Friday, December 31, 2010

Clarification

Our Military retirement Village only helps those with money?
What about the veterans who are homeless? There are MANY homeless veterans who are ashamed to admit it. They find it hard to believe that the country that they fight for would leave them homeless, on the streets, but unfortunately this is what happens.
Does our Retirement village provide some kind of aid for these people or do you need money to get in?

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Have a Happy Holiday

We want to wish everyone a warm and wonderful
Holiday Season!
I hope all of you take some time during your extensive winter break to research topics and sketch a few ideas for your project.
Please contribute to the blog.
We're hoping everyone posts at least one item during this break.
We need every one's help on this.
Seniors, good luck with your college applications!
See you all next year!
Warmest Wishes,
ACE Team 8 Mentors
P.S. Our next meeting will be held on Monday January 3rd at the offices of WSP Flack & Kurtz.
See you then.

ACE TEAM 8 MEETING NOTES MTG #4 12/13/2010

Minutes provided by Allen Corrales

Students have chosen to pursue the CIRT Design Competition and selected to design a Retirement Village for Military Veterans. If anybody has members of their family who are or were in the military, this is a great resource. Interview them.

1. As a Team we need to figure out where the project is going to be located.

2. Figure out a layout based on the program and what possible questions the judges might ask.

Main Topics in the Program:

3. The design is for a future community.

  • How far into the future?

4. House should look different………

  • How many varieties? Single family, townhouses, apartments, live-in care?

5. Enrich & Expand.

  • When we selected the project, everyone wanted to give something special to these people because of the sacrifices they gave.

6. Education

  • These veterans are highly trained and quite technically savvy.

7. Will the village be open to all branched of the military?

  • Should the different branches of the military be separated? (Navy, Air Force, etc…)

8. Retirees are younger

  • How old do you need to be to retire from the military?

9. Work

  • What type of job can be there?
  • What about placing our site near a marina so that the former Navy personnel can use their previous training in some way?
  • Perhaps the site should be near an airport so that Air Force Pilots/mechanics/air traffic controllers can still be utilized?
  • These retirees are well trained and bring a lot of experience that we can tap into?
  • Many understand logistics.
  • Maybe their skills could be used to train new recruits.
  • Not all of these veterans were in the infantry.
  • Many worked behind the scenes to provide supplies, planned and organized large amounts of data, repaired and maintained an extensive amount of equipment and provide medical and emotional support.
  • Many were decision makers and are highly educated.

10. Medical

  • What type of facility do they need?
  • Should are site be near a VA Hospital or Active Military Base to get access to care?
  • What about reinvigorating a military base that was closed or decommissioned?
  • What are the needs for the handicap/physically impaired people?
  • ADA and Universal Design provide guidelines.
  • Some military veterans will be returning with a varying degrees of health. Some more emotional and mental than physical.
  • Mobility for a variety of health conditions?
  • As retirees grow older and their health becomes more compromised, they have more specific needs.
  • Should our community provide different levels of care? What kinds are there?

11. Food/Dining……

  • Variety, is preferred. Investigate dining options on a cruise ship or senior resorts?
  • Fresh and perhaps grown on site?
  • Gardening is very therapeutic for seniors?
  • Farmers market to generate revenue?

12. Security?

  • What type and level of security should be available?

13. What type of “Homes” and what provides a sense of “Belonging?

  • What provides a sense of belonging? A common experience or interest?
  • What provides a sense of home? Family?
  • Should our homes be able to accommodate an extended family or children?
  • Homes should be adaptable to a variety of living arrangements and needs.

14. What type of support­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ services should there be?

  • If we place the site near a military base , the veterans would have access to the PX which provides military personnel with everyday supplies at a reduced cost.

15. What type of services, logistics or transportation should be provided?

  • Electric vehicles, golf carts, hybrid buses, segways, little rascals

16. What kind of benefits do retired military veterans receive?

17. Building types. Besides housing, what types of facilities should be provided?

  • Medical treatment center should be available?
  • Community Center?
  • Education?
  • Repair and Maintenance shops?
  • Shopping/commercial?
  • Chapel?
  • Parade Route for military events and holidays commemorating the military?
  • Military symbology, colors, significant heros?

18. What type of energy could be used to provide a sustainable environment?

  • If these residents are so highly trained in the latest technology would we be able to provide jobs in the green technology sector?
  • Would it be beneficial to provide a wind farm or solar array that could be maintained and operated by the residents?
  • Should we move beyond NET CARBON ZERO community and try for a NET POSITIVE community and sell excessive energy back to the utility companies?

19. Landscape/location/climate

  • Retirement communities are located all over an in a variety of climates.

20. Different types of activities.

  • Recreation, social what other types?
  • Golf, bowling, fishing, hunting, paintball, gardening, tennis, volley ball, swimming pool, recreation center, hydroponics farming, working , walk,

END OF MEETING

Monday, December 20, 2010

test blog

this is a posting test

Retire benefits

http://www.military.com/benefits/military-pay/retired-pay/military-retired-pay-overview
Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

What's better Retire at 38 or 60+?

http://retirewell.findfastr.com/retire/what-is-better-retire-from-military-at-age-38-or-retire-as-a-civilian-at-age-60
Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Littie something

http://www.bestguide-retirementcommunities.com/militaryretirementcommunities.html
Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Friday, December 17, 2010

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended



This is some information on the American Disability Act. If you want to read more the website is at the bottom of this post.

