Health and safety - how a nice project becomes an ugly one..

/Before/

/After/

To my great disappointment and frustration the construction week project did not pass health and safety and, as well, did not meet (unrealistic, in my opinion) expectations of the client. I found it really difficult to understand why it happened the way it happened when the client saw the drawings and a models before picking the design and final drawings and a model before we even started. It has been a good lesson, I suppose, about the importance of communication and that it has to be idiot proof. Sorry if anyone involved in this project reads it, but it's the truth.

The construction week seemed to go very well. Everyone was impressed, or at least they said so, with our work. Headmaster and Sophia (the environmental tutor) were very excited about the new structure coming up, Roland was impressed by the result we managed to achieve in only 5 days. It all seemed to have gone very well.

Soon after I have received a letter from Roland saying that there were issues raised by Sophia about the safety of the project. Health and safety inspectors were invited and of course - it failed.

It was rather funny to listen to what those guys have come up with.. The beams that are sticking out are encouraging kids to swing (when they can't even reach them.. hm..), the log wall is encouraging kids to climb (hell yeah, they are kids.. they climb everywhere.. and that wall is only about a meter high anyway..)..

So, what we had to do was cut back those beams and take part of the wall off. Basically, take the elements that were making it great away..

I hate the project now and think it's ruined, but oh well..

Sophia also mentioned she wants to "modify" it in the spring. What she wants to do is to lift the roof about a meter up (unrealistic without knocking the whole structure down). It's funny that when we were talking about her expectations, she specifically said, the height doesn't matter as long as kids can get in. Well, she has changed her mind. If she said that at the beginning a lot of money and hassle could have been saved..

It's very disappointing, but honestly, I don't really care anymore. Maybe it's better they knock it down than keep the way it is now..