AFH Renovations

[BiggDick]

[pdub]

Unnecessary.

[randylahey]

Lost 1000 seats supposedly.....

[pdub]

Yes, I recall when this news came out.
Just another meh in a long line of recent meh's.

[DeletedUser]

Unnecessary.

What purpose do those video boards in the corners serve? Other than eliminating some cherished seats in AFH. Maybe they didn't eliminate seats to put those there? Seems hard to believe.

We were section 2a folks my entire childhood

Curious to see which sections lost seats to account for the 1,000 less seats.

[pdub]

I didn't like the video bored that went up a long time ago but I can see it's purpose.
You can see that giant video bored anywhere in the Fieldhouse...we didn't need anymore than that.

[randylahey]

I remember going to games in my early 20s and sitting in the "worst seats" in the house up in the back. And it was amazing basketball experience with a good view. Losing 1000 seats has to impact the atmosphere to some degree. Hard to justify wanting that

[DeletedUser]

I didn't like the video bored that went up a long time ago but I can see it's purpose.
You can see that giant video bored anywhere in the Fieldhouse...we didn't need anymore than that.

The video boards seem like they're mostly there because they'll look cool on TV.

[pdub]

You want to preserve the oldness of that building not mighty morphin power rangers it.

[randylahey]

I guess we should wait until we go to a game and see the renovated fieldhouse before judging. But on paper this sounds like a dumb move

[jfish26]

I would be very interested in knowing the REAL numbers, as to the demand in the last ten-ish years for those top corner seats.

We will all have different opinions as to WHY this is, but I think that we’ve had a lot of trouble moving these seats, despite them being the most affordable.

[BiggDick]

Yea, the corners may be increasingly empty, particularly for lesser matchups.

This kinda looks tacky tho, like handyman work. Like is that just painted plywood and 2x4s? Did Goff just go buy some shit at Home Depot and hire some hombres in the parking lot or what?

[jfish26]

Yea, the corners may be increasingly empty, particularly for lesser matchups.

This kinda looks tacky tho, like handyman work. Like is that just painted plywood and 2x4s? Did Goff just go buy some shit at Home Depot and hire some hombres in the parking lot or what?

If I understand correctly - and this may well be urban legend - there are fairly strict limitations on what KU can do to AFH, structurally, without bringing it in scope of building codes that, if applied, would result in losing many more seats than this.

[randylahey]

There is an open house if anyone in Lawrence wants to go see the renovations in person

[BiggDick]

Yea, the corners may be increasingly empty, particularly for lesser matchups.

This kinda looks tacky tho, like handyman work. Like is that just painted plywood and 2x4s? Did Goff just go buy some shit at Home Depot and hire some hombres in the parking lot or what?

If I understand correctly - and this may well be urban legend - there are fairly strict limitations on what KU can do to AFH, structurally, without bringing it in scope of building codes that, if applied, would result in losing many more seats than this.

…structurally?

Japhy can you confirm?

For real tho, of course there are structural limitations. But my gripe is less about structural and more about the trim work.

This looks more like the kind of work a dive bar owner hastily throws together to satisfy some railing around the patio requirement, more so than a high-end renovation on the holiest building in college basketball.

[pdub]

I prefer it to look closer to what you just described than some of the Chipotle industrial backlit shit they have done in the halls.

[BiggDick]

I thought of that too...I mean, at the end of the day, it's just a big a fucking barn, so who cares if the corners look kinda like a chicken coop.

about those halls...

[BiggDick]

I didn't like the video bored that went up a long time ago but I can see it's purpose.
You can see that giant video bored anywhere in the Fieldhouse...we didn't need anymore than that.

I also meant to mention...RIP dancing nachos.

[BiggDick]

oh, and another thing:

more carnival font!

[japhy]

…structurally?

Japhy can you confirm?

For real tho, of course there are structural limitations. But my gripe is less about structural and more about the trim work.

This looks more like the kind of work a dive bar owner hastily throws together to satisfy some railing around the patio requirement, more so than a high-end renovation on the holiest building in college basketball.

Dick! Long time no see.

If you modify the lateral system of a historic building by more than 5%, then you have to bring the entire lateral system up to new Code values for seismic and wind resistance. This means no moving of columns of changing of beams of roof diaphragms and lateral wall braces.

AFH was built in the 50's. The EQ loads are based upon the weight of the structure and there are lots of masonry walls that are heavy. The current wind design speeds and associated loads are higher so it might mean reinforcing the columns and roof beams and increasing the numbers of braces.

It's not that the old is weak or dangerous. It has been there 75 years and if it shows no signs of failures then you can assume it is adequate to resist the loads it has seen. Every structure has strength beyond what is calculated or designed for.

But if you change that system, then you need to follow the land path through all of the elements and upgrade, because it is no longer the same lateral system and the inherent redundancies may not function as they did before. As you chase all of the loads through members and connections, it gets really expensive.

As for the walls in the corners, it does not look up to the standards defix has for his work.