Architecture, Engineering & Planning EVstudio | Denver & Evergreen Architect | Colorado & Central Texas | Blog » Retail

Does IBC Allow Stairway Exception on Private Stairways

Sean O'Hara — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:01:55 +0000

Does the IBC allow the old UBC 3306 (c) Exception of 8" max rise & 9" min run, for "private stairways serving an occupancy load of less than 10?The design situation is a small retail store (Lubbock, Texas), owner access only, to a second story storage loft...Would appreciate your wisdom - Richard

Richard, unfortunately, the answer is no. There are only 5 exceptions to the 7 inch maximum rise and 11 inch minimum tread depth:

Alternating tread devices
Spiral stairs
Aisle stairs where the sightlines dictate steeper slope
R-3 stairs in dwelling units can go to 7.75 inch maximum rise and 10 minimum depth
Replacement of existing stairs where the space or construction will not allow it

Thanks for the question.

Originally posted 2010-02-01 12:01:25.

Accessible Fitting Room Requirements

Beth Concha — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:01:11 +0000

When designing an accessible fitting room, remember to provide the required clear floor space along with a code compliant bench. According to ANSI 803.4 and ADA 4.35.4, a bench is required in all accessible fitting rooms.

Benches must be 42 inches long, between 20 and 24 inches deep, and 17 to 19 inches high. If the bench is not affixed to a wall, then back support must be provided. Back support must be 42 inches minimum in length that extends from a point 2 inches maximum above the seat to a point 18 inches minimum above the seat.

When a door swings into the dressing room, you must provide a clear floor space of 30”x48” positioned for parallel approach to the short end of the bench, along with a 5’ diameter turning circle.

Originally posted 2011-03-30 13:13:53.

The Maximum Occupant Load in the Building Code – Not a Maximum

Sean O'Hara — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:00:43 +0000

There is a common misconception about the "Maximum" Occupant Load table in the International Building Code. This table list the number of occupants per square foot that you are designing to rather than a true maximum.

As an example, the table lists 100 gross sf per occupant in a business occupancy. If you have a 1,000 sf office then you are designing for 10 occupants. However, the 10 really functions as a minimum rather than a maximum. You must design adequate exiting and fixture count for 10 occupants.

If your space is actually designed for more occupants that's absolutely fine as long as you are following all of the code provisions for more occupants. In this example if your 1,000 sf is a call center with 25 people, then you need to make sure your exiting, plumbing, mechanical and so forth are designed to handle 25. You just have to make sure you don't exceed 1 person per 7 square feet, that's an absolute maximum and very tight quarters. I've never seen it, but the code official can ask you to show a diagram for your increased occupant load.

On the other end of the spectrum, you can actually design for less that the maximum occupant load, but only with approval of the building department, and I've never seen this happen.

The code section uses the phrase "design occupant load" and that is really a more accurate phrase.

Originally posted 2009-09-26 00:01:19.

Architect Project Delivery with Design Build Mechanical and Electrical

Sean O'Hara — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 23:49:53 +0000

In a traditional design/bid/build project delivery the architect hires the engineers and the engineering drawings are part of the bid package. With smaller tenant finish projects we are now seeing a scenario where the engineering drawings are being provided design/build by the contractor. The contractor is providing a price for the project based on the architectural drawings and their guess on what the mechanical and electrical requirements are. this is more common in TI because the engineering is limited to MEP. These are generally the implications of design/build engineering:

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.

Location Efficiency as the Framework of Activity Centers

John Olson — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:39:32 +0000

The convenience factor, or Location Efficiency, is often a forgotten component of development in a society that has become increasingly automobile dependent. Development occurs with the assumption that people drive and will always get in a vehicle. Location efficiency can be defined as the ability to access the daily basic needs with little or without the use of the automobile. The United States Partnership for Sustainable Communities was created with location efficiency as a foundational element by an inter-agency partnership between HUD (or Department of Housing and Urban Development), DOT (or Department of Transportation) and the EPA (or Environmental Protection Agency). Several advocacy groups, such as the Center for Neighborhood Technology and the Congress for the New Urbanism have relied on this as a foundation for their organizations since their inception.

