Category Archives: Architects in Las Vegas

I HAVE A RESTAURANT AND I WANT TO INSTALL OUTDOOR EATING FOR MY CUSTOMERS. HOW DO I APPLY?

If you have or plan to open a Restaurant and you want Outdoor Eating to be a part of your restaurant it will likely need to be submitted to a governing body for approval before Outdoor Eating can be installed and utilized. For the City of Las Vegas and the Jurisdictions found around Las Vegas such as Clark County, North Las Vegas, and Henderson this submission will need to be made to the corresponding Planning & Zoning Department. There are some things to consider when looking into adding Outdoor Eating to your Restaurant.

 

Can your Site/Building have Outdoor Eating? – Sometimes the parcel itself is not allowed to have Outdoor Eating from a previous owner or a Jurisdiction wide policy. Beyond that your parcel may not be able to have Outdoor Eating due to landlord rules or if you are operating a chain the franchise may not allow you to have Outdoor Eating either. Finally your building or lot may not be compatible with Outdoor Eating to begin with. You or your hired Architect can determine whether or not the building/lot is compatible, then you will have to check with the above entities to see if it is allowed.

 

Outdoor Eating is allowed on my Site. How do I continue the Process? – SSA Architecture recommends having an Architect help to plan out the area and create a dimensioned plan for the area. With a plan in hand SSA typically recommends conducting a preliminary discussion with the Planning & Zoning Department to see what type of things need to be incorporated or removed from the plan/design. Typically these items to incorporate would be things like setbacks from the building, parking, or site boundary. Many times they will require that the eating area conform to certain design requirements. This preliminary discussion typically helps to keep comments on the eventual submission down to a minimum. If the plan and design don’t receive any comments once submitted the project should get through the overall process sooner. With the plan updated per the preliminary discussion it will be time to submit fully.

 

Submitting to Planning & Zoning – Submitting is different for each of the Jurisdictions around Las Vegas, but they all typically end up with your plan being submitted to the process and your submission having an assigned Planner. The assigned Planner will provide a final round of comments and will assign your project to the next step in the process. This next step can vary depending on how the Governing Body views the submission. By the end of this submission process your Outdoor Eating will either be Approved or Denied. Many times during this process the Planning & Zoning Department will have different meetings that need to be attended. During this time SSA typically recommends you either have the Architect or a specialized Lawyer attend the meetings to ensure they go over as smoothly as possible.

 

If you need more information about this process and some other topics similar to it, check out SSA Architecture’s Videos about Outdoor Eating. Check out the original video on the topic here or you can check out the update video that builds off of the original here.

BESIDES AN ARCHITECT WHAT OTHER PROFESSIONALS MAY BE NECESSARY FOR MY PROJECT

When beginning an Architectural Project it is typical for somebody to look for someone who can design their new building or interior space. However, an architect typically isn’t able to do the full project by themselves. Depending on the work scope of the project other professional consultants may be necessary to complete the project.

 

Below is a breakdown of some of the potentially necessary Professionals for a given Architectural Project:

 

Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Consultants – Typically an architect would be responsible for designing the space, while the Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Consultants would handle designing how the space would get its Heating & Cooling, its Power, and Water & Sewer Connections. In the state of Nevada, Architects are able to provide MEP Design with some limitations as projects get larger, so sometimes an additional consultant may not be necessary for your project. If you wish to learn more about Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Consultants, click here to view our Youtube Video on the Topic.

 

Interior Designer – After an Architect establishes what the space will be shaped like, it will be pertinent to make sure the interior of the space looks great. If you as the Client don’t have an exact design in mind and Interior Designer will be able to help establish colors and materials for making the space look as beautiful as possible. SSA has an on staff Interior Designer who would be able to help with your project. If you wish to learn more about Interior Designers, click here to view our Youtube Video on the Topic.

 

Civil Engineer – Before a Building can be built on a site, the site needs to be properly graded and prepared for the building. With this being the case a Civil Engineer will be necessary to provide grading plans for any ground up building projects. Beyond that a Civil Engineer can be helpful for designing a new site layout around an existing building also. If you wish to learn more about Civil Engineers, click here to view our Youtube Video on the Topic.

