Frequently Asked Questions – 2016 / 2017 NKBA Student Design Competition
*NOTE: We have had many questions about the use of ADA type cabinetry for both the
kitchen and bath for this year's SDC. This type of cabinetry and the required space for a
wheelchair is not what King and Selina are requesting. The clients are currently in good
health and lead an active life. They simply wish to be able to continue to live in place
comfortably and safely regardless of their age or future physical condition.
Question: How much room should we leave for the chairs at the table? Table is 42′′ x 60′′.
Does this include the chairs?
Answer: Use NKBA Planning Guidelines when planning space around the table for chairs in
the breakfast area. The table size is 42′′ x 60′′.
Question: Are a colored perspective and detail drawing optional or required?
Answer: A perspective drawing is optional but it is strongly recommended students include a
color perspective, if they are capable of producing one. Since this project will be built, a detail
drawing should be submitted if needed so that the judges can answer the question: “can this
project be executed as drawn?” An example would be a 7” molding and Waypoint Living
Spaces only produces a 4” high piece. The judges will need to see what separate pieces of
molding the designer used to stack the molding to 7”.
Question: Where is North on the plan?
Question: What is the room on South side of the kitchen?
Answer: The opening and pass-through lead to the family room on the south side of the
kitchen.
Question: It says that all walls are interior walls but there are windows on the left wall. Is
that a mistake? Does left wall lead to outside? Where does the door lead to?
Answer: The walls that will be part of the kitchen are all interior walls. The east wall area is
an eating area, the windows/door open up to a deck. The north wall is a common wall
between the kitchen and the bedroom. The west wall is shared with a hall and the bedroom.
Question: What needs to be shown in Mechanical Plan?
Answer: The Mechanical Plan must show the location of outlets (switches and receptacles),
light fixtures, plumbing and venting needs so the trades can rough-in all of the electrical,
plumbing and venting needs while the drywall is off of the walls.
Question: Can we use an 11 X 17 material board (instead of 12 X 12) to make it easier for
packaging/mailing?
Answer: The maximum size should be no more than 12″ x 12″. Many students choose to
use actual samples rather than photographs on their sample boards. Large boards with
actual products often arrive in very poor condition. Also, it is very difficult to handle the larger
boards during the judging process.
Question: On drafting the floor plan, would you like the students to keep the color coding for
wall heights or poche ALL the walls black regardless of height?
Answer: Since this is our first Student Design Contest project with varied height walls it is
suggested you use the 108” dimension as your ceiling height since there will be no walls
less than 108”. Therefore, using only black for all the walls would be acceptable once you
establish a ceiling height of 108” on your Floor Plan.
Question: Where does it say, specifically, that they do not want tall (wall?) cabinets?
Answer: There are several clues on the 4th page of the SDC Brochure. You are designing a
kitchen for seniors and the primary cook is 5’ 5” tall and needs a ladder to reach the upper
cabinets in the current kitchen. Seniors are subject to falling and using a ladder would not be
a good idea for Selina. They noted a need for convenient and accessible storage. 42” wall
cabinets would not be convenient and accessible for this client.
Question: In the bathroom, can we move the closet door and bedroom door, for example by
the toilet the area, in order to make a larger space for the toilet?
Answer: The doors can be moved anywhere within the two red boxes. Remember, you are
not designing a bathroom for someone in a wheelchair. Therefore a 60” turning space (or
similar) in the toilet compartment is not require.
Question: Is the post between the kitchen and family room (closest to the kitchen entry)
was load earing? Can I remove that wall if I wanted to?
Answer: The wall separating the kitchen/breakfast area and the living area is load bearing
and the posts support the 180” high ceiling. Relocating the supports would be very
expensive. Keep in mind the clients must pay for your suggested changes. They did not
request that the wall be removed. They might consider it but the high cost for the change
could hurt your chances of winning because of the added cost. They would need to consider
the money spent for kitchen appliances, flooring, surfaces and other kitchen related costs
vs. structural cost plus the kitchen equipment cost.
