1995 building plans: electrical findings

Rendered from the working notes plans-electrical-findings.md on 2026-10-11.

TRC 1660 9th St: electrical data extracted from the plan set (2026-09-24)

Source folder (read only): /Users/gregspero/Downloads/Greg Spero/Greg's Dropbox/TRC/Building Plans Renders: /Users/gregspero/trc-electrical/render/ (listed at the end). Tags: [DRAWN] = shown on a sheet. [INFERRED] = my reading, not stated on any sheet.

0. Headline facts

• No electrical engineering sheets exist anywhere in this folder. [DRAWN] The 1995 index runs A-0 to A-9.3 with no E-series. The only consultant listed is Oxford Engineering, the structural engineer. General Note 1.E on A-1 says: "Separate plans for electrical, plumbing and HVAC shall be submitted to the respective Building Departments for approval and permits." The permitted electrical plans were a separate submittal and are not in this folder. Confidence: high.
• So these drawings contain no panel schedule, circuit numbers, breaker sizes, service size, meter location, or feeder data. None of the 30 sheets has any of these. Confidence: high.
• What the drawings do contain:
• The architect's device layout. A-5.1 and A-5.2 carry the power, data and isolated-ground receptacles.
• The lighting layout. A-6.1 and A-6.2 carry fixtures, switch legs and dimmers, plus a lighting fixture schedule.
• Two verbatim tech-power and isolated-ground specs on A-5.1. They call for ground rods in each machine room and a #2 ground run to the electrical room.
• The HVAC electrical characteristic, "3 phase 240 v" on A-6.1. This implies a three-phase service. [INFERRED]
• The location of the electrical room.
• The address is 1660 9th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404/90405. It is not "Suite 1660, Los Angeles." [DRAWN] The 1995 cover lists tenant and location as "1660 9th Street, Santa Monica CA 9040(5)". The 2012 title blocks read "PROJECT 1660 9TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90404". The "3200 Airport Avenue, Suite 20" on the 2012 sheets is the architect's own office (nonzero\architecture, Peter Grueneisen). "SUITE 1660" appears only as a label typed onto the modern Processed_Floor_Plan_With_Labels.jpg. Confidence: high.
• The alley is at the west end, grid line 6, at the storage / rehearsal / locker-hallway end. 9th Street is the east end at grid 1, reception. [DRAWN] The A-0 site plan puts ALLEY at the rear and 9TH ST at the front. The lot is 50'-0" x 150'-0" with parking at the alley end. [INFERRED from matching the plans] The grid-6 wall is the alley wall. It has the (E) roll-up door, the man door with exterior concrete landing and steps, and the exit sign. Confidence: moderate-high.

1. Sheet inventory

1995 set: 1995 Audiobanks Boto.pdf

The set is 21 pages. Each page is a scanned 400 ppi bitonal image with no text layer, so every note below was read visually. Architect: Boto Design Architects, 1503 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice. Tenant: Sarah & Brian Banks Co. Job 94101. Revisions are dated 5-18-95 (bid set) and 8-2-95 (building dept). Contractor stamp: West Branch Builders, Inc. Building data: office 1,042 sf plus warehouse 3,898 sf, total 4,940 sf. The building is an existing one-story building with a mezzanine.

Floor plan.pdf and Floor plan.jpg

This is a single scanned sheet: A-4 First Floor Plan from the same 1995 set, heavily hand-redlined. It carries wall-layer and shear notes, door letters, and "now 11-1-95". Its printed legend adds two entries that do not appear on A-5.1: - EXIT SIGN. The symbol is a circle-X with a bar. - "EMERGENCY LIGHT WALL PACK @ 10'-0" AFF."

The machine room is relabeled "MACH ROOM / STORAGE" in pen.

2012 set (processed once, from Floor Plans/)

The 1660 revisions/ copy has the same byte sizes and was skipped. Architect: nonzero\architecture / studio bau:ton (Peter Grueneisen FAIA). Project: "Tenant Improvement, Steve Jablonsky, 1660 9th St., Santa Monica, CA 90404". Project no. 28-306. CAD file "CURRENT JABLONSKY AUDIOBANKS.vwx".