 

Structural Engineer – Once a Design for a ground up building is complete it will be necessary for a Structural Engineer to design the supports necessary for holding the new building. Structural Engineers may also be needed for existing buildings also. Depending on what is going into the space a Structural Engineer will be necessary for new heavy equipment including new roof top HVAC units. If you wish to learn more about Structural Engineers, click here to view our Youtube Video on the Topic.

 

Geotechnical Engineer – Before a new building project can begin to be designed from a Civil or Structural standpoint, the site and its existing soil needs to be tested to see if it is viable to be built on. A Geotechnical Engineer would be able to provide this test and a report regarding the soils ability to be built on. Once the report is in hand the Structural and Civil Engineers may proceed with their work. SSA generally recommends getting a Geotechnical Report prior to purchasing any sites, determining whether or not the site is compatible with your potential project prior to purchase will save a great deal of time and money. If you wish to learn more about Geotechnical Engineers, click here to view our Youtube Video on the Topic.

 

Planning, Use, and Zoning Consultants – Prior to pursuing a project it is important to see if your projects use is even allowed on your selected parcel. It may be necessary to submit to the Planning & Zoning Department to change the Zoning associated with the parcel. Other times the Zoning may be correct but the exact use may need to be submitted and discussed with the Planning & Zoning Department prior to approval. The Planning & Zoning Department also reviews most exterior changes to existing buildings and any ground up buildings. It may be helpful to hire a consultant to complete these different submissions for you as they have the experience to complete the process. SSA can also help with submission to Planning & Zoning if requested. If you wish to learn more about Planning, Use, and Zoning Consultants, click here to view our Youtube Video on the Topic.

 

ADA Consultants – All Commercial Projects need to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act with this being the case it is important ensure your project is ADA Compliant as soon as possible to avoid redesigns and reconstruction. With this in mind it may be helpful to hire an ADA Consultant to review the plans prior to construction and to visit the site during the construction process. Alternatively it will likely benefit you to hire an Architect who is already well versed with the ADA. SSA has done ADA Consulting and ADA Compliant projects for years. If you wish to learn more about ADA Consultants, click here to view our Youtube Video on the Topic.

 

Those are just some of the possible consultants that may be necessary for your project. If you wish to learn about each one more in depth, click here to visit our Youtube Playlist and learn about the above mentioned Other Professionals that can help bring your project to life.

I HAVE A RUSH ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT. CAN I GET PERMIT EXPEDITING BY AN ARCHITECT IN LAS VEGAS?

SSA Architecture provides permit expediting services for architectural projects. In the largest jurisdiction in the Las Vegas area (unincorporated Clark County) Ken Small, owner of SSA is one of only two architects who can obtain a permit only days after the completed plans are submitted to the building department. This program is called “Permit Now”. In North Las Vegas, their ‘rush job’ process is 4 building department working days. In other jurisdictions they have other (slower) rules. But regardless of the location of your project we offer permit expediting processing in order to help to rush your project through the permitting process. Recently, Clark County Building Department’s Permit Now program and their process length varies from project to project. 

 

There is a great deal of variation in how the numerous jurisdictions will allow a project to be expedited and it also depends upon what your project is.

 

Click here to visit our YouTube Playlist and learn how architects in Las Vegas can expedite your permit.

WHAT IS AN ADA SITE SURVEY? DO I NEED AN ADA SURVEY?

Background: The federal law known as the Americans with Disabilities Act has been a requirement for over 20 years. That law includes many architectural requirements, such as ramps, clearances around doors, and grab bars. Because the building department in Nevada is not tasked with checking for ADA compliance, many buildings exist that are not ADA compliant.

 

For this reason, many business owners order ADA services for Las Vegas Buildings. When an ADA survey is created we go to the project site and evaluate the existing conditions. We then write a report listing the conditions that are out of compliance with the ADA. Typically ADA surveys include identification of what section of the ADA each problem relates to. The report would normally be in a list format so that the building owners can use it as a “checklist” to bring the property into ADA compliance.

