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Involving an Architect in Your Home Buying Process

Sean O'Hara — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:46:21 +0000

With the start of spring we're seeing more people buying homes and more people renovating homes. Buyers generally have a real estate agent to help them and frequently a home inspector but sometimes you need more licensed professionals, specifically architects, surveyors and engineers.

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.

Navigating the Design and Permitting Process for a Mountain Home

Dean Dalvit — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 06:37:10 +0000

We provide Architectural design, Engineering, Surveying and Real Estate services for residential projects all along the Rocky Mountain Region, and there is no doubt that while permitting a mountain home has a lot in common with its urban counterparts, there are a few issues that are unique to the mountains and most building jurisdictions will have special requirements for these properties. In order to stay sane, it is important to know what you will have to do before you start.

Here's what Mountain and Urban properties have in common:

The largest scope in the set of residential permit drawings is the Architectural and Structural design – the core of the set of plans for the home. This includes everything about the home itself, from the initial programming, the design concepts, floor plans, elevations, sections, electrical lighting and switching layouts, to the structural engineering of the foundation plan, floor and roof framing plans and all of the necessary details for the builder to build the home. While local climate and regional location drives a multitude of design parameters, these core documents are largely the same for mountain and urban projects.

Also required these days by any jurisdiction adopting the new International Energy Codes will be a Manual J, Manual D and a Rescheck energy model for the home's energy performance and heating system design. These documents are not typically a part of the architectural drawings as they are most often provided by the HVAC system installers or separate MEP engineers. Be that as it may, expect to see these requirements for permitting any home, rural or otherwise, and find out the cost of these services up front.

A geologic soils report in the general location of the proposed structures will also be necessary for any project in order to determine appropriate soil characteristics for the design of a foundation. Mountain properties are often in geologic zones that have few issues with soils, however pockets of unusual strata can be encountered anywhere, so at a minimum, the soils should be examined by a professional during excavation. These services need to be coordinated, and can be costly, depending on your location, so find out what the impact will be early on to eliminate unhappy surprises.

Urban Living

Most jurisdictions are now requiring stamped and sealed truss drawings prior to releasing a permit. While this practice is questionable because field changes can drive changes to shop drawings, and cause confusion during framing, the International Residential Code is clear on it's requirement for permitting. Some jurisdictions will grant a conditional permit, requiring these drawings to be submitted prior to framing inspection, which is much more reasonable. Truss drawings should be coordinated by the structural engineer and provided by the truss company as a part of the truss package, so it would be unusual to incur a separate design fee for this scope.

It is always important to have a property survey, showing the property boundaries, easements, setbacks, any improvements, and spot elevations around the site in order to determine building heights, location and orientation, and ensure positive drainage around the building. Understanding what entitlements and encumbrances on a property are crucial to understand. They are itemized on a title commitment, and should be a part of any survey. Do not take anything for granted or assume anything about the lot without documentation. Survey costs vary significantly with lot size and survey complexity, so be sure you know what your site will entail.

In addition to the above requirements, a mountain project will also require the following additional documents prior to release of a building permit in most jurisdictions:

A more detailed topographic survey of the portions of the property will be necessary for the design. This is critical for larger lots where steep grades can be encountered. Driveways need to be designed to exacting standards, and existing topography will drive what can and cannot be done. Steeply sloping sites will also drive design of the home and any other structures as well. Other site elements include large trees, rock outcrops, wetlands areas, riparian boundaries, and any other natural features found on the site. Documenting these features not only helps to preserve them for the enjoyment of the owner, but also to enhance them and integrate them into the design. These elements do add complexity to the survey, and the lots are generally much larger, so expect a sharp increase in costs for these kinds of surveys.

Civil Engineering necessary for a driveway and/or grading permit will also likely be required. Because of larger lot sizes, driveways really become private roads and the amount of site disturbance required to get to the building site can be significant. Civil engineering documents for the driveway design, erosion control plan, and grading plans all are necessary for the proper design of the driveway, emergency access, and also help to identify potential issues. This is a scope largely unseen in urban environments, unless you're developing commercial property or tracts of land.

Mountain Property

For lots without utilities, a full Septic design will be required for the site. This will outline the septic tank and leach field based on the number of bedrooms in the home. Careful design of the septic field will ensure longevity of the system, but also protect underground water from contamination. While you will enjoy the value of not having to pay for tap fees, the design and installation of the sewer system will be no small number, so be aware of these requirements. Also note that most jurisdictions are not very keen on "alternative methods" of waste disposal. Any effort to propose things outside of the norm will require more engineering proof to the department for its acceptance.

