simple terminology question

What do you call a boxlike projection from the ceiling, used to enclose vents, beams, or anything else that wont fit in the floor? Contractor calls them "bulkheads" but I don't think that's right..

Just in case I am being to vague/incomprehensible - specifically there are vents & beams which protrude into the basement space from the floor joists, about 12" lower than the ceiling itself. In order to cover the vents/beams up, a frame is built around them to be covered with drywall. What do you call this condition?

John

Reply to
freedom rock?
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Bulkhead

Reply to
Chris Gyotar

Soffit! I should have known that!

Thanks for the speedy reply!!

Reply to
freedom rock?

More often than not it's called "bad planning"

Reply to
Pierre Levesque, AIA

Probably a pre-engineered metal building (PRM). I was in a building built by our local county as office space for their Public Works Department. A large tapered steel column sat in the middle of a conference room and just about divided the room in half. It seems the floor plan was changed at the last minute, but the building type did not allow for much floor plan flexibility.

When I brought up the issue with a senior project manager for the county, her response was, "The people in Public Works just like to complain." I remember receiving an RFQ on this project before the design was finalized. They had already decided to use a PRM which I thought at the time was the wrong choice and declined to submit an RFQ because of it. The building was designed by a reputable Seattle architect, but it just goes to show how even the best firms can put out crappy design.

Reply to
Bob Morrison

In some parts of the country, plumbing and HVAC plans must be submitted at the same time as structural plans. In others, they're somewhat of an afterthought, resulting in bulkheads, soffits, dropped ceilings, etc.

Life would be a lot simpler without plumbing and HVAC!

Notan

Reply to
Notan

You are assuming that vents and plumbing are actually 'planned' in a single family home :-)

Reply to
P.Fritz

Don:

Quite true! I had hoped the the "big" firm with the "big" name would have enough horsepower to tell the county planners that the use of a pre-engineered metal building was simply the wrong choice for this project. Or, at least they could have specified a straight column building instead of a tapered column one.

In my opinion, any office space should be planned with flexibility in the floor plan in mind. This is especially true for government buildings, since the use frequently changes. Perhaps it is not fair to blame the architect. The real blame probably lies at the feet of the county project manager who is known to be stubborn and not very forward thinking.

Reply to
Bob Morrison

Unfortuantely, that mentality is seeping in all over. We are constantly chasing projects where are competition is design builders advocating pre-fab buildings, and people get sucked in by the overall price. They don't realize that by having a separate architect, they have an agent looking out for their own best interest, as opposed to a design build outfit that is just looking for the largest return.

Reply to
P.Fritz

You are all wrong Don, if they did that....they wouldn't know what the hell they were looking at, and would only be good for getting coffee and donuts. They should be required to have at least one year of building construction type classes, then the field time, prior to taking any design classes.

Reply to
P.Fritz

On 06 Apr 2005, freedom rock? wrote

I've heard the term "down-stands" used here in the UK for that -- there are some steel details here that use the term:

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Reply to
Harvey Van Sickle

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