 

These ADA surveys are often used to negotiate property sale prices as most buyers do not want to own property subject to discrimination claims. Sometimes an ADA survey will lead to the need for construction documents to remediate problems. Many ADA problems are minor enough to be corrected without the need for permits. SSA Architecture offers architectural construction documents for ADA corrections as a service. However, the design of repairs is not normally included in the ADA survey.

 

Architectural clients and ADA survey clients often ask if their building conditions are “grandfathered” and can remain as they were built before the ADA. There may be some small chance that your building’s non-ADA compliant condition is allowed (by law) to remain. However 99.9% of the time those items need to be corrected.

 

At SSA Architecture ADA surveys are done on a first come first served basis. After the process is begun a common time for completion (for small projects) is 2 weeks. Times vary dependent upon our schedule and we do offer “rush ADA survey” pricing.

 I JUST BOUGHT A REALLY UGLY BUILDING BECAUSE OF ITS LOCATION AND PRICE. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO MAKE IT LOOK GOOD WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK?

There are a lot of good solutions to make an ugly Las Vegas building presentable and possibly beautifully designed. Clients have recently used our architectural design services to “re-skin” a commercial stucco building. This simply means that the existing architectural façade of the old office building was covered over with some rigid insulation material (which helps insulation values also) and covered in new architectural stucco details. We also designed the placement of other architectural finish materials such as standing seam metal. Sometimes we use the insulation to hide the ugly decorations of the old building façade and other times we decorate a blank façade by adding “pop-outs” to give it some quality visual texture.

 

Another architectural design option is often used if the old building is planned to be expanded. Sometimes it is possible to simply build a new building addition in front of the old building and hide the ugly old building entirely. If you already planned to add on to the building then there should be little cost difference between building in front as opposed to on another side.

 

Another option is to build something else in front of the building. In the animation that we show a design by SSA architecture that places a curvilinear wall in front of an old building. This design was chosen because the building itself was not suitable for extensive exterior modifications. Therefore the architects designed a decorative exterior in front of it. Ken Small also planned to upgrade the exterior behind the curved wall.

 

In the Las Vegas vicinity architects who want to make major design changes to the exterior of a building are required to submit to government processes that are called “Design Review(s)”. The examples used in this explanation will tend to require that process. Typically the government reviewers are very supportive of improvements. But buyers should understand that anything other than an obvious improvement could delay the process and require public notices an hearings.

WHY AN ARCHITECT’S VOICE IS THEIR MOST IMPORTANT TOOL IN LAS VEGAS – TOP THREE REASONS

“One of the Best Beauties of Architecture is that Each Time It is Like Life Starting All Over Again”

 

Undoubtedly, an architect is a person who brings life to your residential or commercial buildings. As we all know that being an architecture, it is a job of visualization in which, building speaks for themselves. Today, we are going to discuss one of the most important tools of Architects in Las Vegas.

 

There is no doubt that architecture is not based on concrete, steel and the elements of the soil. It is based on one’s imagination or wonder. Do you really know why the architect in Las Vegas is famous throughout the whole world? Well, there are various reasons due to which, they are famous globally such as their creativity, their exceptional designs, green building concept and much more but all of the above they are renowned for their voice and it is the most important tool of these architectures.

 

Let’s have a look that how their voice act as a tool…

 

Public Protection

As an architect, your own voice protects the public. As an expert architect, they are bound by their duty to protect the public welfare in similar ways to that of a lawyer or a doctor. While an Architect does not have a formal Hippocratic Oath, they are still responsible to protect the health safety and welfare of the public according to the laws of their jurisdiction. An architect’s voice goes about as the essential medium through which this assurance can be framed.

Regardless of whether it’s amid a planning stage or into the development stage, the Architect in Las Vegas is the victor of the general population. Even if there is something that the Architect did inaccurately, as long as it might have an impending effect upon well-being, the Architect must utilize their voice and talk up for what is right. The general population depends upon the Architect for their skill and puts in them their trust that the Architect will keep them safe.

 

Owners Protection

Many times, the Architect is likewise the shield for the proprietor of an undertaking. Contracts and their formative relationships created, put the Architect into a lead job that must secure the Owner against things that are out of their mastery. The Architect must keep the harmony amid development and give the Owner administrations that are both reasonable and to their greatest advantage.