You will also need to demonstrate proof of water for the site. Again, most rural mountain lots will not have a metro district nearby, and therefore, you will need to show that a well can legally be drilled, and also that the well can produce a minimum amount of production prior to a building permit being issued. While the amount of water necessary to support a home is a highly debatable issue, the fact remains that you will have to prove you have water before they will let you build. The well design often comes with the septic design as the two are related. However, the cost of the well and the cost of the septic installation are two different line items, and akin to their respective tap fees on urban properties.

Often taken for granted, you will also need to demonstrate that you can legally access the site. On urban lots that have been developed, this issue rarely comes up, but on mountain property, there are often parcels that result from illegal subdivisions that can orphan interior lots. Our advice: Do not buy one of these properties unless you know with certainty that the issues can be resolved and necessary easements granted. The survey for the property may need to be broad enough to demonstrate this proof of access, or the title work will need to identify the appropriate easements necessary to legally access the site.

This is not an exhaustive list, and there are many more considerations to be aware of when dealing with mountain property. If you are considering building a home in the mountains, it is best to get help selecting the right site before you even make an offer. While it is unusual to hire an architect before owning a lot, our real estate department offers these services at no additional cost. Give us a call and we can help you select the right property for the perfect home.

Originally posted 2010-05-28 00:48:48.

Change of Use May Require a Structural Engineer

Sean O'Hara — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 20:57:39 +0000

When the use of a building changes from one occupancy to another, say a store to a restaurant, you certainly need an architect to help you. The architect deals with exiting, fixture counts, layout issues and provides the stamped plans that you'll need for the building department. When that change happens in a space that isn't on a slab on grade, you may also need a structural engineer.

In Chapter 16 of the International Building Code there is a table that details the floor bearing capacity for different occupancy groups. Each group has a uniform distributed load that it must meet and many have an additional requirement for concentrated loads. They vary quite a bit from one occupancy to another and often the building department will want an evaluation of the system to see if it works.

As an example a restaurant requires a 100 psf distributed load capacity. If the space was previously an office it might be designed for as little as 50 psf. Worse yet if it is old enough it may be designed for even less. Again, a structural engineer needs to be brought in to evaluate and provide a solution that matches your exact needs.

As architects and engineers we can provide all the services to meet the building department requirements.

Originally posted 2010-10-28 22:25:25.

Structural Engineer Home Inspections

Jim Houlette — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 07:42:48 +0000

One of the many services EVstudio provides is structural engineering home inspections for home sellers or buyers. A structural engineer is typically requested to inspect a home if the general home inspector observes a crack or movement in a home. General home inspectors are not licensed structural engineers and cannot provide recommendations on the cause or possible repairs to a structure by law. Only a licensed engineer can provide recommendations about repairing a structure.

Buying a home can be scary. Especially if your dream home has signs of possible foundation problems. Many times the cracks and signs of possible movement are nothing to worry about. As long as you understand the issues you can monitor the structure and even prevent future movement. Our office takes pride in providing high quality structural engineering services but also takes the time to educate the homeowners about the situation. Concrete cracks and mother nature is going to do her best to destroy your house. We'll tell it to you straight, why there is or isn't a problem. How the problem happened and how it can be repaired. We will also teach you how to monitor your house for future movement.

The best way to calm your nerves about worrying over possible expensive structural repairs is straight from a structural engineer and NOT over the internet or a contractor.

We recently visited a home that our client was thinking of purchasing. This house had obvious problems so we were asked to visit early on in the buying process. We found a few unique descriptions by the previous homeowner of the foundation cracks.

Land Entitlements and Redevelopment Options for Golf Courses

John Olson — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 06:22:07 +0000

Golf Course Driving Range Redevelopment. Illustration by John Olson

Recently, I faced an issue that I see becoming a common issue as the golf industry continues to decline and the costs and availability of water continues to decrease. That issue is what to do with the excess number of golf courses that our country accumulated from the 1970’s through the 1990’s. My previous employer was hired to determine the feasibility of the golf course and what alternatives are available for the course. We generated concepts to modify the course to a nine-hole course, a par 3 executive course and one option to eliminate the course in its entirety. All of these alternatives were obviously very controversial in a community constructed as a “golf course community.” I see this issue becoming a widespread problem as more courses become out-of-date and more valuable as infill greenfield land. The problem is that the courses that were built in the 1970’s had infrastructure that now, forty years later, has become defunct. Replacement supplies for this infrastructure no longer exist. The cost to replace an irrigation system for a golf course in its entirety can be in excess of $1 million.

