Last revised on 26 April 2011, this page continues to be under construction. Its eventual content will reflect its name. Its coverage will include diverse items related to building sciences. Despite the daunting term "sciences", the page will strive to use ordinary language. Thus, it will seek to demystify the various systems that combine to make a building operate successfully. Also, with major exterior work underway, this page will re-explain reasons and report on progress. In the meantime, though, visitors might wish to know our origins. From about 1963 until about 1995, The Metropole was an office building. What did the building look like during the construction-phase of its transition? Alan Kennedy's file, from MTCC 1170's original Web-site, depicts part of that transition. General Operational Information MTCC 1170's Heating & Cooling Survey (re-posted on 26 April 2011) On 25 April 2011, MTCC 1170 changed from air conditioning mode to heating mode. The changeover date reflected residents' prior input. In October 2004, MTCC 1170 gave all residents the opportunity to respond to a heating and cooling survey. As the questionnaire indicated, the survey would guide, rather than bind, decisions about starting and ending dates for heating and cooling. With the cooling season nearly upon us, it is appropriate for MTCC 1170 to provide a summary of the 68 responses that the Management Office received. By clicking on H-C Survey 04, you may read the summary results. Clothes Dryers: Cleaning Secondary Lint-Filters (re-posted on 26 April 2011) With the eventual onset of spring, we all hope to be wearing lighter clothing that will produce less dryer-lint. Nonetheless, we need to be aware that our dryers' primary lint filters still need regular cleaning. Each dryer's secondary lint filter, located in the exhaust-pipe near the dryer, also needs equal attention. It is a relatively easy task to clean the secondary lint filter. Regularly-cleaned secondary lint filters provide many benefits to everyone at The Metropole. To assist residents, the Board has created a photographic mini-manual in Adobe Acrobat format. Everyone can view and/or download it by clicking on the link below. Cleaning Your Secondary Lint Filter -- 9 Easy Pictures PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MOST RECENT MAJOR BIENNIAL CLEANING OCCURRED EARLY IN 2011. EQUALLY, THOUGH, PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THESE MAJOR CLEANING EXERCISES SUPPLEMENT, RATHER THAN SUBSTITUTE FOR, THE ROUTINE CLEANING ROUTINE THAT IS EVERY RESIDENT'S OBLIGATION. General Building Maintenance MTCC 1170's Board and Management strive to follow best practices. CMHC provides examples of such practices. Previously, MTCC 1170 was able to provide access to two maintenance manuals that had originally been available in PDF format (free of charge) via the CMHC site). Regrettably, those manuals are now available only in print format - for purchase from the CMHC site ("Publications and Reports"; thence, to "Home & Property Maintenance"). Nonetheless, CMHC continues to provide other useful information that is free of charge. Consider, for example, the About Your Apartment series ("Publications and Reports"; thence, to "About Your Apartment Fact Sheets"). This series provides valuable information regarding multiple-occupancy dwellings. Additionally, CMHC provides data about local and national housing market trends. Survey of Residents' Opinions on Security During AGM 2006, an owner suggested relaxing security requirements at the King Street doors. In response, but without prejudice to its exercise of good judgement, the Board agreed to survey all residents. The results of the survey confirm that residents seek no relaxation of security. Installation of the Partial Rain Screen System During AGM 2006, some owners asked for further information on this major refurbishment. A logical starting point is the engineering study explaining the necessity for refurbishment. Obscured portions of the study reflect MTCC 1170's adherence to Federal and/or Provincial privacy legislation. Engineering studies aside, what are the engineering and/or architectural principles explaining the ongoing refurbishment project? A good starting point would be an understanding of water-infiltration in buildings. The next logical step would be a review of a CMHC document explaining the obvious merits of a partial rain screen system. Finally, owners will surely wish to review an example of the steps that British Columbia took to preclude any recurrence of problems that it encountered during the 1990s.