2. Electrical service, panels, meter

3. Grounding (verbatim)

A-5.1 lower left, "ELECTRICAL DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS". Render: A51-specs.png.

1. Tech-Power: Use Single Phase Panel. Provide for possible future isolation transformer. No other circuits such as lighting or HVAC to be on technical power. Use "orange" isolated ground receptacles with separate green ground conductor for each branch circuit back to separate ground buss panel in machine rooms.

2. Provide 5' solid copper ground rods in each machine room. Adjacent ground buss panel to be provided. Each box to have 2" wide copper buss w/isolated bushings from metal box. Provide 3/4" conduit w/1-#2 ground conductor from each grounding box buss bar to ground rod & from ground rod to electrical room for future connection to secondary neutral ground point of isolation transformer.

What this means for the schematic: - Design intent: a star (home-run) isolated-ground system. [DRAWN] Each IG branch circuit gets its own green conductor. It runs back to a ground bus box in the machine room. That bus bonds to a 5' copper rod in the machine room. A #2 conductor in 3/4" conduit then runs from the rod to the electrical room, to await a future isolation transformer's neutral-ground bond. - "Machine rooms" is plural. On A-5.1 the only room labeled MACH. RM. is east of the control room, today's Office / machine room. HVAC Zone 6 also mentions a "small machine room" next to the writer's room. [INFERRED] That points to a second equipment closet, possibly at the west end. No second ground rod location is drawn. - Service grounding electrode: not shown. No water-pipe bond, Ufer or building ground rod appears on any sheet. [DRAWN: absent] - Ground in the alley or on the exterior: no sheet shows one. [DRAWN: absent] The only ground rods called out are "in each machine room". That would be a rod driven through the slab at the machine room, which is interior and mid-building, far from the alley. [INFERRED] Whether one was ever installed is unknown. - The 1995 symbol list has "DUPLEX RECEPTICAL @ 15" A.F.F. W/ ISOLATED GROUND" (underlined) and uses it throughout the studio rooms. - 2012 set: no grounding notes at all. [DRAWN: absent]

4. Legend / symbol key

A-5.1 and A-5.2 "ELECTRICAL SYMBOLS LIST"

Verbatim, including the drawing's spelling. Renders: A51-symbols-0.png, A51-symbols-1.png.

A-6.1 "LIGHTING FIXTURE SCHEDULE"

Verbatim. Renders: A61-fixtures-0.png, A61-fixtures-1.png, A61-rowG.png.

Lower-case letters a, b, c next to fixtures and switches are switch legs within a room, not circuit numbers. [DRAWN] The hand-written "#1" to "#6" on A-6.1 match the HVAC zone list on the same sheet. [INFERRED] They are HVAC zones, not circuits.

2012 A111 legend

• Plan symbols. The legend covers doors, windows, sections, details and elevations only. The hexagon "E" is a window symbol and the circled "E" is a door symbol. Neither is electrical. [DRAWN]
• Devices. They follow standard architectural convention: a circle with two ticks is a duplex, a circle with a cross is a quad, a triangle is data/phone, a square "J" is a junction box.
• Status and height. Every device is marked "(E)" for existing or "(N)" for new. Mounting heights are given as "+16" A.F.F.", "+90"", "+96"", "+22"" or "+102"".

5. General and specification notes about electrical (verbatim)

1995 A-1 General Notes: - 1.C: "Comply with the city of Uniform Building Code - 1991 Edition." Note 20.A says "1988 Uniform Building Code". This is an internal conflict on the sheet. - 1.E: "Separate plans for electrical, plumbing and HVAC shall be submitted to the respective Building Departments for approval and permits." - 8: "Provide access panels as required by applicable codes and as required for mechanical, electric and plumbing equipment. All locations shall be reviewed with the Architect." - 9: "Coordinate placement of all ceiling elements with mechanical, electrical, fire sprinkler designs..." - 12: "Contractor shall coordinate all slab and wall openings required by mechanical and electrical drawings." - 17: "In sound rated rooms, all wall and floor penetrations for pipe, ducts and outlets shall be sealed with an acoustic sealant and concealed or recessed fixtures shall be covered or backed with sound attenuation blankets."

