EVstudio recently inked a major multi-family commission in Colorado Springs.  With 288 units on roughly 6 acres the development is targeting the Colorado College and University of Colorado at Colorado Springs populations.  We also have two 100 plus unit projects in Central Texas slated for the spring.

Heading the multi-family push is Rich Muller who comes to EVstudio from Houston, Texas where he had worked in the multi-family arena for several years and has over 3,000 designed units to his credit.  His specialty is high-density, urban developments as well as suburban garden-style apartments.

EVstudio recently joined the Apartment Association of Metro Denver and is looking forward to becoming an active member in the Association, offering classes and lending an architect’s perspective to the industry.

If you are planning on a multi-family development over the next year, please feel free to contact EVstudio to discuss entitlements, density and overall strategy.

Related posts:

1. Letter on Denver Zoning From AIA, HBA, Realtors & Apartment Association
2. Cost per Square Foot for Construction for 8 to 24 Story Apartment Buildings
3. EVstudio to Speak at National Association of Realtors "Core Green Class"

One spot where this could be easily overlooked is restrooms shared between spaces where the restrooms do not have lockable doors. If a door is in a fire wall, you need to be able to latch it closed.

Originally posted 2009-04-30 23:09:12.

Related posts:

1. Fire Door Protection Ratings May Be Less Than the Rating For the Wall Assembly
2. Opening Protection and Fire Rating in Garages – Requirements for the Door and Gypsum Board
3. Temperature Control in Buildings – What is the Minimum Heat Level Required in the Building Code?

There are many conditions that determine the effectiveness of any building material to provide comfort and energy efficient performance. R-Value is only one of these factors or measurement tools.

R-Value is the measure of resistance to heat flow through the defined material. The higher the R-Value the less heat will transfer through the wall, making the system more energy efficient.

R-Value is determined by testing or by the addition of tested components. When “effective” R-value is used, it represents that at a given condition or circumstance, the system performs the same as a product with the “real” R-value.

It is important to understand the conditions at which the “effective” R-value was determined, and see if your application is the same. For example, a masonry wall may have a high “effective” R-value for a 5 hour test period, but have a very low R-value during a 24 hour test period. Where “real” R-value products will have the same R-value during both test periods.

There are several items to consider when evaluating R-Value and it’s effect on your project

Effective R-Value

An example would be masonry products. Masonry product have a very low R-Value but have a high thermal mass. Foam type products have a high R-value but low thermal mass. There is not a standard measurement or number for the energy effectiveness of thermal mass. While R-value resists the flow of heat, thermal mass delays the transfer of heat but does not reduce it. During a short period, thermal mass has the same “effective” R-value, so it is sometimes advertised with this R-value rating. It is not a real R-value but, under those conditions, an “effective” R-value. Please review other technical bulletins for more details and other related items.

Installed R-Value vs Advertised R-Value

It should be noted that R-Value of an item is the value that was tested in a laboratory and is real, but the item may not perform at the same R-value when installed. Most insulating materials obtain their insulating values from trapped air spaces, often the higher the density of air pockets, the higher the R-value. If these air spaces are compressed, a lower R-value will result. For example, batt type insulation may be rated at R-19 in its free state, but requires a 6 ½” thickness to obtain that value. When this material is installed in a 5 ½” frame cavity, the batt is compressed and the R-value is less than R-19. Likewise, putting two batts in the space for one does not increase insulating value; it might even reduce the R-value. Review the Technical Bulletin on Air Infiltration in Insulation for more related information.

Nonuniform Material

Whole wall R-value is the term used to describe the average R-value for the total wall taking into consideration variations and non-uniformity’s in the insulating material. Often, the R-value of the insulating material is advertised without stating the effect of the total system.

An example would be installing an R-19 batt insulation in a 2×6 frame wall. The resultant “whole wall R-value” is the average of the R-19 insulation and the R-5 stud. Tests have shown that the actual “whole wall R-value” of an R-19 wall system to be R-13.7, much less than the R-19 advertised. This applies to all non uniform wall systems.

The R-value of building materials may be effected or altered by the following items.

• Non uniform material
• Thermal shorts
• Material compression
• Air infiltration in the insulation
• Humidity
• Temperature swing or range of environment
• Effects of time and aging.

Along with R-Value, several other factors need to be considered to determine the overall energy efficiency of a building structure.

• Thermal Mass
• Air infiltration in the building
• Radiated heat gains
• Internal heat gains
• Latent and Sensible heat transfer

Originally posted 2010-03-05 00:01:00.

