Overview:
University Friends Meeting was built in 1963 (approximately – we have not located a record of exactly when the meetinghouse was first in use). The building has served us well over the past 40 years, but at this time we have a backlog of maintenance needs, and some modifications to the building would help it better serve both our present and expected uses.

Budget:
The Meeting has indicated a willingness to spend around $500,000 on building maintenance and upgrades, including design and all other costs related to this project. This figure will be reconsidered in the schematic design phase, when we see what we can actually do for what cost. In schematic design, we would like to see two proposals: one showing a design that addresses all the needs described below, and another that restricts the total cost to $500,000.

Other Concerns:
We want any remodel to be in keeping with the present architectural feel of the Meetinghouse. We want to select materials and systems to minimize environmental damage. We hope to minimize disruption to use of the building during construction. We want to keep maintenance needs to a minimum. We want to keep to Quaker principles of simplicity and avoid unnecessary extravagance or ornamentation.

Needed Maintenance and Other Improvements:
We have made a list of building needs after soliciting input from all participants in the meeting community. That list is attached along with some cost estimates we have been gathering. Some of these items will be handled by the Upkeep Committee of the Meeting. The current clerk is Theo Mace, but many committee assignments change each year starting in June. We are not asking the architect to spend time on this list, except to the extent that their consideration is a natural part of addressing the concerns listed below, but we do want the architect to be aware that these costs are included in the budget mentioned above. It may make sense for the general contractor to handle many of these items.

Exterior:
While we have some concerns related to the building exterior – in particular the dumpster location, lighting, accessibility, and landscaping – we have decided to exclude these from the architect’s responsibilities and address them later or separately, because of our limited budget.

Lower Floor:
The lower floor houses offices of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and the Lake Union Preschool (LUP). These spaces have Monday-through-Friday daytime hours. The Meeting uses the LUP space for Sunday-morning activities for young children. Restrooms are also on the lower floor. Users of the main floor (unless handicapped) have to go downstairs to use the restrooms. We do not propose to modify the arrangement of space on the lower floor. We are providing separate information to the architect on problems with the heating system; solving these is a high priority. Also, the number of electrical outlets is deficient on this floor, and if the electrical service is upgraded, it should be done with an allowance for the future addition of outlets on the lower floor. We hope to avoid, or minimize, disruption to uses of this space. If disruption is necessary, for example to replace the heating system or to improve the structure of the Social Hall floor, then we will have to plan this carefully with our downstairs tenants.

Main Floor:
The main floor consists of the Worship Room, circulation space, Social Hall and associated kitchen and storage, library, office, and Caretaker’s space. We currently propose to leave the office and library as they are. Other spaces might be improved to better meet our needs as described below.

Worship Room:
The general size and configuration of the Worship Room serves our needs well. However, some improvements to the comfort of this room are desired, as follows:

• Temperature And Air Circulation: The room is often hot and stuffy in summer and is especially uncomfortable to those sitting in direct sunlight. Some have complained that the room is cool in winter, although these complaints are less common. We may explore changes to the HVAC equipment and/or windows. [Priority 1]
• Light: Light is dim for occasions that require reading handouts. It is also difficult to darken the room fully during daylight hours for slide presentations. We may wish to modify the artificial lighting and/or the window coverings. [Priority 2]
• Sound: We often have difficulty hearing each other. We have already invested considerable time into trying to arrive at a solution. The acoustical panels on the walls were installed in 1983 after consultation with an acoustician (contact person: Beth Blattenberger, 523-9141). In 1993-95 we experimented with a variety of sound systems, one of which is still in use (Bob Monroe, 322-2133). Some feel that the combination of a large room, people with hearing loss, and people who do not or cannot speak up leads to inevitable problems, and are reluctant to invest further in potential solutions. However, it is possible that double-pane glass would reduce interference from traffic noise, and we are open to learning about other simple solutions we have not tried. Crows make noise in our skylight and some find this detracts from worship. Is there a simple way to prevent this? [Priority 4]
• Seating Comfort: We plan to replace our chairs with more comfortable stackable chairs. We are not requesting the architect’s assistance in this effort, but it may take a significant portion of the funds we have available. [Priority 1]

Circulation space:
The hallways are often packed with people. This happens especially right after the close of Meeting for Worship, when we go to the Social Hall for coffee. People stop to have conversations in the hallways or to look at books or bulletin boards. It is difficult to get through, especially for a person with a wheelchair or walker. [Priority 3]

Caretaker’s living space:
The Caretaker’s space is minimal. Fortunately, we have always been able to find someone willing to live in this space, but as living standards increase, this may not always be so. The Caretaker has just one private room, and must cross a semi-public hallway to access a restroom (also available to building users who cannot go downstairs). The Caretaker uses the kitchen that is also used for public events. Ideally the Caretaker would have a studio apartment with a kitchenette, closet and private bathroom. If we decide to add a second floor, the Caretaker’s quarters could be there. [Priority 3]

Social Hall:
The Social Hall gets heavy use by the meeting community and by renters. Work of various artists is displayed on the walls. The display changes every two months, so we need a system for changing art displays without marring the walls, and for suitable lighting of artwork. Dance groups use the Social Hall and want us to have a good floor for dancing, preferably wood (contact: Angie Johnson, 789-3130). We are concerned about the floor structure since the floor is irregular and bounces a good deal. For some functions, it is useful to be able to partition off portions of the Social Hall [?? not sure this is true??]. The Social Hall gets stuffy in the summer and with active events such as dancing. [Priority 1]

Kitchen:
Not all functions use the kitchen. When food is served, it is usually potluck or occasionally catered; the principal meal cooked in the kitchen is a light lunch with only one hot dish – typically a pot of soup. When cooking is done in the kitchen, however, it is likely to be in large quantity. It would be good to have a stove that can accommodate large pots with an oven that can heat large quantities of food prepared elsewhere. Cleanup is a problem since we lack a dishwasher and so must use an awkward 3-sink system of wash, rinse, and chlorine rinse followed by hand drying. It is important to be able to lock the kitchen when it is not in use. Currently the Caretaker uses the kitchen for personal cooking and has one of the two refrigerators and some cabinet space. Separating Caretaker cooking facilities would free up some space in the kitchen. One residential-size refrigerator is adequate, as it principally holds supplies for coffee hour. There is no need for significant food storage, either refrigerated or dry. [Priority 2]

Storage:
There are two storage areas associated with the Social Hall: a closet for cleaning supplies, and a closet for tables and chairs. The cleaning closet is adequate, but the storage for tables and chairs is cumbersome. It would be wonderful to be able to roll a rack of chairs into a closet. [Priority 2]

Restrooms:
Social Hall users currently must go downstairs to use the bathrooms. The Caretaker’s restroom is available to those who cannot use stairs. We should, as a minimum, have a handicapped accessible restroom that is not shared by the Caretaker. Ideally, there would be sufficient restrooms on the same floor as the Social Hall so that we could avoid security problems associated with allowing access to the lower floor. [Priority 3]

Other needs:

• HVAC system: We have problems with moisture getting into the HVAC system, with associated health problems. We are providing separate detailed information to the architect on this problem. [Priority 1]
• Teen room: Our teenagers currently gather in a room between the Caretaker’s room and the Social Hall. They need a more comfortable space. [Priority 3]
• Community office space: While this is at the bottom of the priority list for the remodel, there is some interest in the meeting in being able to rent office space to nonprofit community groups. An expansion plan allowing for a small amount of office space, even one or two rooms, might be of interest if it fit in well with other plans and did not lead to excessive additional cost. [Priority 5]

For contact information see the:
Projects Committee Page

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