Practice Task 4 · Parts 1–4

From: Marisol Beaupre, Pottery Guild Coordinator

To: Desmond Achterberg, Facility Manager, Elderwood Community Centre

Subject: Pottery room access during the renovation

Hi Desmond,

I saw the notice posted last week saying the west wing, including the pottery room, will close starting the 3rd for the flooring and ventilation upgrade. Our guild has eighteen members currently working on pieces for the spring craft fair, and several of those pieces are mid-firing in the kiln right now. Closing the room with no notice period for finishing work in progress would be a real problem.

Could members get access for an hour or two before the closure to remove finished pieces and unfired greenware? I also want to ask whether the kiln itself will be relocated during the renovation, or whether it stays in place and we simply lose access to the room around it. If it is being moved, I would like to know where, since some of our members volunteer to load and unload it and would need to know the new location.

Separately, I understand the renovation is expected to take ten weeks. Is there any temporary space elsewhere in the building where the guild could continue meeting, even without kiln access, just so we do not lose momentum before the fair?

Thanks for looking into this,

Marisol

— REPLY —

From: Desmond Achterberg

To: Marisol Beaupre

Subject: RE: Pottery room access during the renovation

Hi Marisol,

Thanks for flagging this before the closure date. I can arrange access on the morning of the 2nd, from 9 to 11, specifically for members to clear finished and unfired pieces. After that, the room will be sealed off for asbestos testing before any work begins, so nothing further can be removed once the 3rd arrives.

The kiln will not be relocated. It is being left in place and boxed in for protection during construction, since moving it risks damaging the internal elements. That means the guild will not have kiln access at all for the ten-week period, regardless of where meetings happen.

On temporary space: the multipurpose room on the second floor is free on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and could work for hand-building or glazing sessions that do not require the kiln. I would need the guild to store any tools or materials in the storage closet after each session rather than leaving them out, since the room is also booked by other groups.

One more thing worth mentioning: the renovation timeline has already slipped once, from eight weeks to ten, so I would treat ten weeks as an estimate rather than a guarantee. I will update you if it changes again.

Desmond