Related posts:

1. Understanding Thermal Mass Walls in a Passive Solar Design
2. Living a Radiant Life – Understanding Radiant Heat Transfer in Buildings
3. The Skinny on Thermal Mass

• Project Administrator – By default, the person who registers the project with the USGBC will become the Project Administrator for LEED Online. This person should be a LEED-AP (accredited professional), if possible, and should be experienced and knowledgeable about LEED certification projects and process. This person is responsible for managing the assignment of team roles in LEED Online and the management of all of the LEED documentation and coordination throughout the LEED certification process.
• Developer / Owner – This is the person responsible for making the final decisions for the project including all strategies, targets, project goals, financial decisions etc.
• General Contractor – This is the person responsible for the construction of the project and plays a key role in assuring that all of the LEED strategies and design elements are effectively and efficiently carried through to reality. It is helpful if this person has previous experience with LEED or green building projects but not essential if they are included in the process from the beginning of the project and there is a LEED-AP or experienced Project Administrator on the project team.
• Sustainability Consultant – This person is knowledgeable and experienced with LEED, green building or sustainability projects. This person should be a LEED-AP as well and will provide valuable knowledge, resources and structure to the LEED certification process.
• Architect / Designer – This is the person responsible for the architectural design of the building. An architect with experience in LEED or other green building or sustainability projects can skillfully include highly effective, low-cost sustainability strategies into the design of a high performance building such as passive solar design, reduced building footprint, etc.
• Landscape Architect – This is the person responsible for the landscape planning of the site and can also skillfully include a number of highly effective, low-cost strategies into the design that will benefit the project goals and LEED certification.
• Engineers – This category may include Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering and MEP (Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing) Engineering. The engineers are responsible for a large portion of the LEED criteria, including both pre-requisites and credits and are the key to designing a truly integrated and efficient building design.
• Energy Modeler – This team member will model the energy usage of the building according to the required standards and utilizing the required software platforms that  conform to LEED criteria and a myriad of additional modeling needs that may be included in the project goals such as analysis for tax incentives, energy rebates and additional building or energy certifications for the project.
• Commissioning Authority – This is the person responsible for organizing, coordinating & overseeing the Commissioning of the building after construction and according to the LEED criteria, must have previous experience on a minimum of two LEED projects. Although the commissioning does not take place until after the major building systems have been installed and are operational, it is very helpful to include this team member early in the process so that they can provide valuable information, resources, real-world experience and knowledge from their previous LEED projects.

These team members are essential to the success of a LEED certification and building process and each of the above mentioned roles should be filled in some capacity. As previously mentioned, it is possible that a single team member may fulfill several of the above mentioned roles. For example, it is common for the MEP Engineer to also be the Energy Modeler and even sometimes the Commissioning Authority or for the Architect or Designer to be the Project Administrator and/or Sustainability Consultant. The following list includes some more team roles that are helpful to a LEED certification project and should be included in the Project Team meetings whenever possible:

• Broker / Real Estate Agent
• Marketing / PR Director
• Financial Manager / Cost Consultant
• Facility Manager
• Suppliers
• Key Sub-contractors
• Key Stakeholders (building tenants, users, community members)

EVstudio includes several LEED-AP’s who are experienced on previous LEED certification projects. In addition, EVstudio incorporates green building practices and sustainability strategies into our design strategies for each project. There are many strategies that improve livability without increasing cost. It is our philosophy that sustainable design is sensible design and that many of the most effective strategies require great designers, not great amounts of money.

Originally posted 2009-09-12 00:24:19.

Related posts:

1. EVstudio Selected for LEED Project in Killeen, Texas
2. Evergreen Terraces and EVstudio Architecture Featured in National Real Estate Article for LEED Work
3. Free New Online LEED Resource Helps Even Seasoned Professionals – LEEDuser.com

• The use generally requires a fully accessible building. This can be an issue for older buildings that may need to be retrofitted.Space must be found on an accessible route.
• In many jurisdictions the parking requirements can be higher. If the building was planned with a lower density use, the adequacy of parking may need to be addressed with the zoning department. There may also need to be adjustments to the number of handicapped parking spaces.
• Hazardous materials must be accounted for like oxygen and nitrous. These will generally need to be stored in rooms with venting to the outside and fire ratings.
• Lighting, mechanical and power needs are generally greater than a standard office. Existing systems may need to upgraded and additional space allotted.
• Careful attention must be given to sound attenuation and privacy both for patient comfort and to meet HIPAA regulations.
• Surfaces and casework need to be more carefully thought out for cleaning and function.