Question: Does the client need a door going to the closet? Can it be just an opening?
Answer: An opening without a door would be acceptable but make sure you provide
adequate bath ventilation to prevent moisture from entering the closet.
Question: Is the client insisting on a separate toilet room with a door? Can it be only
slightly separated?
Answer: Separate compartment with a door is what the clients want.
Question: Can the tub be relocated or rotated?
Answer: No, the tub must remain where it is.
Question: Can the existing window glass be replaced with glass block?
Answer: The one window that is not glass block, can be changed.
Question: In the competition materials, it states to download the floor plan. Is there a floor
plan that is electronic that the students can alter? Or do they need to draft out completely on
their own? I am assuming the latter is the case.
Answer: Your students will need to draw their own floor plan. The drawing shown in the
brochure will not be compatible with any CAD programs
Question: The HVAC noted on the floor plan of the bathroom - can this be moved? I am
assuming it can since plumbing can be moved.
Answer: The bathroom HVAC can be moved since the space below is a crawlspace.
Question: What is the finish on the existing table that the clients are keeping? Is it possible
to get a photo of it, so that chairs and colors may be selected for the space?
Question: What is the type/color of flooring in the adjoining great room?
Question: The specifications state that all of the ceiling electrical will remain the same, so is
it possible to get a copy of the existing electrical plan? The students are concerned about
adding lighting over the cooktop as requested, for example, without knowing what may
already be in place. Also, shouldn't the existing electrical be included on the new
mechanical plan? Or should they only put the new, additional lighting on the mechanical
plan?
Answer: With the 15’ high ceiling it was impossible to measure the lighting the day we
measured the space. Also the electrical plan was not available. However, since they did not
want any changes to the ceiling lighting and we do not have any dimensions, the judges will
not be looking at detailed information for ceiling lighting. The students can estimate the
existing locations or create new locations. However, the current lighting is not sufficient for
King and Selina at their ages. The will rely more on the designers placement of task lighting
and accent lighting if selected by the students. The judges will consider these locations on
the mechanical plan.
Question: What are the clients’ feelings about the existing pass through from the kitchen to
the great room? We know they are (reluctantly) open to taking the wall down, but how do
they feel about closing up the pass through, or leaving it in place?
Answer: The clients have a large family and love the interaction with family and friends that
the pass-through provides.
Question: The wall thickness on the bath plan near the shower, it says 4 7/8" and around
the existing toilet compartment, it says 4 1/2". I am assuming all the walls are 4 1/2" with
only that one area being a bit more. Is this a safe assumption?
Answer: The wall with the 4 7/8” dimension may have been furred out to meet the set width
of the pre-fab shower. You can assume standard 2 x 4 construction for all remaining walls
except the exterior wall as indicated in the bath floor plan.
Question: We teach the students to draw all residential exterior and plumbed walls at 6"
wide, but there are not any dimensions included on the existing wall thicknesses in the
kitchen. There are two dimensions on the bathroom, but they are 4 1/2" and 4 3/4", so
should we assume that the plumbed walls in this house are constructed more narrowly?
Answer: That will work with this project. The only vent in the kitchen is an Automatic Air Vent
(AAV) under the kitchen sink so 6” plumbing walls are not needed in that room. The only
large vent needed in the bathroom is in the 2 x 6 exterior wall near the toilet. The rest of the
bath vents can fit in a standard 2 x 4 wall.
Question: What is the size of the existing casing? This is needed to determine the exact
size of the window itself.
Answer: Casing is 3 ¼” in the kitchen and bath
Question: On page 5 of the survey under flooring, the client states that at some point they
may widen the door to the porch. If this is a good solution now can the student alter that
door/window on their plan?
Answer: If you were to change the door at this point the cost could put the project way over
budget and therefore the student’s project would most likely be eliminated from your client’s
consideration.
DUNCAN SDC EXISTING BATH
Vanity Wall Bathtub View in Mirror
Pre-fab Shower
Open Door to Bedroom-Toilet Door on Left
Toilet Compartment