NOTE: SUMMARY OF THE FULL WATERSLIDE FEASIBILITY STUDY BY RONALD BARSCH (YDI Inventioneering team lead)
Note #2: This is only a summary of the study. The full report can be read in the Legal Library display case next to the handicapped bathroom adjacent to building 37. Scale waterslide models are on display in conference room Thornduke C28-West. Please check with Nancy Bakies in facilities to find out when the conference room is available for model appreciation visits.
Problem: YD Industries employees need expanded recreational opportunities at the New Rochelle campus. After a careful poll of the employee suggestion box, waterslides were determined to be the most requested option. This report investigates waterslide installation opportunities on the property, compares three options, outlines conclusions based on the comparisons, and offers a recommendation.
Artist rendition of the Lot B originating “river wild” style waterslide. Towel service still under consideration.
Investigation: A full investigation of the campus revealed several options for waterslides. The location inspection was initially conducted with the help of the physical plant electric golf cart. However, the cart either overheated or ran out of power just past the overflow parking lot. This meant the remainder of the site scout was done by foot but was quickly abandoned due to the afternoon heat, improperly sized orthotic inserts, and a lack of lunch.
Options: The Tilden fountain could easily be entered by waterslide if one were installed from the second floor of the security offices. This option would enable a modest three-hump slide, but would require the use of sliding mats. A second and more dramatic option would be to construct a slide from the top of Thornduke 3 into the duck pond. This option would include a gravity drop and a corkscrew. A third slide, riding the slope between Lot B and the Lower Concourse, would be in the “river wild” genre, and would be the longest and most bucolic of the waterslide options.
Conclusions: While the Tilden fountain would seem the most logical and central slide location, the elevation offered by the security building would not result in truly exciting employee slide adventures. The Thornduke 3 location would provide dramatic sliding, but certain obvious environmental details would have to be negotiated with the duck pond caretakers. Finally, the “river wild” slide would only be available during the warm summer months and would also require significant excavation for a “Neptune’s Tunnel” option.
Recommendations: Despite the seasonal limitations and potential fiscal impact, the Lot B originating “river wild” slide is the best waterslide option. This was made abundantly clear when it was discovered that the slide could be converted into a luge track, and additional revenue could be obtained by hosting, televising, and webcasting popular winter sledding tournaments. In addition, the location would enable the north and south campuses, traditionally geographically isolated from each other, to feel more “connected” and thus increase general corporate productivity.