The United States is beginning to better focus on location efficiency with development as we consider the triple bottom line, that is People, Planet and Profit. In considering the basic human needs, new development has the ability to become holistically sustainable. At EVstudio, we are currently in the process of finalizing construction drawings for a new 10,000 square foot Lecture Hall and over 22,000 square feet of commercial space for Central Texas' Christian House of Prayer (CHOP).

Places of worship, such as CHOP, understand that convenience is a key component to the congregation. Convenience is important to the principles of creating a Place for Worship; a Place of Learning; a Place of Enrichment; a Place for Friendship; and a Place for Service. A community who worships, learns and serves together create an enriching and friendly environment to spend time. CHOP in Killeen, Texas will soon become an even greater community than it already is today. The ability to park once with access to breakfast, worship, conversing with friends, shopping, dining, playing and attending events at the lecture hall is a convenience that is regularly absent in today's society. The future for location efficiency is great for CHOP with the improvements under construction and the potential for future residential capabilities.

Main Street sketch for The Village at Christian House of Prayer in Killeen, Texas. Illustration by John Olson.

The synergies that CHOP is employing are a great model for other activity centers. This opportunity is not limited to places of worship, it can be for a corporate center, military installation, campus and several others.

Commercial Real Estate Leases

Anthony Ries — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 04:52:52 +0000

Finding office space for the first time can be very daunting. Adding to the confusion of where to locate your business is the myriad of types of leases that are out there. In general there are 6 different types of leases for commercial space. The first 5 typically apply to office space and the sixth to retail space. The following is a general overview of the types of leases. It is important to fully read any rental agreement and understand exactly what is in it prior to signing anything.

Full Services Lease

A full service lease is just that, full service. The tenant pays a single lump sum every month and the landlord takes care of everything. This is a typical lease for office space with multiple tenants. It has the advantage of allowing a tenant to easily budget for their space costs.

Gross Lease

In this situation the tenant pays a fixed amount every month plus the costs of utilities used. The landlord is in charge of paying for insurance, taxes, maintenance and any other costs associated with the property.

Net Lease

This is one step beyond the gross lease. Now the tenant pays their percentage of property taxes in addition to rent and utilities. If a tenant occupies 35% of the building they will pay for 35% of the property taxes.

Double-net

This is the next level of a net lease. Here the tenant pays a percentage of property tax plus any increases in insurance costs.

Triple-net Lease

Under this arrangement the tenant will pay a percentage of property tax, insurance and the associated costs of maintenance and repairs.

Percentage Leases

Percentage leases are interesting because the tenant will pay a fixed rental fee plus a percentage of sales. This type of lease is most popular among high profile retail spaces. The tenants should be careful about the wording since the percentage is typically taken from gross sales and not net sales. There may also be some extra charges for taxes and other related fees. These leases also typically will have language about operating hours, deliveries, signage and use of common spaces.

2009 Code Update: Live / Work Units

Adam Denton — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 06:36:24 +0000

Typical live work unit.

Typically, structures built for commercial use must conform to the International Building Code (IBC). Residential structures (single family homes, duplexes and townhomes) must conform to a similar, but separate set of standards, the International Residential Code (IRC). Prior to the 2009 I-codes, using a residential structure as business such as the hair salon pictured was a grey area subject to the judgment of local building officials.

Section 419 of the 2009 IBC allows for the mixing of residential and non-residential uses for one and two family dwellings (and townhouses) built under the IRC.

The limiting factors of a residential structure’s ability to be classified as a live/work unit are as follows:

1. The live/work unit is permitted to be a maximum of 3,000 square feet.

2. The nonresidential area is permitted to be a maximum 50 percent of the area of each live/work unit.

3. The nonresidential area function shall be limited to the first or main floor only of the live/work unit

4. A maximum of five nonresidential workers or employees are allowed to occupy the nonresidential area at any one time.

If the unit meets the requirements of Section 419 the residential use and non-residential use portions of the unit do not need to meet the separation requirements of Section 420 and 508. The non-residential portion may not be used purely for storage. The intent here is to not allow folks to rent their living rooms as a storage locker. Storage related to the non-residential function of the unit is permitted provided that it is 10% or less of the non-residential space.