For the particular project that I was involved with, we came up with a solution that we felt was not only in the best interest of the golf course property owner, but also the surrounding residents who had fears of losing their golf course. The solution was to utilize the driving range, which was eroded without irrigation, and develop enough patio homes to leverage financing for a new irrigation system for the remainder of the course. As in all controversial projects, the entitlement process still involved opponents to the re-zoning action necessary. Through many public meetings and individual meetings with neighborhood opponents, we were able to come to a consensus with the majority of the homeowners.

Originally posted 2010-04-26 00:01:22.

EVstudio Participated in the Milender White Construction Co. 10th Annual Charitable Golf Tournament

Spring Creek – A Neo-Traditional Neighborhood in Colorado Springs

John Olson — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 07:01:06 +0000

The City of Colorado Springs includes three neo-traditional neighborhood developments (TND’s) to date: Spring Creek; Lowell; and Gold Hill Mesa. A driving factor in incorporating new urbanism in Colorado Springs was the creation of Colorado Springs’ TND zoning overlay (Part 1; Part 2), which is guided by a document of standards, policies and guidelines. The document outlines many of the standards of a modern-day form-based code and includes a vital section on context-sensitive streets, which due to a collaborative effort between designers and local officials and organizations (Traffic, Public Works, Fire Department, etc.), enabled smaller street widths than the city would normally allow. Examples of the standard street widths in the TND zoning overlay include:

• 16-ft wide Alleys

• 22-ft wide Lanes (two-way yield streets with on-street parking on one side)

• 28-ft wide “TND Streets” (two-way yield streets with on-street parking on both sides)

Birdseye Image of a portion of Spring Creek from Bing.com

Spring Creek is one of the two large-scale neo-traditional neighborhood developments in Colorado Springs. It is located on a 135-acre site located southeast of downtown Colorado Springs – east of Union Boulevard and south of the Martin Luther King Bypass (Highway 24). The neighborhood is conveniently located within a 5-minute drive to downtown (or 15 minute bicycle ride), and 10-minutes from The Broadmoor, Fort Carson and Manitou Springs. The neighborhood is walkable, with connections to nearby commercial uses, and rich in residential diversity. Multiple home typologies and affordability ranges in the neighborhood create a sustainable future that is unmatched by conventional suburban development. Accessory Dwelling Units in the form of “Granny Flats”, Condominiums, Row Houses, Town Houses, and Detached Single-Family Homes are all available in the neighborhood. This housing stock creates a range of housing prices, available in rentals or ownership, which supports a range of income levels and mixed demographics. Residents are able to age in place and remain in the neighborhood as their lives evolve. Even in the neighborhood’s short life, young residents have moved from townhomes to detached single-family homes to start a family, and empty nesters have downsized from larger two-story homes to smaller ranch homes.

Spring Creek was designed and built on a greenfield previously slated for a regional mall in Colorado Springs. It is adjacent to a commercial and multi-family housing development built in the 1970s and 80s. Prior to the development of Spring Creek, the adjacent shopping center was vacant but has since opened a popular Hispanic grocery store, Rancho Liborio ‘Su Mercado’, as well as ancillary stores and restaurants such as a local liquor store, a Dollar Tree and Subway. The grocery store was greeted with enthusiasm by the neighborhood and is conveniently located within short walking distance from the neighborhood. It is common to see residents walking to and from the grocery store to pick up personal items. The neighborhood also includes its own K-8 community school which was also traditionally designed and constructed as a two-story building, salvaging valuable land.

Diversity of Residential Opportunity in Spring Creek.

Spring Creek is a beautiful neighborhood with spectacular amenities and great infrastructure, similar in many ways to our historic neighborhoods. It is a neighborhood, like most TND’s across the country, that will become better with age and maturity. Its diverse housing stock and adjacent walkable amenities offer a sustainable component which will contribute to the livability of the neighborhood over the coming decades.

