2009	Summary of Progress 2008
	April 14th, 2008 Our first meeting with the architect was very productive. tBP Architecture was chosen to design the new planetarium at Palomar College.  At today's meeting representatives from tBP met with various representative groups to discuss what we envision the new planetarium will be, who it will serve, and how it will grow from its historical roots. The next step is to brainstorm ideas about the design of the facility and to take a field trip to another planetarium in the Southland to examine successful designs and incorporate ideas into our new planetarium.  This will be happening in the next couple of weeks (or sooner!)
	April 22nd, 2008 This productive meeting's central theme was to make steps towards creating a blueprint for the planetarium.  Design Team members brainstormed the layout of the venue looking to best meet the vision we have and the practical needs of the facility.  tBP brought plans from Antelope Valley College's new planetarium to show us a few ideas we might want to consider for the planetarium at Palomar College.  We then walked the lot (where the new planetarium will be constructed) to visualize the placement of the building and see what layout would allow for maximum exposure to the sky for telescope viewing.  Careful thought is going into the design of the building so that it will mesh with the other adjacent buildings.  Using the Palomar College Master Plan as our guide, we are hoping to maximize the access to the venue and integrate the new planetarium into the overall vision of the College's future appearance. The next step is to schedule a field trip to the Griffith Park Planetarium and see what innovative designs their newly remodeled planetarium includes along with advice on how they would do things if given the chance to do the project again.
	May 9th, 2008 Today's meeting included Jeff Bowen from Bowen Technovation along with the tBP team.  Bowen is a planetarium design and construction consulting company that specializes in the design and delivery of electronic media.  Jeff showed us some of the areas of expertise that his company provides and examples of past and current projects Bowen has been involved with.  We brainstormed a few ideas about what technology we hope to incorporate into the new planetarium and what our vision will be for how the planetarium will serve the community.  Jeff and the team from tBP toured the existing planetarium to see where we are coming from and where we would like to go with this project. Next up is to produce a preliminary set of drawings for this project.  I look forward to seeing our vision put on paper.  Stay tuned!
	May 20th, 2008 At today's meeting we were able to see the first conceptual drawings for the planetarium.  tBP architects took the information from previous meetings and laid out a rough floor plan that brings together the theater space, workrooms, and outdoor patio space.  These first plans are for a 50-foot dome with 154 seats, keeping us on target with what we hope the new planetarium capacity will be.  The Design Team brainstormed some alterations to the plans that would maximize the space and provide for the anticipated needs of the venue.  tBP is working hard to incorporate our vision into a working design that will create a unique look to the planetarium while having it blend in with the overall campus architecture. The next meeting will include a second iteration of the building design and perhaps some cost estimates for the project.  As soon as we have a working design for the building I will post copies of the plans for all to see.  Stay tuned!
	June 24th, 2008 At today's meeting we worked with the second iteration of the venue layout.  Fine tuning of the layout was discussed to maximize the usage of the 4,000 square foot space.  tBP discussed the initial budgetary estimates with the Design Team.  An initial timeline estimate for the project was provided by tBP.  It is hoped that the project can be completed by mid-2011. The project has officially entered from the "Project Scoping" to the "Preliminary Design" phase.  Meetings will occur more frequently as the team works toward a working design.
	July 15th, 2008 Today we looked at a refined site plan for the planetarium.  Changes were made about where the placement of the building will be located on the site to accommodate the existing water and sewage systems.  tBP architects refined the planetarium floor plan to include more details about the interior of the theater and support offices.  We are still on track for a 50 foot dome with 154 seats.  The first conceptual 3-D renderings were shown - much to our delight. Upcoming meetings will include Jeff Bowen (the planetarium systems consultant) as we work towards further refinements of the plans.
	July 29th, 2008 At today's meeting we were treated to the first 3-D renderings of what the outside of the building might look like.  tBP architects presented to the Design Team several options for what the shape of the building might look like.  The team was very pleased with one particular option that the tBP architects will go forward with.  We will release images of the design once the final project is presented to the College Board and receives final Board approval. Some preliminary landscaping designs were shown to the design team.  At this stage we are focusing on the access to the planetarium and the flow of traffic along several of the outer walkways.  The size of the men's bathroom was increased and some of the interior spaces were eliminated to keep the building footprint the same. The next meeting will include Jeff Bowen from Bowen Technovation.  Discussion of the integration of the planetarium equipment with the building design will begin.  The new planetarium is starting to take shape and looks good!
	August 12th, 2008 Today's meeting focused on equipment details for the new planetarium.  Jeff Bowen of Bowen Technovation came to the meeting to discuss the different design elements that need to be incorporated into the project that are related to the projection systems, sound system, lighting, and more.  This lengthy meeting was very productive as the Design Team made some important decisions related to this project.  Preliminary budget estimates will come from this meeting that will allow us to seek additional funding through grants, donations, and sponsorship. New 3-D renderings were provided by tBP architects that show the way the planetarium will look from the outside as well as how the interior floorplan will look in 3-dimensions.  We are approaching the point where the college administration will soon be involved in oversight and approval.  This ultimately will lead to seeking approval from the State Architects.
	September 15th, 2008 This was a big day for the planning committee.  Today the tBP architects and I presented the current plans for the new planetarium to the College President, and Vice Presidents.  The purpose of this meeting was to describe the project and solicit suggestions from the President and VPs.  The meeting went well and everyone there was very encouraged with the progress and they liked the overall design of the new planetarium.  Following the meeting with the President and VPs, the full Design Team met with tBP architects.  At this meeting we looked at the current refinements from the last meeting.  We made some significant changes to the layout of the planetarium offices floor-plan to accommodate a wider hallway leading to the planetarium theater.  The 3D modeling was more fleshed out this time and we were treated with a virtual tour of the facility. Bowen Technovation presented us with several options for the equipment that will ultimately be used in the planetarium.  It is clear that we will need to do some fundraising if we are going to have a state-of-the-art display for planetarium patrons.
	November 25th, 2008 At today's meeting we saw the latest updated plans for the new planetarium.  It has been two months since our last meeting and there were several significant changes to the floor plan that were made.  A few of the support rooms were moved around to increase the flow of traffic down the east hallway.  The locations of some of the projection equipment has been added to the architectural drawings to show more detail of how the interior of the planetarium theater will be laid out.  A sample set of planetarium seats was delivered for the Design Team to look at and discuss.  Two more samples will be delivered over the coming months so that the Team can decide on the seating that will go in to the new planetarium. A preliminary meeting between the tBP architects and the Division of State Architects (DSA) was successful.  Some changes were needed and some preliminary approval was given by the State regarding design issues and specific code requirements. We are approximately 50% of the way through the Design and Development phase!