Dennis Eakin Dealership Design in Killeen and Belton, TX

Sean O'Hara — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 07:12:42 +0000

EVstudio has designed two automotive sales offices for Dennis Eakin Mazda’s used car facilities. They are both matching small used car dealerships at 2,400 sf. We've also worked with much larger dealerships on other projects and feasibility studies.

Important Factors in Retail Jewelry Store Design

Important Factors in Retail Jewelry Store Design

Dean Dalvit — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 07:51:31 +0000

We recently completed the Daniel Diamonds Jewelry Store in Bergen Park, and were able to study the important design features that make Retail, and in particular, Jewelry Stores unique among other tenant finish types of projects.

Retail Jewelry Store Interior

First and foremost, for all retail storea, and especially for a jewelry store, the quantity and quality of direct lighting is extremely important in showcasing the products. Everything from color rendition of the lighting, to the use of general and high intensity lighting to create both a comfortable atmosphere within the store, as well as highlighting the product was studied in great detail.

Casework in Daniel Diamonds Jewelry Store

We also made a complete inventory of existing and new casework that would be arranged within the store. For this plan, we decided to break up the store into distinct neighborhoods, identifying them with ceiling treatments and breaks in the circulation within the store.

Sitting Area with Wet Bar in Retail Store

It was also very important to the program to create a space within the store that was informal and relaxing to spend time for both customers and staff. We integrated a sitting area complete with a fully functioning wet bar that is also used during special events. It was our goal for this as a boutique retail jewelery shop to accommodate the sense of shoppping as an event to be enjoyed, rather than simply a process. We did this through the careful design of the space.

Showcasing Retail Jewelry

Maximizing the retail space for sales is of critical importance in any retail store. Administrative offices, staff break rooms, and the workspace for the jeweler are all aligned around the perimeter of the central core, and with the use of dividing walls to be more showcase space. Aligning the access to these periphery spaces with exterior windows allows natural light to spread throughout the store from all sides, further enhancing the comfortable atmosphere.

Daniel Diamonds Retail Sales Counter

Another very important factor in jewelry store design is security. We throroughly detailed the daily process of the flow of product through the store and designed everything from the sales counter to the location of the safe to address the security throughout the store. Security cameras and alarm systems are important technological tools for all retail establishments.

Lastly, careful selection and placement of art and other interior treatments also serves to enhance the space. This helps to personalize the space and let the store take on its own culture. Proprietors, Danny and Karen have done an outstanding job with their store, and were wonderful to work with through every step of the process.

When designing a Retail Store, whether it is a jewelry store, or any other type, it is important to distill the most important design factors and prioritize them in the program so that you create the kind of environment that you want for your clients, and also to facilitate the buying process.

Originally posted 2010-09-21 02:00:18.

Structural Considerations for Commercial Solar Panel Installation

Adam Denton — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 07:01:30 +0000

EVstudio was recently hired to consult on the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on the Knights of Columbus Building in Thornton, Colorado. Many businesses are considering the addition of solar panels to their buildings not only to help offset their energy costs, but because of the current tax incentives make installing panels more affordable than ever.

Many building department jurisdictions such as the City of Thornton require a structural evaluation from a professional engineering firm such as EVstudio. At first one might think that this is unnecessary because solar panels weigh as little as 3 pounds per square foot. When evaluating a structure, typically the weight of the panels themselves is the least of our concerns.

A structural engineer’s primary concern is how well the panels will be able to attach to the existing roof structure. Wind forces generate considerable suction forces; close to 40 pounds per square foot depending on the height of the building, the pitch of the roof and the design wind speed. Another consideration is the redistribution of the snow loads. Without solar panels the weight of fallen snow is distributed evenly across the roof structure. When solar panels are added the snow will collect on the panels and the weight will be distributed to only a few mounting footings, creating point loads that are often structurally significant depending on the design roof snow load.

A structural engineering firm like EVstudio can be contracted to observe your business’s roof structure and evaluate if the structure will be able to support the proposed new point loads as well as design a proper attachment. For these reasons, a proper structural evaluation should be considered even if not required by the local building jurisdiction.