 

Design Protection

One foremost thing that contracts aim to protect it is the structure expectation of a given task. The Architect must offset individual structure interests with an Owner’s capacity to utilize a project once it’s built. While there are numerous opportunities in the profession of architecture to use practice as a method of exploring new ideas, the Architect is responsible for reigning in scope to create a functional building.

 

So we hope you understand why an architect in Las Vegas has their voice as one of the tools that offer protection to all!!!

WHEN DO I NEED A COMMERCIAL PROJECT BUILDING PERMIT?

Of the many architectural clients that have gotten themselves into a problem with the building department, many have built without permits. So we are often asked: “Do I really need a per

mit?” Many property owners can sneak in some construction without getting caught in the moment of their activity. But, later, government employees come by to check on the building when a business license is pulled and then they have a significant problem. This may be even more important after a problem that causes an insurance claim or bodily harm. The perpetrator of building without a permit can end up unable to collect on an insurance claim or with a negligence claim from whoever got harmed by non-permitted work. While the permitting process for most items does not even require architectural plans or drawings, the information on what is being done is required by the building department. Submission for a permit does not require an architect or a general contractor in many instances. For instance, your electrician can submit to obtain a permit to add an electric outlet. Your sign installer can obtain a sign permit. If you are changing walls or your roof then you will likely require a set of architectural drawings. For more utilitarian structures a structural or civil engineers drawing set may be sufficient for permitting.

 

The video linked here details more concerns such as the (ADA) Americans with Disabilities Act compliance that could control construction of both new and remodeling projects including some work that does not require permits.

IS AN ARCHITECT NECESSARY FOR YOUR HOME CUSTOMIZATION?

There is one question that I often hear:

 

“Do I need an architect?”

 

Well, custom home building is something that has lots of popularity in today’s architecture field and has been completely revolutionized with the advanced technology available. It cannot be denied that home customization is something that requires lots of creativity.

 

Undoubtedly, individuals are very busy in their day-to-day lives. They don’t have time to educate themselves enough to know what an architect with experience from many prior projects knows. They want a home that is well designed and done once. It only makes sense to hire an experienced architect to save time and money, and get the house done right the first time.

 

For a quality custom house, hiring a professional architect licensed in Las Vegas dramatically increases the ease of designing and reduces the likelihood that you will end up redoing things. An architect can also help you streamline your decision making process, and get the desired results for you in a timely manner. This will also result in reducing the amount of time that the homeowner needs to participate in the architectural design process.

 

SSA Architecture as Professional Architects in Las Vegas have all the characteristics to make them one of the best options for home customization.

  •  Time

Building or renovating a home is a time-consuming process. It takes months or years, but taking the advice of a professional architect will help you get the process done faster as they have all the latest resources to fulfill the given architectural project needs in less time. An architect will spend the time necessary to ensure the successful completion of every task: from the obvious ones to the smallest design details.

  •  Custom Solution

Do you have any kind of working knowledge of design and construction? Perhaps you have been through the building process before or completed a home renovation. An architect offers you custom solutions tailored specifically to your family and your lifestyle. You’ll benefit from an architect working on your project.

  • Personal Experience

Las Vegas architects have hands-on-experience working in this field and know the details of the design and construction processes that most people don’t. Hiring a professional and experienced architect for your construction work guarantees that you will get a better end result.

 

If you are thinking that you want an architect for your project, I dare you to call one and set up a consultation. Las Vegas architects are passionate about creating wonderful living environments!

 

SSA Architecture limits their residential work to customers who want the best quality and homes 8,000 square feet of more.

For smaller homes, remodeling projects under $1,000,000, casitas, decks and similar work we recommend hiring a Nevada licensed residential designer.  If you expect to pay less than $50,000 for construction then hiring a residential design build contractor is a good option.

 

A list of Residential Designers can usually be found at http://www.NSBAIDRD.org.

 

Contractors can be found at http://www.nvcontractorsboard.com.  Contractors with a B2 license are a good place to start your search here.

