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Restaurant Floor Plans Free Initial Consultation

Dean Dalvit — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:20:43 +0000

Evstudio has had the pleasure of designing a wide variety of restaurant, cafe, bar and similar projects and it has become a specialty within our greater body of commercial work.

Overseas Cafe Floor Plan

Designing a restaurant can be difficult business if you are not fully in tune with all of the codes and regulations that go along with it. Whether you are renovating an existing retail or restaurant space or building an entirely new building, with a free initial design consultation from EVstudio, you can quickly learn the ins and outs of what you will be up against with your local jurisdiction as well as the health department. Our expert staff is well acquainted with everything from kitchen design to the egress requirements from an assembly space, and everything in between.

Boom-A-Rang Diner

And you can be sure that the building department will not permit your project without all of the required construction documentation:

Architectural plans and space design for the amount of seating, functional spaces, kitchen layout and ADA restrooms, all compliant to the fire code, accessibility, health department and even your bank.
Mechanical engineering for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (not to mention those pesky Type 1 and 2 Hoods)
Electrical engineering for the systems, lighting and refrigeration necessary
Structural changes that would need to be made within an existing space or for a new structure entirely.

The in-house integration of all of these disciplines allows EVstudio to be your most affordable choice for getting your project permitted in the shortest amount of time. We can also help you with estimating the construction cost of your restaurant design so that you know that you can build the restaurant you envision for the budget you have.

Acapulco Mexican Restaurant Floor Plan

And do not underestimate the power of good design. The atmosphere you create in your restaurant is in the top three things people claim keeps them coming back. The great food and service is your expertise, leave the quality of the space to us.

Giovanni's Italian Restaurant

So, give us a call and let's talk about your project!

Originally posted 2011-01-21 08:30:13.

What’s in a name?

Dean Dalvit — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:20:38 +0000

What started as a one-man business called Eagle View Architecture has grown into 7 professionals (and counting). When we first doubled in size, we shortened the name to EV (now you all know where that came from) Studio. When we first came up with that name, simplicity was one of our goals. Well, Murphy is at it again and we now have a list of names that we've been known to go by. We are officially registered as EV Studio with the State, but we have been addressed as EV Studios, EV Architects, EV Studio Architects, and some others I probably shouldn't mention. People often confuse the caps and spaces too... EVstudio, Evstudios... you get the idea... I also like Evergreen Studios (a presumption of a vendor who figured we shortened the address of our Evergreen Address).

We are also guilty of appending and amending from time to time when the situation is appropriate (our logo itself has no space and studio has no caps). I've even been known to identify myself as EV Studio Architects just so the person on the other end doesn't think I own a hair salon or something.

Well, for the record, we don't really mind what you call us as long as you call us. As we grow, we will also likely add more components (planning, engineering, etc.). As it is, some of you may not know that there is already an EV Real Estate that is connected to the EV family of services. Just more ways to confuse the name I suppose, but eventually, EV is all that you will need to know.

Officially, we are EV Studio, but informally, you can call us anything you like. Just keep it clean out there

Originally posted 2008-06-09 11:29:04.

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Feng Shui Elements in Home Design

Dean Dalvit — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:20:35 +0000

With a lot of the design that we do here at EVstudio, we are often asked about Feng Shui and how it may apply to the design of a residential home. For the uninitiated, Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese strategy to align the energies that flow between the heavens and earth. Feng Shui strategies are commonly applied in the fields of architecture and interior design by developing spaces and the objects within the space specifically to channel these energies in order to improve the quality of one's life. While you can imagine the depth of the superstition that has evolved around these strategies over the millennia, one thing is for certain: Good Feng Shui is good design.

In the same way that North American ancient tribes would build their homes facing south, believing that the sun gods would nurture their lives (when in fact, it's good solar orientation and the basis of good passive solar design because of the solar angles of the Sun's path through the sky throughout the year), Feng Shui is a culmination of thousands of years of refined design techniques that truly do result in a better quality of life within the building , regardless the belief systems that got it there.