Originally posted 2009-09-23 11:29:02.

Related posts:

1. Restaurant Floor Plan for Tenant Improvement – Taste of Himalaya Nepalese Restaurant
2. Retail & Medical in Killeen Texas
3. EVstudio Denver Office Location Map

NOTE: THIS POST REFERENCES OUR OLD PHYSICAL ADDRESS ON SANTA FE. EVSTUDIO'S NEW DENVER LOCATION IS IN THE EVSTUDIO BUILDING AT 1117 CHEROKEE ST., SUITE #100 DENVER CO 80204

The EVstudio Denver office is located at 771 Santa Fe Drive, Ste 200 in Denver. We are just south of the corner of Santa Fe Drive and 8th Avenue.

If you are arriving from I-25 or 6th Avenue the best way is to take 6th Avenue East while staying in the left lane so that you can turn left on Santa Fe and we're 1.5 blocks ahead on the left. If you are coming from the northeast you'll need to lap the block by taking take 8th Avenue west to Kalamath south and then 7th east to Santa Fe north. The map may make more sense.

Parking is generally available on Santa Fe for two hour parking and on other side streets for extended parking. Our logo is on the door and our office is at the top of the stairs.

You can also find us by looking for EVstudio on Google Maps.

Directions and Map for EVstudio Evergreen Office

Originally posted 2008-10-23 15:55:09.

Related posts:

1. Directions to our Evergreen Office
2. EVstudio Denver Colorado Office
3. EVstudio Evergreen Colorado Office

If you plan to add onto a house or do a major renovation it is important to talk to an architect before you close on the property. An architect can look at the existing layout, the setbacks and the zoning to see what your options are going to be. They can also provide feedback on your ideas and help you understand the magnitude of time and costs that you'll incur. If something seems odd with room sizes, head heights, window sizes or exiting you need an architect. Always better to know this before you own the home.

Remember for all their general knowledge, your home inspector is not a licensed professional. If there are any concerns about the structure, you should get a structural engineer involved. They can evaluate the issues and let you know if failures are cosmetic or serious. They can also work with you to understand the possibilities for repairs.

If you have questions about your potential home and the relationship to adjacent properties, property lines, fences and easements you should talk to a professional land surveyor. They can give you an accurate drawing of how these site concerns interact with your future home.

When we are involved with home buyers either as architects or engineers we charge our time hourly and can provide estimates on the number of hours required up front. If you end up buying the property that we look at with you, we can generally credit that time toward any work that you need designed for the home. On surveys we provide fixed fees and the survey that we do for you prior to the closing is often all that you need for any design work. If you have any questions feel free to contact us.

Originally posted 2010-04-21 00:01:34.

Related posts:

1. Involving an Architect in Your Land Buying Process and Decision is a Great Idea
2. When Do You Absolutely Have to Hire an Architect in Colorado?
3. A/E Firms have an Advantage over Architects with Municipality Regulations

In addition to knowing the structural capabilities of materials in a building, understanding the logistics and process of construction is priceless for the success of an architect's relationship with a builder. The well rounded experience of the EVstudio team means that builders can count on a top quality set of builder friendly plans.

An example can be found in the set of plans for the Atwell residence and its decorative wood accent features.  Framers prefer, whenever possible to use standard angles, like 22.5, 30, 45, 60, and of course 90 degrees. Dean and I worked out this detail where I made the angle of the 6x6 brace pieces 30 degrees from the vertical wall. This is a fairly common architectural detail where this specification of a 30 degree angle cut can make the job of cutting multiple wood members, assembly and installation much easier for the tradesmen in the field while creating less waste. EVstudio always strives to provide a builder friendly set of plans.

Originally posted 2009-09-01 00:01:25.

Related posts:

1. Anthony Ries, LEED AP Joins the EVstudio Team
2. When Should You Contact an Architect? What Phases of Your Project Can an Architect Help With?
3. EVstudio and The Parade of Homes

Each state sets requirements for public health projects.  Fundamental to this is the classification of who will occupy the facility, how many patients will there be and how long they need to stay.  In our case, the client intends to offer overnight accommodations to the patients.  Therefore the facility falls into the assisted living category, as opposed to the adult day-care category.  This distinction drives a multitude of requirements ranging from how much space each resident is provided, the type of kitchen, which sections of the Life Safety code to follow, the furnishings, the program, the circulation, etc.