1995 A-1 Fire Department Requirements: - 1: exit signs lighted whenever occupied. - 2: exit path lighting for stairway, hallway, exit passageway and egress to a public way. - 8: legal exit doors "shall be provided with illuminated exit signs". - 9: "Exit lighting and signs shall be in accordance with Title 19, Chapter 33 UBC and Santa Monica City Code requirements. Exit signs shall be minimum 6" high by 3/4" stroke block letters on a contrasting background." - 10: "Emergency lighting shall be provided giving a value of one foot candle at floor level."

1995 A-6.1 HVAC Design Specifications. These drive large branch circuits. 1. "Curb mtd. package heat pump units. 3 phase 240 v." 2. Zoning for bid purposes:

Zones 3 and 4 are hand-marked "COMBINE", and there is an option for zones 3 and 4 combined as one 5 ton unit. 3. "Provide vibration isolators under all units & flexible connections for main supply & return plenums, electrical & condensation lines."

1995 A-6.1 bid option. Verbatim: "BID OPTION: EXTERIOR SECURITY LIGHTING WALL PAKS (2 LOCATIONS) ON TIMER (100 W METAL HALIDE)". Both wall-pak symbols sit on the grid-6 alley wall, one near each corner (NW and SW).

1995 A-5.1 equipment notes: - "WATER HEATER ABOVE PROVIDE POWER": at the women's toilet / kitchen corner, south wall. - "PROVIDE GAS FOR FIREPLACE". - "8" RAISED COMPUTER FLR": machine room. - "(2) 2" PVC UP TO COMPOSITION LOFT": from the machine room.

2012 A500 (both dates), acoustical notes: - "All recessed wall and ceiling receptacles, panels and fixtures shall be caulked at all edges with acoustical sealant (USG or equal) prior to installation of cover plates." - "Provide box-outs, cut-outs, appropriate fixture trim pieces and any other special provisions in acoustic ceilings and walls as required for lighting fixtures, registers, diffusers and other inserted items." - "All installations, such as electrical conduits, light fixtures, etc. attached to light gauge framing exposed to sound shall be securely attached and shall be placed in a setting of acoustical sealant in addition to the standard fasteners to prevent rattling."

2012 A111 (09.19): - "RELOCATE (E) ELECTRICAL OUTLETS TO NEW SURFACE, IF REQUIRED (TYP.)" - "RELOCATED (E) LIGHT FIXTURES TO NEW SURFACE (TYP.)" - "(E) RECESSED CANS TO REMAIN"

6. Room map: 1995 → 2012 → current names

Matched by wall geometry across A-5.1, A-6.1, the 2012 A111 and Processed_Floor_Plan_With_Labels.jpg. - Dimensions come from the labeled JPG unless noted. - Direction key: west is the alley end (grid 6), east is 9th St (grid 1), north is grid line B, south is grid line A.

The May 2012 A111 also carries a "CONTROL ROOM B" label. [INFERRED] It is the room renamed WRITING ROOM in September, today's Recording Room.

7. Receptacles and devices by room

Sources are A-5.1 at 300 dpi (A51-plan-t0 to t5) and 2012 A111 F-1 (A111-F1-t0 to t5). - "IG" means the isolated-ground duplex symbol. No circuit tags appear on any device in either set. - Positions are described relative to room walls, using the direction key in section 6. - Status: 1995 devices were the 1995 design. 2012 devices marked (E) existed in 2012. That makes the 2012 sheet the best evidence of what was physically there.

Rehearsal Room (1995 NW storage): - 1995 has no new devices. The note reads "EXIST'G OUTLET TO REMAIN". - A-6.1: "RE-USE EXIST'G LIGHT FIXTURES".

Locker Hallway (1995 south storage + corridor): - "RE-USE EXIST'G ELECTRICAL OUTLET". - Duplex on the south wall of the west sound lock, centered. - Duplex on the corridor's north wall just below the sound lock.

