19/03/2021
Let’s face it!
Ours is a profession that creates nice abodes for our clients but never for ourselves to live in.
Despite that, we were recently hoodwinked into yet another project of such stature. This time, it was a development that involves the building of two grand villas, each having a floor area of 1350m2 (14531 sqft).
These twin villas, perched on the coastal cliff of a resort island on the east coast, will afford any blessed inhabitants the rare experience of glimpsing at the sun from their bedroom at daybreak.
In the afternoon, one can take shelter on the balcony sipping coconut juice gazing as far out into the horizon and into the azure of the South China Sea. And if the juice is bland, I was told that one could always stick out one’s tongue to savor the salinity carried by the sea breeze to add flavor. This is taken to mean that, here any flavor can be as fresh as its source.
True ar?? Maybe donggeng…
But the truth about the island and the villas is that during the time of high monsoon, the rolling waves beating on shoreline never fail to play out nature’s best symphony for its most avid followers.
It is said that when the soul and body are fully recharged by nature, it’s then time to reconnect with others. Organizing a big social gathering is within reach, as the rooftop offers ample space and an unfettered view of its surrounding. At night, the star-studded sky is like diamonds glittering against the backdrop of dark satin. The guests are in awe and anything is possible in space and time like this. Anything!
Enough of this nice imagery already? Yes… we beg them to stop… as any project team would have known better.. the fancier the image the hellish it is to work on.
Indeed our task on this project begins when we received a phone call from the client.
The client had requested the whole project team to work on a fast-tracked schedule – a very swift one. We were just given two weeks to churn out tender stage drawings. In operation terms, this happens to translate into more budget for coffee and lamp oil.
Time was of the essence, we promptly decided to adopt a full 3D model since the villas would be subjected to multiple load cases from various directions. The lateral load, which is incidental due to the sloping terrain on which the villas sit, is a case in point. We carried out a rigorous analysis of the 3D model to make predictions about the structural strength of the building frame. As a matter of good practice, we also provided tie beams to improve the robustness of the structure and avoid weakening of the soil by minimizing the area required for the foundation.
The balconies, being column-free, were unique in their own right. This, however, necessitated a cantilever to span for 7 meters to carry the fascia beams. We make a few adjustments to the facade so the cantilever can be deepened to no more than what is needed to attain the required stability. We then ensure the extra precautionary requirement for shuttering and de-shuttering were made known to the contractor. With that resolved, it was a wrap for us where the more intricate part of the design work is concerned.
Reminiscing on this project, it was not our first, but certainly one of the more recent demanding projects that we have successfully handled.
But this time I guess, our profession is all about seeing our labor being brought to fruition. And that alone is how we come to love what we are doing.
and structure design