The ADA recognizes and protects the civil rights of people with disabilities and is modeled after earlier landmark laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race and gender. The ADA covers a wide range of disability, from physical conditions affecting mobility, stamina, sight, hearing, and speech to conditions such as emotional illness and learning disorders. The ADA addresses access to the workplace, State and local government services, and places of public accommodation and commercial facilities. It also requires phone companies to provide telecommunications relay services for people who have hearing or speech impairments and miscellaneous instructions to Federal agencies that enforce the law. Regulations issued under the different titles by various Federal agencies set requirements and establish enforcement procedures. To understand and comply with the ADA, it is important to follow the appropriate regulations.



http://www.access-board.gov/about/laws/ada.htm

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

These are the questions I will Use to survey the Military Personnel with.
Feel Free to Correct or add if necessary.

Military Retirement Village Survey

1) What is your name and rank?
2) Did you fight in a war? Which one?
3) When the time is right, would you want to live in a Military Retirement Village?
4) Where would you prefer your retirement village to be located?
5) Would you like the Village to be dedicated to one specific division or to be diverse within it?
6) How many family members would live with you? What ages?
7) Would you wish to live in a Gated or Open Village? Why?
8) What type of activities/services would you like to be available to you within this Village?
9) Would you prefer everyday clinical service or clinical service when needed?
10) Would you desire food to be prepared for you or would you like to prepare your own meals? Or both?
11) During the time spent at this Village, would you like to work?
12) If so, what kind of job would you like? Would you like this job to be within or outside of the Village?
13) What modes of transportation would you rather to be available to you within the Village? [cars, bikes, walking trails, etc. (realistically speaking)]
14) Would you rather your own driveway, or a parking lot to store your vehicle?
15) Would you prefer a village that Represses or Embraces memories related to war?

Retirement Community in Boca Raton Florida

At this link there is information on attractions of a Retirement Community in Florida as well as images of these attractions.Some attractions incorporated were:

Hobbies & Entertainment

  • Pet friendly*
  • Putting green
  • Swimming pool
  • Fishing lake
  • Library with reading room, current periodicals, videos and DVDs
  • Gazebo/Picnic area
  • Fitness center
  • Fitness classes on-site
  • Card room
  • Craft room
  • Wood workshop
  • Walking trails
  • Horseshoe Court
  • Shuffleboard
  • Game room/Billiard room
  • Day and overnight trips available
  • Life Long Learning opportunities

Convenience

  • Formal and Casual Dining available
  • Private Dining Room for parties and family functions
  • Nutritious meals prepared by professionally trained chefs
  • Carriage homes with garages
  • Gated community
  • Covered parking
  • Guest apartments available
  • Transportation to doctors & shopping
  • Full-time, non-denominational Chaplain
  • Full-time activities director
  • Fitness Coordinator/Personal Trainer on staff
  • Banking on-campus
  • Beauty Salon on-campus
  • Chapel
  • Gift shop
  • Free Laundry facilities**
  • Buildings connected by enclosed walkways
  • Resident Storage areas
  • In-house, resident run TV Station
  • Cable TV included or available
  • Housekeeping Services available

Also there were 4 types of apartments including Studio, One Bedroom,Two Bedroom,and a Three Bedroom apartment. ( Floors plans are included)


http://www.actsretirement.org/acts-retirement-community-locations/florida/st-andrews-estates-south-boca-raton
This is a link is to a Air Force Village/Community and it talks about the attractions that are within the village such as:
San Antonio's Premier Military Officers' Retirement Community: Camaraderie with a Modern Lifestyle
  • It serves for the Officers of the Air Force; Army; Navy; Marines Coast Guard; Air and Army National Guard and Reserves.

You will love the temperate climate, and the glories of San Antonio, Texas:

  • superb dining
  • excellent shopping
  • cultural outings
  • golf and other outdoor recreation & professional sports
    and so much more!
http://www.airforcevillages.com/

Thursday, December 9, 2010

2011 CIRT/ACE Competition Brochure and Program

Everyone,

On December 6th, the students of Team 8 unanimously selected the "Retirement Village for Military Veteran's " as this years project.

Below please find a copy of the 2011 CIRT/ACE Competition Brochure and Program for your review. Be sure to review the entire brochure in order to understand the requirements and topics we will need to address with our proposal.


Copies of this brochure were handed out at our second meeting. Here is the link as well to the website for your reference:

http://www.acementor.org/wsc_content/pics/user_upload/2011CIRTComp2.pdf














Wednesday, December 8, 2010

WELCOME ACE TEAM 8

Greetings Everyone!
Welcome to the 2011 ACE Team 8 Blog.
This will be the location where everyone will be able to share information, ideas, suggestions, photos, sketches, video, maps, drawings, stats, models, thoughts etc. about this year's project.
We'll also be able to send updates on future meetings as well.
GO TEAM 8!