Electrical room: - Two panel outlines and a "TEL." device on the west wall.

Studio A Live Room. 1995, all IG: - North wall, about two-thirds of the way east along the west half. - West wall, near the south third. - Angled south wall, near the iso and west end. - MIC/CUE PANEL at the SE corner, shared with the control room, with an IG duplex and a data/phone triangle. - (2) 2" PVC diagonal from that mic panel to the console.

2012 (E) devices: - Quad on the north wall, near the center of the room (A111-F1-t0). - Quad on the east wall near the control-room window. - Duplex and a data/phone triangle on the east wall, south of the window. - Duplex on the angled south wall near the iso-room corner (A111-F1-t3).

Studio A Control Room. 1995: - Two IG duplexes stacked at the NW alcove. - IG on the west wall at the room centerline. - At the console front edge: two IG duplexes and a floor data triangle, plus a row of conduit stubs marked "PH COMP". - Floor-mounted IG in the producer-desk oval, marked "FLR. MTD.". - IG and data on the east wall, upper. - IG near the SE corner. - IG at the south wall by the door. - Conduits: (2) 4" PVC diagonal from the console toward the machine room; (2) 2" PVC to the studio mic panel; (2) 1" PVC and (2) 3" PVC through the east wall into the MIDI studio.

2012, from A111-F1-t1: - North wall: quad at +16" A.F.F.; duplex at +90" A.F.F.; J-box at +90". - East wall (writing-room side), top to bottom: - duplex at +96" A.F.F.; - J-box; - duplex; - J-box at +16"; - (E) duplex on the writing-room face. - South wall near the SE corner: J-box and duplex, plus three "D" (dimmer) boxes on the south wall by the door.

Studio A iso room. 1995: - IG on the north wall, center. - (2) 1-1/2" PVC running N-S down the room center. - MIC/CUE PANEL on the south wall with a data triangle, an IG duplex and two conduit stubs.

2012: - North wall (the drape wall): (E) duplex, (E) data triangle, duplex at +96" A.F.F., J-box. - South wall: (E) data triangle and (E) duplex at the SW.

East sound lock / vestibule. 1995: - IG on the north wall. - Floor data triangle at the south.

2012: wall device "+102" A.F.F." on the east side.

Office / machine room. 1995: - IG on the west wall. - Five J-boxes in the equipment rack row, three in the north row and two in the south. - J-box in the 8" raised computer floor. - (2) 2" PVC up to the composition loft. - The IG star-ground bus and 5' rod were specified here (section 3).

2012 A111 shows the room but no devices.

Recording Room (1995 MIDI studio). 1995: - IG on the west wall. - IG and data at the south. - Conduit pair E-W across the north side to the VO booth.

2012: - (N) two quads on the north wall, near the centerline. - (E) duplex at +22" A.F.F. on the south wall, west end. - (E) duplex on the west wall.

Recording room iso booth (VO booth). 1995: MIC/CUE PANEL on the east wall with an IG duplex and a data triangle.

Podcast Room (1995 conference). 1995: - Duplex and data on the north wall, centered. - Duplex on the west wall. - "30" HT COUNTER T.V. VIDEO" in the SW.

2012 (edit room): - (E) duplex on the north wall, centered. - (E) duplex on the west wall, mid. - (E) duplex on the east wall near the SE.

Bar / lounge (1995 office area / reception). 1995: - North wall: two duplex+data pairs. - East wall: two counter-height duplexes, each with data. - South partition: counter-height duplex. - Reception desk: duplex and data. - Custom reception desk, allowance $3,500.

Kitchen. 1995: - REF duplex on the north wall. - Two GFI counter duplexes on the west wall. - Disposal switch at the sink ("DISP. SW."). - Dishwasher J-box. - Range-area duplex on the south wall. - Counter duplex on the south counter. - Data on the east counter wall. - Water-heater power (above).

The lounge portion: - Duplex on the north wall, center. - Duplex on the east wall, mid. - Duplex and data on the south wall west of the fireplace.

