Christopher writes:
>>I noticed that, although the annex is only a month or two old, the access
hatches on the ceiling were already grimy, the painted screws scarred.  Has
anyone ever seen a good solution for an access hatch?  I wonder how Mr.
Liebeskind
or Mr. Calatrava would do with that problem.<<

What ever happened to the idea of the tradespeople keeping their hands clean
and their screwdrivers sharp? Perhaps it was left behind when the building
designers forgot about the tradespeople who do maintenance.

When I was investigating window problems at the Library of Congress
Jefferson Building in Washington I noticed that the designers of that
building had honored the tradespeople with actual doors with passages and
stairs for access to service areas. The doors had latchsets with knobs so we
could pass with a certain dignity in our work, and not inconsequentially,
without leaving greasy fingerprints behind on the finished woodwork and
walls.

How about adding a latch with a handle to access hatches? And hand-hold bars
inside to aid in climbing in and out? I have seen just such arrangements in
many early 20th century commercial buildings.


John
by hammer and hand great works do stand
by pen and thought best words are wrought

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