As a result, we try to learn from the ancients wherever we can and implement these good design strategies into our modern day design. Recently, we were charged with the task of determining the Feng Shui qualities of an existing plan that was found in a plan library on the internet for a client who is very interested in having a home steeped in Feng Shui. Like many other program requirements, this is almost always going to result in the need for changes to an existing plan, or an alltogether new custom design solution that is unique to the client.

In any case, with the help of Elicia here in our Evergreen office we put together a Feng Shui analysis for the plan and below, you can get a sense of the elements that are affected by the energy flow:

Feng Shui Study for a Small Home

The basic idea here is to encourage a positive flow of energy through the home. When people discuss "good flow" in any existing home as they traverse the spaces, one has to wonder how the two terms may be connected linguistically. The reason is because when you experience a space with good Feng Shui, it just feels good. The space does "flow" and the reasons for this are built into the design of the space - whether or not the architect ever intended for it to be good Feng Shui.

Obviously, when good Feng Shui is intended, the results are far less coincidental and to many of us, far more obvious. Volumes have been written about the history, magic and science of Feng Shui and it has even created a career path for consultants to specialize in Feng Shui design. Our approach here at EVstudio is to capture the fundamental understanding of the techniques and strategies, and apply them in the context of the everyday architecture that we create. For those who seek deeper levels of Feng Shui design, we can oblige them as well by applying deeper studies and applying more of the philosophical tenets of the methodology into the architecture.

This is a topic that will warrant much further discussion in future posts, but for now you at least have a taste of how Feng Shui can be applied to Architecture.

Originally posted 2009-01-09 13:34:58.

It's Okay to be a Little Shifty

Dean Dalvit — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:46:20 +0000

This post is for all of those framers who diligently adhered to a structural framing plan to the letter and wound up with more backout framing than they knew what to do with once the plumber and mechanical contractor had their way with the joists.

According to Weyerhauser, the makers of the TJI joist products...
TJI® joists that do not occur under a joint in the sheathing may be shifted to avoid cutting them for plumbing or other mechanical. Joists other than the single joist to be shifted must remain at their specified locations. Joists meeting the clear spans of the Trus Joist L/480 live load span table may be shifted up to 6” (but not exceeding a maximum spacing of 24” o.c.).

Framers, have your guys lay out the plumbing and heating penetrations through the floor deck so you can adjust the layout as necessary and save yourselves considerable headaches during backout. While it is a bit unorthodox, we like to show the plumbing fixtures on our structural plans for this very reason. We don't always know how the mechanical contractor is going to run his equipment, so it's better to ask twice and cut nothing at all!

Originally posted 2008-08-11 15:05:28.

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Differences in Metric and Imperial Reinforcing Bar (Rebar) Grades and Sizes

Dean Dalvit — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 23:50:04 +0000

All Contractors should be intimately familiar with Steel Reinforcing Bar (Rebar) grades and sizes. With materials coming from all over the globe these days, it is ever important to know the comparison between the Imperial and Metric systems for bar grading and sizing. Starting in 1997, CRSI member steel mills have adopted new "soft metric" standards in their grading and sizing.

The charts below should be used to cross reference imperial grades and sizes with metric grades and sizes. Watch out because if your specs are in metric and your supplier is still using the imperial system, you may wind up with some really huge bar diameters on site. As you can see, the old #4 (1/2") bars are now being called out as #13, so be very careful here to avoid these kinds of potentially costly mistakes.

Soft Metric Bar Sizes vs. Inch-Pound Bar Sizes:

Metric Bar Sizes	Inch-Pound Equivalents
#10 #13 #16	#3 #4 #5
#19 #22 #25	#6 #7 #8
#29 #32 #36	#9 #10 #11
#43 #57	#14 #18

Inch-Pound Grade	psi* Minimum Yield Strength	Metric Grade	MPa** Minimum Yield Strength
40	40,000	280	280
50	50,000	350	350
60	60,000	420	420
75	75,000	520	520

* pounds per square inch
** megapascals

For more information, please visit www.crsi.org/rebar

Originally posted 2009-08-17 17:36:51.