Bathrooms. 1995: GFI duplexes at the lavatories, on the wall shared by the two rooms; duplex by the men's toilet.

Mezzanine storage (A-5.2): - Angled west wall: duplex, then two duplex+data pairs. - East wall by the stair: duplex and data. - Duplex at the SE.

8. Lighting and switches by room (A-6.1, A-6.2, 2012 M-1)

Live Room. 1995: - Gyp. bd. soffit around the perimeter (8'-0"). - Round recessed fixtures on switch leg b along the soffit at 6'-6" o.c. - (11) type C soffit fixtures on the east soffit. - Interior row on leg a at 9'-0" o.c. - 3-way switch at the studio door (circled "S3").

2012: "(E) RECESSED CANS TO REMAIN" and (E) pendant lights in a grid over the center ceiling.

Control Room. 1995: - (4) type I recessed downlights, leg a, in the east fabric zone. - Type K single-circuit track, leg b: one 12' N-S track and two 6' E-W tracks. - (2) type E wall washers, leg c, at the NW and SW corners, noted "5/8" GYP. BD. 'BOX' AROUND TOP OF FIXTURE TYP. OF (2)". - Three dimmers (D a / D b / D c) on the south wall by the door.

2012: new ceiling cloud; (E) track lights; (E) cans; "RELOCATED (E) LIGHT FIXTURES TO NEW SURFACE".

Iso room. 1995: (2) 8' type K tracks N-S, 3'-4" off the walls; dimmer at the east wall by the door.

2012: (E) track light (typ.), 2 tracks.

West sound lock. 1995: (2) type I downlights; 3-way "ab S".

East sound lock. 1995: (1) type I downlight, (1) type G sconce, switch at the door.

Electrical room. 1995: (1) type J-1, a 4' suspended 1-tube fluorescent, switched.

Machine room. 1995: (2) type J wrap-around fluorescents.

Recording Room (MIDI). 1995: - K tracks, 8' on leg b and 6' on leg a. - Dimmers "D b" and "D a" at the south wall by the door. - Type G wall sconce at the south wall.

2012: (E) track lights (typ.), (E) recessed, new fabric ceiling.

VO booth. 1995: (1) 4' K track; dimmer.

Podcast Room (conference). 1995: - (1) type D MR-16 pendant, leg a, at center. - (3) type E wall washers, leg b. - Switch "ab S" at the SE door.

2012: (E) light.

Closet north of conference. 1995: (1) type F porcelain utility fixture.

Corridor along the conference curved wall. 1995: (3) type C soffit fixtures, leg b.

Bar / lounge (office area). 1995: (5) type A 200 W pendants, leg a, in a N-S row at 9'-0" o.c.

Reception. 1995: - Leg-a fixtures. - Switches "ab S3" at the street entry. - A note at the entry reads "TO EXT... LIGHT". [INFERRED] It is the switch for an exterior light at the 9th St door.

South corridor (Locker Hallway). 1995: type G 75 W sconces on leg b, 11'-6" o.c. along the north wall, the first one 18" from the west end.

Kitchen / lounge. 1995: (3) type B 150 W pendants at 8'-0" o.c. under exposed beams; one switch.

Women's. 1995: (2) type H pendants and (2) type G sconces. Men's: one fixture and a sconce over the lav.

Rehearsal Room and south storage. 1995: "RE-USE EXIST'G LIGHT FIXTURES".

Exterior. 1995 (bid option): 2 wall paks on the alley wall, 100 W metal halide, on a timer.

Egress. Redlined A-4: - Exit sign over the alley man-door (door 15), with an emergency light wall pack at 10'-0" AFF beside it. - The fire notes require exit signs at every legal exit and 1 fc emergency lighting.

Mezzanine (A-6.2). - Type B pendants: four on leg a and one on leg b at the stair. - 3-way switches at the stair head. - Type G sconce on the stair. - Note "TO LIGHTING CIRCUIT (b) BELOW". This ties the stair light to a first-floor lighting circuit.

