2019 – PANO – East side of building from barn with new curbing

28Sept2019 – South side of building with curbing and steps

Normal (not panoramic) photos show various additional details completed so far. Most light poles have been installed. The reshaped berms blend much better with the fields behind them. We are very pleased with the red cedar tongue-and-groove boards used underneath the main entrance and the secondary entrance. The steps behind the building and the concrete base for heating-and-cooling condensers and for trash/recycling bins were formed late this week.

28Sept2019 – Looking south along driveway at building

28Sept2019 – Reshaped berm east of driveway

28Sept2019 – Reshaped berm west of driveway

28Sept2019 – Front (north side) of building

28Sept2019 – Red cedar under main entrance

28Sept2019 – Looking up at underside of main entrance roof

28Sept2019 – Red cedar under second entrance

28Sept2019 – New sidewalk along front of building

28Sept2019 – East end of building from barn

28Sept2019 – Southeast corner of building

28Sept2019 – More detail of south end of building

Interior

Panoramic images first, then a more detailed gallery.

28Sept2019 – PANO – Office area, looking north

28Sept2019 – PANO – Office area, looking south

28Sept2019 – PANO – Break room/kitchen, looking east

28Sept2019 – PANO – Conference room with exterior doors installed

The detail views in the gallery below show how much natural light comes into the building. When these photos were taken, the day was overcast (see exterior views above). Except for the server room and attic photos, all other photos had only natural lighting.

In the office area, the ceiling is painted white and the walls are an off-white color that lends some warmth to the space while still keeping it bright. Window casings and the wrap at the lighting shelf will be faced with mixed-grain fir. The combination of white/light walls and the wood posts, beam, and trim provide a beautiful contrast with a nod to natural resources.

We are very happy with how the 45-degree entrance to the conference room creates an inviting space to mingle in the hallway and helps to draw visitors into the conference room.

Heating and cooling units are located in two spaces in the attic, one accessible from the west end of the office wing and one from the break room/kitchen. Solar panel controllers are also located in the attic. Portland General Electric will connect new power to the building next week. Fiber optic cable will also be pulled to the building next week.

28Sept2019 – Looking at main entrance from inside building

28Sept2019 – PANO – Lobby and hallway, office wing to the right

25Sept2019 – Owner-Architect-Contractor meeting inside building

28Sept2019 – PANO – Office area, looking east

28Sept2019 – PANO – Interior of private office

28Sept2019 – Wall color (left) and white ceiling color (right)

28Sept2019 – PANO – West end of office wing

28Sept2019 – Looking south through hallway (bathrooms to left, conference room to right)

28Sept2019 – PANO – Looking at conference room entrance (hallway to left, employee entrance to right)

28Sept2019 – Conference room entrance (exterior doors installed)

25Sept2019 – Carpenters installing exterior door at mud room

September 15-21, 2019 – Solar panels, rain, taping, exterior doors arrived!

Solar panels

Let’s start with a series of photos showing the progression of solar panel installation:

16Sept2019 – Installing attachment points

In total, we have 58 solar panels capable of generating 21.5 kilowatts of electricity! This system will be tied to the grid, meaning we won’t use the electricity directly. Instead, it adds capacity to the power grid we all use.

21Sept2019 – Panorama of the new solar panels and the rear plaza area

Curbing

Curbs were formed and poured this week around the entire building. Concrete sidewalks will be poured this coming week.

16Sept2019 – Front of building without curbs

21Sept2019 – Front of building with curbs

Light pole bases

Concrete bases for light poles along the driveway and at various places around the building were formed and poured this week.

Plaza

We are having a problem with water at the rear plaza. After some heavy rain, the plaza became a soupy mess. We are testing a product that binds the crushed granite to form a more solid surface that will allow water the sheet off to the drains. And we opened the drains to reduce the water sitting on the plaza fill.

18Sept2019 – Water draining into stormwater pond

Taping (and exterior doors)

The interior is looking really nice now. The taping crew is working on skim coats and final sanding in preparation for the painters. In the office wing, windows have been covered with plastic and wood has been masked off to protect those surfaces from paint.

Exterior door systems finally arrived this week. We had some communication issues that caused us to wonder if the doors had been manufactured, so we were very relieved when the truck showed up with the exterior doors!

21Sept2019 – Office wing (wood beams and posts masked)

21Sept2019 – Office wing (windows masked)

September 12, 2019 – Solar panel installation has started, more site work, more electrical work

Inside and outside panoramas to start. Even though the windows and skylights are on the north side of the room, great light enters the open office area.