Off Grid Home Trends

Dean Dalvit — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 23:50:02 +0000

Now completed, the Schuler Residence in Lake George is a log home that is completely off grid due to it's remote location in the mountains of Colorado. The home has a photovoltaic (PV) array with a full battery storage system as well as a propane tank and a site managed water and wastewater system. This log home uses Honka Logs and components from Atrium Log Homes for their outstanding weathertightness and thermal performance.

Schuler Residence in Lake George, CO

Also on the boards is the Evans Residence in Clear Creek County. This home was also designed to be a log home and is designed with a cistern, a greywater system and a composting toilet. This home will have no electricity whatsoever and will have a propane refrigerator and gas lighting. A much more rustic cabin than the Schuler's state-of-the-art home in Lake George, but certainly another approach to going off grid.

Evans Cabin in Clear Creek County

We've done two other off grid cabins in addition to these, both with various systems to qualify them under the current building codes. There are a lot of common systems and synergies that we apply to off grid homes as well as sustainable on grid homes. Most clients who elect for a home off grid are driven to do so because of the economics of bringing in electricity, however many people are now considering these systems for rural, suburban and even urban dwellings. If you are thinking about building a home off grid or are electing to integrate these kinds of systems into any building, give us a call and we can help!

Originally posted 2009-01-26 15:56:39.

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EVstudio is Quoted in Article at ForResidentialPros.com

Dean Dalvit — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:19:33 +0000

I was recently interviewed by ForResidentialPros.com to comment about recent hiring activity here at EVstudio. The article they published in their newsletter is as follows (click here for the original article)...

Previously, ForResidentialPros.com reported on a remodeler and architect who are both hiring. Denver-based architecture firm EVstudio is another company that is hiring multiple positions. Dean Dalvit, AIA, PE, principal, shares who the company is looking to hire and advice for other architecture firms and applicants.

Hiring: "We are currently advertising for an architectural engineering intern to complement our structural engineering team and we hope to be hiring an architectural intern for our architecture team some time in the first quarter of 2012. EVstudio is always looking for talented people who can complement our growing team," Dalvit says.

Why: "EVstudio has been fortunate enough to stay busy and continue growth in our core service areas year-over-year since day one in 2005. We have done this by diversifying our service offerings to include fully integrated architecture and engineering services, and also by penetrating multiple local markets with EVstudio locations in Denver, Evergreen, Central Texas and most recently, Colorado Springs," he says. "A relentless pursuit of marketing new work certainly has helped as well."

Advice to companies: "Hiring is risky even in the best of times. Payroll is our single largest expense. I don't think that people 'can't' hire. Rather, I think that when the cash flow is tight and the backlog is weak, it isn't a good time to add expenses unless that potential hire can increase either of those facets. That's just sound business practice," Dalvit says. "EVstudio has always looked for certain qualities in people that will benefit the firm in the long term. If a candidate has strong character, great values and a solid work ethic, then they can contribute to the firm in more ways than what they may be hired for. Marketing new work is a part of the culture at EVstudio, and every member of the team is encouraged and expected to do so. We have always hired because of a need for resources on projects, but we have retained because of the greater value that each of our team members have added to our business. We always say that if someone can assist in bringing work into the firm, then there's a job at EVstudio for them."

"Tell me why you're different and what you can do to create a niche at EVstudio and I'll listen" - Dean Dalvit, AIA, PE
Advice to applicants: "In two words: Stand out. Everyone has a great master's thesis to show or some production experience from somewhere. Skills can be learned but excellence in character is hard wired. Tell me why you're different and what you can do to create a niche at EVstudio and I'll listen," he adds. "These days, we receive a few unsolicited resumes every week. A job advertisement results in literally hundreds of resumes in a short time. Filtering through all of these is a daunting task in itself.