9. Renders for a later drawing worker

All renders are in /Users/gregspero/trc-electrical/render/. The 1995 renders are 150 dpi gray (5400x3600) unless noted.

1995 full sheets: - 1995-p01-01.png: A-0 - 1995-p02-02.png: A-1 - 1995-p05-05.png: A-4 floor plan - 1995-p06-06.png: A-4.1 - 1995-p07-07.png: A-5.1 power - 1995-p08-08.png: A-5.2 - 1995-p09-09.png: A-6.1 RCP - 1995-p10-10.png: A-6.2 - 1995-p11-11.png and 1995-p12-12.png: A-7.x

1995 plan areas at 300 dpi (best base for tracing): - A51-plan300.png: A-5.1 plan area; crop offset x=700, y=1000 at 300 dpi. - A61-plan300.png: A-6.1; offset x=700, y=750. - The 3x2 tiles are A51-plan-t0 to t5 and A61-plan-t0 to t5.

1995 schedules and specs: - A51-specs.png - A51-symbols-0.png, A51-symbols-1.png - A61-fixtures-0.png, A61-fixtures-1.png, A61-rowG.png - A61-hvac.png - A0-site.png - A1-gen-0.png, A1-gen-1.png, A1-fire.png

Redlined A-4 (Floor plan.pdf): - floorplan-pdf-150.png - FP-alley.png: electrical room, exit sign, alley door. - FP-studioCR.png - FP-legend.png - FP-center-0.png, FP-center-1.png, FP-west.png

2012 sheets: - Full sheets at 150 dpi, color, crisp vector: 2012-20120919-A111.png (best), 2012-20120508-A111.png, 2012-20120508-A240.png, 2012-20120919-A241.png, 2012-20120919-A500.png, 2012-20120508-A510.png. - A111 at 300 dpi: A111-0919-F1-300.png (power plan) and A111-0919-M1-300.png (RCP). - Their tiles: A111-F1-t0 to t5 and A111-M1-t0 to t5.

Current labeled plan crops: - lab-left.png, lab-mid.png, lab-right.png, cut from Processed_Floor_Plan_With_Labels.jpg. - Offsets: left at +550+380, mid at +2300+380, right at +3800+380.

10. Could not establish from these drawings

• Service size, voltage configuration, utility meter location, service entrance and main disconnect.
• Panel names, count, ratings, and every panel schedule and circuit number.
• Whether the tech-power single-phase panel, the machine-room ground bus boxes and the 5' ground rods were ever installed.
• The service grounding electrode: rod, Ufer or water pipe.
• Any ground conductor or rod in the alley or outside the building.
• Which receptacles are on which circuits.
• The fate of the 1995 devices. The 1995 sheets show design intent. The 2012 "(E)" symbols confirm only that some devices existed in the Jablonsky rooms in 2012.
• The present-day layout of the west end: rehearsal rooms, lockers, and a possible relocated panel.
• The exact phone/data height in the symbol list, which reads as "60"?".
• The one struck-out 250 V row in the symbol list.

Where the missing data lives: - The Santa Monica electrical permit and its plans. General Note 1.E says they were filed separately. [INFERRED] The city permit counter or records archive is the place to request them, under 1660 9th St. with dates from mid-1995 and 2012. - The panel directories on site.

11. Reconciling the plans with the field record

Sources: - Elijah's electrical history, /Users/gregspero/trc-electrical/out/elijah-electrical-history.md, compiled by a teammate. - The crop from Elijah's 8/3 handoff, /Users/gregspero/trc-electrical/source/imessage/2026-08-03-handoff-img0-sheetA5.1-notes.png.

Transcription check. The handoff crop matches the section 3 transcription of A-5.1 Notes 1 and 2 word for word. The drawing spells it "buss" and says "machine rooms" in the plural. Confidence: high.

Where to look first on site, per the drawings: - Machine-room slab. The 1995 machine room is today's Office / machine room. Look for a rod or ground bus box with a 2" copper bar. - Electrical room. Look for the end of the #2 conductor in 3/4" conduit.

If the conductor is coiled or capped in the electrical room, "future connection" was never made.