Behind the building, the solar panel installers are placing mounts for the panels.

Electrical and site work dominated the day today.

12September2019 – Electricians at work under the main entrance

12September2019 – New grate for top eave of building

12September2019 – Solar panel installers on roof

12September2019 – Electrical service trench to shop

12September2019 – New conduit to roadside for signage

12September2019 – Cutting logs to length for future use in barn restoration

12September2019 – Grader ready for final grading of driveway and parking

September 11, 2019 – More electrical work, more taping, and discussing the plaza fill

If you thought our “large house” was just like residential construction, check out the exterior power box! That thing is huge!

Interior taping continues. A new trench was excavated to run power to the sign we will have near Beavercreek Road. And the owner-architect-contractor team discussed the problem with the plaza fill material.

11September2019 – Feeding cable through conduit

11September2019 – New hydrant and water vault at road

11September2019 – Trenching for power to sign at road

11September2019 – Team discussing plaza fill

September 10, 2019 – Septic tank installation completed, more taping, electrical work

First are four panoramic views highlighting work inside the building, the completed septic system, and boulders behind the facility.

10September2019 – PANO – Conference center room

10September2019 – PANO – West end of the office wing

10September2019 – Completed septic system

10September2019 – Detention pond and remaining boulders

Next is a gallery of exterior and interior photos. Rock was placed at the southeast entrance in preparation for pouring concrete curbing. Taping inside the building is moving along, as is the electrical work. Recent rainfall revealed a drainage problem in the rear plaza.

10September2019 – Rock wall at SE corner of building

10September2019 – View of NW corner of building

10September2019 – Conference center room

10September2019 – Electricians in server room

10September2019 – Drainage problem at plaza

10September2019 – Poor drainage at plaza

September 9, 2019 – Septic tank installation begins, more taping

We estimate that it will take only two days to install the septic system!

9 September 2019 – Septic tank excavation

9 September 2019 – Topsoil in the septic tank pit

9 September 2019 – Taping has started in the conference center room

September 6, 2019 – Focus is on the plaza today

Placing the gold-colored crushed granite started today in the outdoor plaza behind the building. The darkest material is damp and loose while the lightest material has been compacted and has started to dry. When this work is complete, the entire plaza surface will be smooth, compacted crushed granite. After compaction, and with some moisture and use, this material should form a very firm, durable surface.

One of the things we are most excited about is that the plaza will be finished at the same elevation as the walkways. That means that when we open the two sets of double doors in the conference center room (in the photo below, they are closed off with boards), the plaza can become part of meetings and events. We can extend displays and events outdoors when the weather cooperates!

6September2019 – When the plaza is finished, the color will blend well with the heavy wood and exterior colors of the building

6September2019 – Gravel truck (looking E to W from barn)

6September2019 – Looking SW to NE at building and plaza

6September2019 – Looking W to E at plaza

6September2019 – Shooting crushed granite onto plaza surface

6September2019 – Placing crushed granite on the plaza

6September2019 – The conveyor is remotely controlled

Here’s an animation of shooting the crushed granite from the truck onto the plaza:

September 5, 2019 – Sheetrock complete, taping underway, curb being excavated

Let’s start September with a big panoramic image of the front of the building on a lovely blue sky September day. You can see that the roof is done. More work on the Tyvek exterior wall wrap and siding has been done. A new trench has appeared and that is where the footing for the concrete curbing will go.

Exterior photos

Excavation of the curb footing, electricians at work, insulation and scrim under the rear walkway covers, and two choices for covering the concrete pilasters at the main entrance and around the rear plaza.

5September2019 – Excavation for curb footings

5September2019 – Curb excavations at S end of building

5September2019 – PANO – Insulation and scrim installed in walkway ceiling

5September2019 – Two choices for covering concrete pilasters

5September2019 – Same two choices in bright sunlight

5September2019 – Water vault lid has been delivered

Interior photos

The light-colored sheetrock really highlights how much natural light comes into the spaces. Sheetrock installation is done. Taping is almost done in the office area and will progress through the lobby and bathrooms and then into the conference center room.

5September2019 – PANO – Lobby and hallway from main entrance

5September2019 – PANO – Entryway into conference center room

5September2019 – PANO – Conference room sheetrock is complete

5September2019 – PANO – Natural light in kitchen/break room

5September2019 – PANO – Mud room between SW and SE entrances

5September2019 – West end of office wing has been sheetrocked

5September2019 – PANO – Natural light in open office area

5September2019 – PANO – Taping is almost complete in open office area

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Please contact us for more information.