Further, the clients would like to provide rooms for up to 48 residents.  This places the project into the ‘large’ facility (the number in Texas between large and small is 17 residents).  In addition, since the residents may require staff assistance when evacuating, the project is pushed into a Type B facility and therefore requires conformance to Chapter 12 within the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 101).

Once the code analysis is understood, we can let the code edicts help inform the design phase.  Central to this is circulation and egress.  For example, from any point within the building which is accessible to residents, an eight foot corridor is provided for circulation and egress.  Should an evacuating event occur, residents and staff will need eight feet to fit two gurneys or wheelchairs side by side to leave the building.  In addition, resident rooms need to have a one hour fire separation between their rooms and the assembly space common to the rest of the residents.  Given these two main constraints and incorporating the program set by the client, the following plan was conceived:

Floor Plan For Texas Memory Care Facility

This U-shaped plan is a classic response to the demands of the program.  The central core is flanked by two wings.  Within the core, we build the entry and administrative functions into the front portion.  The front portion, shown in pink, also hosts the kitchen and back-of-house program.  Beyond this, the residents and their guests enter into the main common space which hosts the activity area, the dining area and the nurse’s station.  This area is shown in light purple.  It is here where the residents will spend most of their day.   Since many memory care patients are in need of supervision and have limited access to the outdoors, the design of this space emulates the feeling of being outside.  Not only is there a wall of glass along the back for visual access to nature, but the soaring ceilings and abundance of windows above the main hall represents the sky and allows for a feeling of vertical space above and the passage of sunlight through the upper windows.  The overall effect creates a sun-filled, cheerful, active space.

Flanking the central area are two residence wings, shown in light yellow.  Fashioned after a ‘neighborhood’ concept, be it by color theme, material theme or personalized touches, each hall presents the residents with a smaller scale to manage in finding their room and conducting their private lives.  Within their rooms they find a refuge from the activities of the main hall and are afforded a quiet space to meet with loved ones, converse with co-residents or pursue their own ends.

At the end of each residence hallway, there are a set of double doors which allow access to a deep covered porch and the self-contained courtyard, shown in green.  It is here where residents are encouraged to step into the outdoors, get a breath of fresh air and take in nature.

In particular to a memory care center, there are several built-in yet tacit provisions that, while may seem to be innocuous to the casual observer, are highly designed to help the particular end-user.

Among these are way-finding guides which help orient the resident to where he is and where he needs to go.  Simple things like placing a clock over one residence wing and a picture of a landscape over the other help the resident determine where he needs to go.  Another feature is preventing direct glare in lighting situations from further disorienting the resident.  For this reason, long corridors do not terminate in a set of double doors which would allow sunlight to bounce off the floor and into their eyes.  To the same end, the walls and floors are treated with non-reflective surfaces, walls are painted in cheerful, but not overly bright colors, and headlights from visiting cars are not allowed to shine directly into a resident’s room.

We have also incorporated a circular walking path within the building.  Many memory care patients have a compulsive trait of rocking on the feet or rubbing their hands and are need of some form of constant motion.  A circular walking track addresses this need.  Our is fashioned out of the perimeter of the common area.  The residents can walk around the loop, while still feel like being part of the group since they are walking around the dining and activity rooms as well as the center of their world, the nurse’s station.  This sort of controlled wandering allows the nurses to maintain supervision of their charges.

The above points along with a host of other features and on-going research into this field will hopefully serve those who are suffering from memory loss diseases.  A successful memory care facility must place the patient foremost in the thousands of design decisions that go into creating a welcoming, safe and positive center.

Rendering of Texas Memory Care Center

Related posts:

1. EVstudio Designing Long Term Care Facility in Pueblo Colorado as Architect and Engineer
2. Community Based Clinic for US Army Medical Command
3. Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Center Design

Pros:

• It can go faster because it moves the design time for MEP into the construction phase.
• There may be cost savings on the engineering fees when they are bundled with the install
• The contractor will attempt to pick their most cost effective solution

Cons:

• The biggest con is that contractors are pricing a guess and the bids are not easily comparable
• You may be getting a price for the cheapest system rather than the right system
• If the systems require changes to the architecture you'll face additional services
• Some jurisdictions will not allow it

I think that both delivery methods have their place, you just need to make sure that you're picking a delivery method that is in line with your priorities.

Originally posted 2009-11-14 00:01:08.

Related posts:

1. The Design-Build Project Delivery Process – Architect Led
2. Potential Difficulties of the Design Bid Build Project Delivery Process
3. When Should You Contact an Architect? What Phases of Your Project Can an Architect Help With?