Thanks indeed - great discussion - expecpt maybe for that whole loss of life thing, but every thread deserves a tangent, right?
An update, and clarification. The architect from day one has been on board with a sprinkler system. The building committee has asked very good questions, been open minded, and has had good discussion over the weeks and months leading up to this decision. (full disclosure - I'm on the committee, and do wear many hats during the meetings.) All along, the focus has been on protection of life first and foremost, protection of the building second, and good stewardship of the funds entrusted to us always.
At the last meeting the decision was made to fully cover all new construction, and retrofit any portion of the building modified 50% or greater. Fully updated detection and reporting system for the ENTIRE structure. Pretty happy with this decision - I think it is a good compromise.