Lumber Sales Continue to Rise in 2010

Dean Dalvit — Sun, 02 May 2010 06:01:10 +0000

Good news on the construction horizon! Lumber sales, the best indicator of activity in the construction markets, is continuing to rise well above last year's figures, and also even beating the 5 year average. The charts below are courtesy of Builders Enterprises, dealers of a wide variety of construction materials.

Lumber Market Data April 2010

Dimensional lumber and plywood sales are steadily continuing their climb that was established in the first quarter. Meanwhile, OSB sales are sharply climbing.

OSB Market Data April 2010

Figures like these often lead to pricing increases in the industry as manufacturers manage their supplies against demand. But it is also indicative of a return to growth in new construction and the overall economy.

Hand Colored Rendering of Soda Creek Home Completed

Dean Dalvit — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:03:39 +0000

We have been working with KCH Properties on a new home design in Soda Creek and have recently completed the schematic drawings that will be used in the marketing efforts. The home boasts over 7,000 square feet of open living space, 5 bedroom suites and a bonus room over the garage that can serve as a separate apartment, or private home office. The home takes advantage of the site in order to maximize passive solar design as well as integrate the site's best feature, a year round creek, along its long axis. The creek is adjacent to all of the primary living spaces and serves the private side of the home as an integrated part of the natural landscaping for outdoor living space.

Hand Colored Rendering Soda Creek Home

Letter on Denver Zoning From AIA, HBA, Realtors & Apartment Association

Sean O'Hara — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:20:58 +0000

The Denver Zoning Code update is an exceptionally important issue for both the citizens of Denver and the groups that design, develop, sell and manage real estate in Denver. It will rezone the majority of property in the the city and change how those properties can be developed. In many cases the new property regulations will be more restrictive than the existing zoning.

The American Institute of Architect Denver Chapter (AIA), the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver (HBA), the Denver Board of Realtors and the Apartment Association of Metro Denver have spent a fair amount of time testing the code. As the testing was moving forward their coalition found several items that they felt needed to be addressed. This week they released a letter to address these issues and encourage the city to:

"Establish a formal system for comment submittal, making responses available and identifying any corresponding changes in the code.
When appropriate, responses to comments or updates to the code should be made public at www.newcodedenver.org, providing broader access and transparency to the process as well as avoiding duplication in future modeling.
Publish all modeling carried out by CPD staff for public review.
Provide support for the assertion that non‐conformity will not increase.
Provide support for the assertion that product and design flexibility will not be diminished.
Provide a distinct contextual approach for new‐build developments in Greenfields .
Evaluate proposed design standards, such as increased setbacks or height limitations, for their impact on the ability to deliver housing that meets market demands (e.g. a third and fourth bedroom, walk‐in closets, reasonably sized bathrooms, appropriate ceiling heights, etc.)
Evaluate the code for the potential unintended consequences of reduced buildable area on single‐family zone lots, form‐based design standard like a mandatory building step‐back, or reductions in allowable density.
Work with the undersigned in a collaborative undertaking of modeling/testing to further identify and resolve issues in the draft code."

The full letter:

Several other groups including the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and the Downtown Denver Partnership are also studying the effects of the Denver Zoning Code Update on potential development.

Floor Plan for Small Medical Office

Dean Dalvit — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:00:31 +0000

We recently completed a space plan as part of a feasibility analysis for a small medical office in the Southview office condominiums in Evergreen. Before the owner could purchase the property, we needed to assess what could be done with the existing space and how many exam rooms could fit within the existing office condominium.

We worked together with the owner to program the requirements of his typical offices, along with the realtor, EV Real Estate, to come up with the appropriate terms necessary to make a workable offer for the condominium. This included assisting the owner in creating a pro forma for the condominium complete with a cash flow analysis. With these tools, the owner was able to confidently determine the viability of the space for his business in the short and long term. It also was instrumental in preparing a qualified offer for purchase, backed with realistic numbers.

Most business owners rarely can build a new building for their business, and so they are constrained by the existing space available on the market at any given time. While finding the right space that can house the functions that are required can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack, we can help with feasibility studies of this kind so you can have the confidence you need to move forward with the space, or to keep looking. If the project is viable, we simply continue developing the plans generated during feasibility all the way through permitting.

With EVstudio's experience in commercial real estate development, office condominium ownership, and commercial space leasing, we help business owners in all kinds of scenarios like this. The project does not have to be near any of our offices provided we have accurate backgrounds of the space in question. Our initial consultation is free and many times, after a phone discussion, we can ascertain if the project requirements can be met.