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Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm

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Re: Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm

#641

Post by loeg »

ctdonath wrote: post #617
loeg wrote: post #295

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is your mortgage in Santa Barbara?

Why would I live somewhere so expensive? Many seem to not understand that real estate is not unlimited-supply like most manufactured goods. Just because you want a particular home doesn’t mean expect it will go for MSRP like common retail goods. You’re bidding on a strictly limited supply, vs others willing to bid more. At some point reconsider what you’re actually trying to get, and that better is far more affordabl…

Your datapoint was only interesting if it was comparable to building housing in UCSB. Since you don't live in Santa Barbara, I don't know why you brought it up.

Your choices are completely irrelevant here. UCSB students have already determined that what is best for them is not what you describe as "better." Your mortgage rate in some cheaper locale is totally irrelevant to the cost of building a dwelling in Santa Barbara.

Re: Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm

#642

Post by pasabagi »

nucleardog wrote: post #601
pasabagi wrote: post #572

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> if our new building will have DC wiring for LED lights, rather than a cheap, inefficient transformer in every bulb, This blows my mind too. I expect it's coming, though: the cables would be cheaper, and if there's one driver of change in construction, it's cost. Another question is, would it be a straight improvement? I think transformers are typically very efficient, and I could imagine the losses from running a l…

Running DC typically requires much higher gauge wire. To keep under a 10% voltage drop (which is a _lot_), our current 15A branch circuits on 14g wire would be limited to about 10ft away from the transformer. You could make it to ~30ft on existing wiring as long as you kept draw under 5A. That’s ~60W and enough to power all of 5 pretty anemic 12V bulbs. If you actually need something like a 60ft run from your transfo…

Does AC differ significantly to DC when it comes to wire gauge? If so, why? I thought wire heating was simply a function of amps?

While I think 12V would be too low, I think there's also a happier medium than 120/220V. Something like 50V is nice because you're very unlikely to get an electric shock, while taking advantage of the fact the average LED current draw is like 1 fifth of an incandescent.

Re: Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm

#643

Post by b20000 »

helen___keller wrote: post #321
b20000 wrote: post #265

The cost of housing needs to be brought down in California via regulation. This could be done by no longer permitting commissions on the sale of real estate for example and by only allowing for a small fixed fee in a transaction, e.g. $500. One of the main problems with the rising cost is the realtors who constantly jack up the price artifically.

> his could be done by no longer permitting commissions on the sale of real estate for example and by only allowing for a small fixed fee in a transaction, e.g. $500. One of the main problems with the rising cost is the realtors who constantly jack up the price artifically. Nonsense, the sellers' agent does not own the property and the buyers agent does not put up the money to purchase it. They are facilitating a lar…

removing the realtors removes 6%

Re: Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm

#644

Post by b20000 »

foolfoolz wrote: post #306
b20000 wrote: post #265

The cost of housing needs to be brought down in California via regulation. This could be done by no longer permitting commissions on the sale of real estate for example and by only allowing for a small fixed fee in a transaction, e.g. $500. One of the main problems with the rising cost is the realtors who constantly jack up the price artifically.

one reason the cost of housing it’s so high is regulation. building a 4 unit apartment will cost you about 400-600k in city and permit fees

4 unit building?

Re: Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm

#645

Post by vladharbuz »

pphysch wrote: post #296
vladharbuz wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The point is not that extremely small living spaces, which you flatteringly describe as “economical”, are intrinsically bad. The issue here is the imbalance of power. I can say with near certainty that very few of the students who would be living in this space would opt for such a layout (extremely small rooms, no windows). Obviously, the students have absolutely no say in the matter, and neither does the university…

What an incredibly dramatic comment. Are you being serious right now? HN is not remotely representative of the general population, much less undergraduate student population. And most students aren't going to let their anti-authoritarian angst/daddy issues get in the way of an easy commute and good night's sleep.

Authority doesn't have to be bad, as long as it's justified, or at the very least as long as the authority exists to meet the needs of those under authority.

If you design a student dorm for example, the best design will take into account what is best for the students, according to the students. Okay, we can introduce authority into it, and assign some staff to decide what would be best for them. But either way, the "input" to this process would be the needs of the students.

I don't think it should be controversial to say that constructing the dorm based on plans from a rich hobby-architect donor is not in the best interest of the students, and that it is impossible to consider this justified or beneficial authority towards the students. The argument of "some discomfort will do them good" does not convince me, unfortunately.

