INFRASTRUCTURE MELBOURNE WITNESS THE ART OF TACTILE CERTIFICATION
10 November, 2008
At the recent Infrastructure Melbourne tradeshow Christopher Bertacco from DTAC met and consulted directly with architectural designers and landscape engineers with DTAC’s new 15 Minute Tactile Review programme.
'It’s was just so easy. We had all kinds of ‘design Kats’ rolling up with plans and problems with tactile indicator compliance' states Chris, 'We took out our scale rulers, traversed the Australian Standards and solved design and installation issues on the spot. One client even said that we had saved him over $7,500 on his budget just by DTAC reviewing his plan drawings.'
After Chris published his white paper last year for DTAC, One Tactile-One Message, he said, 'the National office has experienced a flood of requests for reviews and consultation of projects prior to tender. Chris remarked that,' …many in the architectural and landscape fields seek advice for compliance and tactile issues. In my 9 years with DTAC travelling Australia and the world consulting on tactile indicators, I am alarmed that many accept advice from those that do not have a professional indemnity policy for the advice they freely supply. DTAC clients really benefit from or Tactile Review programme being safe in the knowledge that all staff are trained and undergo regularly refreshers and that we are insured.'
On recent trip to Tokyo this year Chris participated in a streetscape walk through where he noted there were, 'almost more tactiles in Japan than people!' He went on to say, 'The Tactile Review programme, like what we have done over the last several days at Infrastructure Melbourne, allows designers to minimise, or in some cases, do away with tactile indicators all together. I get a real kick out of saving people money so that they get to keep that Louis Poulsen light on the spec.'
Notes – Christopher Bertacco can be contacted on 0411 719 591 or by email chris@dtac.com.au. DTAC’s National Number is 1300 793 478 WWW.DTAC.COM.AU
Dean Homicki