"We're always astonished by how uncreative some of these are considering we're in one of the most creative industries around. You have to demonstrate why we should pick you among hundreds of other applicants. Do your homework to understand our business and our culture. What can you do to make our firm better, more profitable, or get more work? Leadership roles in local groups or trade organizations like the AIA or ASCE also help to augment an otherwise typical resume that blends in with all of the rest."

How To Read Metric Rebar Marks on Steel Reinforcing

Dean Dalvit — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:02:22 +0000

In order to identify the basic information about the rebar that is delivered to a jobsite, it is important to know how to read the mill markings that are stamped on every bar. This is especially critical to ensuring that your materials match up with the specifications in the plans.

These mill markings illustrate the "soft metric" system adopted by CRSI member mills in 1997 (see our post about metric and imperial markings):

Images and bar marking description courtesy of CRSI

The top letter or symbol identifies the producing mill and deformation pattern.

The next marking is the bar size.

The third marking symbol designates the manufacturing material — usually either "S" for carbon-steel (ASTM A615) or "W" for low-alloy steel (ASTM A706).

Finally, there will be a grade marking (4 or 5, for 420 or 520) or by the addition of one line (420) or two lines (520) that must be at least five deformations long.

For more information, please visit www.crsi.org/rebar

Originally posted 2009-08-20 07:00:19.

Cost per Square Foot for Residential Construction

Dean Dalvit — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:11:43 +0000

One of the most challenging tasks of building your own home is wrestling with the idea of how much home your budget can reasonably afford to build. There are many factors that are involved in the actual costs of a home, and in the beginning, it is crucial to be as realistic as possible about what your budget is and what you will be able to buy with that budget.

Residential Construction

Most people in the industry will use square footage as their base parameter to discuss the costs and value of a home. But be careful, different industries (and even different people within an industry) calculate these things in different ways. For example, a real estate agent will talk about the cost per square foot of a home that is for sale. This cost will include everything that comes with the deed to the property, including land, site improvements and sometimes even furnishings. Meanwhile, a contractor will talk about cost per square foot of a home, and he's really just talking about the construction cost of the building itself, exclusive of land costs, soft costs, many site improvement costs, finance costs and certainly not furnishings.

To complicate matters, different contractors will define the square footage calculation differently. Some will discuss finished square footage as the area over which the total construction cost of the home will be spread, while others will use a number that includes unfinished space, garage space and maybe even outdoor space (as in the case of a covered outdoor patio). This is critical to understand as you could not possibly get an apples-to-apples comparison between contractors without understanding where their numbers are coming from. By the way, DO NOT select a contractor based on their response to your questions about cost per square footage before you even have a design. They will almost certainly tell you whatever you want to hear at that stage because there is nothing to base it on. You should work with your Architect to determine your budget, then qualify it with a contractor down the road once your plans are developed to a point where they could have a meaningful discussion about a real project.

So, I am writing this post to help give some guidance to an owner on how to quickly estimate the cost per square foot of a home. This method is a simplified version of our methods that we use in programming of single family construction based on years of experience and literally hundreds of built projects. Note that the numbers in the calculations below are averages based on index pricing and are variable, depending on location, level of finish, complexity, jobsite logistics, accessibility, and a host of other things that could drive the numbers up or down. The best way to really hone in on a good initial budget is to program the project with your Architect and vet out the major components that would inform a conceptual budget. That would be the key ingredient to understanding the design goals for the project. Once a schematic design is developed, based on these design goals, then a more disciplined line-item budget could start to be developed and you no longer are talking about average index costs, but rather, about real bids. By the way, if your Architect or Designer can not help you with these initial estimates, or is reluctant to discuss them with you, then you need to find somebody else to work with. After all, how could they possibly design to your single most important program requirement: your budget?