I find it difficult to see this donor's story as anything other than self-congratulatory megalomania, but if you see it differently, I honestly hope you're right!

Re: Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm

#646

Post by diogenescynic »

Pretty gross that a billionaire is using his wealth to force a university to build something that is designed to be hostile to those who live in it. Disgusting display of control over others. Why not pay to give them all a beach view? I don't understand why someone with so much wealth would force this--the induced socialization scheme is just dumb. Someone should have told grandpa his idea sucked.

Re: Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm

#647

Post by nucleardog »

accountofme wrote: post #603
nucleardog wrote: post #601

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Running DC typically requires much higher gauge wire. To keep under a 10% voltage drop (which is a _lot_), our current 15A branch circuits on 14g wire would be limited to about 10ft away from the transformer. You could make it to ~30ft on existing wiring as long as you kept draw under 5A. That’s ~60W and enough to power all of 5 pretty anemic 12V bulbs. If you actually need something like a 60ft run from your transfo…

Is this assuming that you keep the voltage low? Say at 12V? Wouldn't we push the voltage to maximise the power pushed and minimise the resistive losses?

The comment about powering a few anemic lightbulbs on 60W was assuming 12V, but otherwise it's all pretty independent of voltage.

You could get the current 1800W of energy out of a branch circuit with 15A at 120VDC and all the limitations/massive wires I described.

If you wanted to run 1800W DC as we run current power (14/2, hundred foot+ runs, etc) you'd be looking at something like 720VDC at a couple amps.

There's three main things I see as limitations to really pushing DC up to those levels:

1. Safety, plain and simple. 2. Switching. You generally require larger contacts and bigger gaps to switch DC because you don't get the benefit of it crossing over a 0 point several times a second. This gets worse the higher the voltage goes. This requires much more involved switching equipment. E.g., it's common to see a relay rated for switching 120VAC/30VDC. 3. Economies of scale. This one isn't some law of physics, but most current equipment you can find is 12/24/48VDC outside of very expensive industrial stuff. Also you're gonna need some pretty big transformers to step this stuff back down to usable voltages since everything we need it for is generally running at single-digit voltages. (Efficient, but just another big thing on the BOM for every single device.)

That said, I'm just a hobbyist so I may be missing something fundamental here.

Re: Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm

#648

Post by pphysch »

vladharbuz wrote: post #645
pphysch wrote: post #296

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What an incredibly dramatic comment. Are you being serious right now? HN is not remotely representative of the general population, much less undergraduate student population. And most students aren't going to let their anti-authoritarian angst/daddy issues get in the way of an easy commute and good night's sleep.

Authority doesn't have to be bad, as long as it's justified, or at the very least as long as the authority exists to meet the needs of those under authority. If you design a student dorm for example, the best design will take into account what is best for the students, according to the students. Okay, we can introduce authority into it, and assign some staff to decide what would be best for them. But either way, the…

"Some discomfort will do them good"

Literally no one is making this argument. This is about economics, not power.

Re: Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm

#649

Post by diogenescynic »

dsauerbrun wrote: post #21

as someone who attended ucsb and has also spent a week in a bedroom without a window I really hope this doesn't happen. it'll really mess the kids up. I felt awful waking up in that room. not having any natural light to cue you in to what time it is forces you to turn on the light to wake up. waking up to artificial light is an absolute miserable experience and if I had to do it for a year I would leave... of course…

100% agree. Living conditions are already brutal at UCSB. This will just force students to live like prisoners. I can't think of anything more shitty to do to a student. Weird way to be a donor...

Re: Architect Resigns in Protest over UCSB Mega-Dorm

#650

Post by diogenescynic »

mikeg8 wrote: post #455
jtlienwis wrote: post #392

I haven't trusted Charlie Munger at all since reading a paper he wrote about how wonderful an investment in Coca-Cola stock is. He told all about their great growth rate, cash flow etc but never once mentioned if drinking caffeinated sugar water on a regular basis is good for you (its not, its very unhealthy).

He was giving investment advise, not nutritional advice. Just because you don’t agree with the morality does not mean he was incorrect or dishonest.

I think OP is just pointing out how that's kinda anti-social behavior and amoral. "So what if I gave millions diabetes, I'm a billionaire!"
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