Support Space Slab

In order to avoid having a sprinker system in the program building, we had to design the building to have 5,000 or less square feet. Originally, we planned to have a full basement under the entire structure, which would have provided a lot of great storage space, but would have put us over this limit. As a compromise, we shrank the full basement to just a portion of the space under the support building that is attached to the dining hall. As a result, the other half of the support space will be what is called a “slab on grade” or a big piece of concrete on top of packed gravel.

This requires some important planning to ensure that the requisite plumbing, electrical lines etc. are all in place before pouring the concrete. Here you can see Scooter the cat doing a quick last minute inspection of the plumbing drains that were installed by the folks at M.J. Moran - our plumbing contractor. To me this is a remarkable demonstration of exact plans, careful measuring and installation - all in anticipation of pouring a very permanent concrete slab that will last the life of the building.

The end result is a poured slab floor that is of an exact height and matches perfectly the framed floor of the kitchen space. Together these spaces make up the support space area that will house our commercial kitchen, staff room and public bathrooms along with a corridor accessing the basement stairs.