Samye College Building Update
July 28, 2011
The current phase of the building is now in its final stage
. The windows are all fitted and temporary doors will be hung by the end of August. Apart from a few details the building is now wind and watertight.
. The windows are all fitted and temporary doors will be hung by the end of August. Apart from a few details the building is now wind and watertight. The building team is continuing with the drainage and sewer work which has been extended to include dealing with the surface water problems arising for many years behind the conference centre, with water coming from the public road and off the hillside beyond the road. After the summer holiday we will be laying the drain
s in the courtyard. Once this is completed public access to the courtyard will be resumed. After we complete the foul and surface water drains we have to construct another septic tank adjacent to the existing one. This is located down near the farm and will involve a large excavation, concrete slabs and brick walls. The sewer to the septic tank was upgraded during 1988 and is still adequate for the entire Samye Project and the rest of Samye Ling.The door frames that are being fitted to all the external doors are permanent sub-frames which will allow us to hang temporary doors. They will remain there to receive the oak linings, door stops and architraves at a later stage.
The path around the Shrine Room was re-opened for use today (Friday 29th July) at 3.30pm. Drupon Rinpoche led a traditional Kora procession to mark the occasion, to the sound of conch music and accompanied by residents and visitors. It is almost three years since the old path was excavated to make way for the foundations. Since 2008 everyone has had to forego the merit accumulation arising from doing Kora around the Temple until now, and we are very pleased that this practise can resume along the original route. We have laid a temporary paving slab path and erected a screen to keep building, foot traffic and materials separated from public access areas.
The next stage of the Project includes the design and construction of the following.
- Electrical wiring
- Plumbing
- Internal drainage
- Heating
- Ventilation
- Wall and ceiling finishes
- Floor screeds and finishes
- Lighting
This is a different type of work than that completed so far, so we have decided upon a different approach that will involve working with a large contractor to ensure that this phase is completed promptly. We hope to appoint a contractor by October and that this phase will be completed within around 6 months.
Other works by the building team that will continue in the meantime include the porches on the north elevation, the main front porch (similar to the Liberation Gate), and the paving to the courtyard, the stairs, the entrance to the Shrine Room and all around the Temple. We have agreed that it is appropriate to lay new high quality paving throughout the complex, this will introduce a natural material to the paved areas and integrate the newly completed works with the Temple.
We hope that by this time next year the finishing touches and decorating will be happening and that the new spaces will be coming into use. Discussions have already been held on works to be carried out following the completion of this project, so we cannot expect the building works to end in the next year or two anyway!
David Hayward. Project Manager.
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