Instead of talking about an overall cost per square foot for finished space, which is far too general and has too many ways to be misunderstood, I prefer to create a matrix of spaces and all of the areas involved. Below is a simplified matrix of spaces that we typically start with. For the purposes of this post, I have entered relatively liberal square foot prices based on core and shell construction hovering around $100/sq.ft. with finishes between $40 and $60/sq.ft.. These numbers do not anticipate general contractor fees and there's also NO contingency in these numbers either. Be sure to include the stair, all wall areas (interior and exterior wall thicknesses, etc.) in all of your area estimates:

Lower level unfinished space: ____________SQ.FT. @ $90/sq.ft. = ________
Main level Garage space: ____________SQ.FT. @ $80/sq.ft. =_________
Main level finished space: ____________SQ.FT. @ $150/sq.ft. = _________
Main level unfinished space:____________SQ.FT. @ $100/sq.ft. = _________
Upper level finished space: ___________ SQ.FT. @ $150/sq.ft. = ___________
Upper level unfinished space: ______________SQ.FT. @ $100.sq.ft. = ____________

Then, simply add up the areas and costs in the matrix to arrive at the two numbers that will help you compare your project to others that perhaps the contractors you are working with can share with you:

Total enclosed square footage: _________sq.ft. = $__________(avg net cost/total enclosed sq.ft. = $_______)
Total finished footage: _________sq.ft. = $___________(avg net cost/finished sq.ft. = $_______)

The index numbers are for construction costs only and do not include land, soft costs, finance costs or furnishings. As a result, the numbers we use are not affected by the land cost or value in any way.

One of the most important things to note is that the numbers that I am using here are index numbers and not tied to the actual construction of any given floor. They are really just a "weighted" average for the given space (weighing finished square footage higher than unfinished, garage, etc.). The reality is that certain costs are pro-rated across all of the square footage (excavation, site development, taps, and even the roof) while some costs are more closely identifiable with a given floor (lower level slab, etc.). The point is that these numbers are still based on index pricing and not in any way related to a line item estimate in any way. There are, of course, other elements in a home that have a cost associated. Decks, covered patios, carports, swimming pools, landscaping, auto-courts, etc.. These can either be indexed by area and added to the above matrix in a similar fashion, or they can be budgeted separately and added as a lump sum to the overall budget. Different projects have different needs.

If the numbers shake out in your comfort zone for program, then we continue down that design path with those areas as design criteria. If not, then we re-program before we go any further with any design path.

Note that commercial projects can be budgeted in much the same way. If you would like to discuss your project, please comment below, or e-mail us at design@evstudio.com or give us a call at 303-670-7242. We understand this project type very well, and we know what it takes to get you into the home of your dreams for the budget of your reality.

How Can a Supplier Play a Larger Role in Design?

Dean Dalvit — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 07:39:07 +0000

I had a great lunch today with Tom Glossa and Denny Rogstad with the Breckenridge Building Center and we discussed the importance of an integrated team approach to design, which would involve a wide variety of team members. The traditional approach to design is for the Architect to design the plans and elevations, then for the engineer to engineer the structure, then for the contractor to price it out, select subcontractors and suppliers, permit the project and then build.

Because we have always provided engineering in-house, we have always been doing it differently (architecture and engineering happening concurrently), however, we are finding more and more that an integrated team earlier in the process results in a more successful and efficient design and construction process. This means that even suppliers can, and should play a role as early on as schematic design to help validate initial estimates of construction cost. The best part is that in most cases, this valuable information is offered for free by the suppliers.

Also, with the advent (at least in Colorado) of the additional permit submittal requirements, namely truss shop drawings, Manual J, Manual D and Rescheck energy analysis tools, contractors can no longer wait until construction has begun to specify many of the building's requirements. These things have to be identified at permitting, which, as a result is changing the base set of construction documents. We are even working with suppliers often times before a contractor has been selected. While this may seem to put the cart before the horse compared to the traditional approach, it is in direct response to the permitting requirements that are changing the landscape of the design scope.

So, in an integrated team approach, we like to have discussions with folks from the lumber and truss suppliers, window suppliers, mechanical contractors, etc. early on in order to value engineer the project and get the very best design solution that is not only elegant, but that can also be sourced economically and locally.

Originally posted 2009-09-08 15:12:10.