6 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU START DRAWING YOUR NEW BUILDING’S BLUEPRINTS

SSA Architecture is experienced in drawing new commercial building “blueprints” as most other architects in Las Vegas are. With that experience we have found there are some steps that make the “Drafting Plans” process smoother. These are a few things that you should look into doing to expedite the design and construction documents process.

 

  • Preliminary Design – Allow us, the architect, to do a preliminary design with key features that you plan on incorporating into the rough preliminary design concept. This allows for the architect to investigate if your design is viable for the land you are planning to use. This lets you get a feel for the size of the building and parking lot that your new project will demand. This is best done prior to purchasing the land, so that you can try a few different designs on different properties. You can find more information on this specific topic on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2evbLedpyww
 
  • Due Diligence Planning Review – The preliminary design can be taken to the planning department so that we can get their feedback on the specifics of the project. Every jurisdiction is different, but most will initially tell you that as long as your land’s zoning is correct then the design and use are approvable. However, this is frequently not the case and it is best to get them involved early in the process to sort out planning and zoning feedback specific to your exact site and requirements as early soon as possible. If it is worse than that, and they don’t accept your land as viable. It is better to find out sooner rather than later, so that you may plan around having to switch pieces of land or design concepts. If you want to discuss having SSA Architecture provide a preliminary site concept or planning and zoning assistance please schedule a free consultation at 702-873-1718 or contact us here.
 
  • Entitlements/Design Review – If you are going to design a project with certain uses then you may need an “Entitlement” process to determine of that is possible.  Examples of uses that always require an entitlement or special use permit are: churches, liquor stores, auto repair, bars and others.  This process typically involves public hearings and presentations.  If your use is already entitled in the location that you want then your project may require a “Design Review.”  The design review uses the preliminary design drawings to get government agency approvals for what you want. You can find more information on this specific topic on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwtfxrsC12g
 
  • Submit and Process for Governments Entitlements Process – Once you have a reviewed design and your preliminary entitlement information, you must submit certain drawings to the corresponding government agency so that they may approve and the architect can finalize them. This can often be a lengthy process as your project must be coordinated between different government agencies and departments. You can find more information on this specific topic on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3ktF5MuhQE
 
  • Soils Report – Soils reports are generally created by geotechnical engineers.  Knowing what type of land and soils conditions your new building will be on is important. Can be very beneficial to know this is advance of purchasing land.  Some soils conditions can dramatically increase foundation and structural costs. You may also find ground water that may or may not complicate the project further. A soils report will be necessary when it comes time for structural engineering.  If you have not yet purchased the land the seller may have an existing soils report which you can have for free.  You can find more information on this specific topic on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKJ02pyOvCM
 
  • Cost Estimation – Having a formal preliminary cost estimate made to determine your likely building costs will help to establish if your planned building will be within your budget. Keeping in mind that the estimate would not be a 100% accurate one as you have merely given the estimator a preliminary design to estimate from. There will be more details known and determined there may or may not be changes throughout the actual final design and drafting phases but you will at least have a general sense of how much this new building will cost. You can find more information on this specific topic on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYBcqn1723Q
 

Completing any or all of the items above will help to make the drafting process for SSA Architecture or any other Las Vegas architects an easier and often shorter process. Check out the full video on this topic on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVQF9lutkxc&list=PLGcR_hF4Ue6203JXii5NiKj9FP7k00sDv&index=8&t=592s

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN SERVICES – ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!

Designing is something that brings life and authenticity to any building either it is residential or commercial. As every client has unique needs associated with their construction and architectural projects. We must thank to all the latest technologies due to which, the experienced and professional design team of SSA Architecture, Small Studio Associates enables you to receive our service, value, and innovation all at once.

 

It cannot be denied that every project presents a diverse set of challenges and opportunities. For this reason, we offer you a wide range of services. 

  • Building Design
  • Tenant Improvement Design
  • Construction Documents
  • Zoning Approval Process
  • Planning
  • ADA Survey
  • Models & Renderings
  • Use Permit Processing

 

There is no doubt that a building is an expression of energy, design, and materials. Basically, buildings are not comprised of single components, but rather, they are each comprised of systems that interact with one another, including the larger ecological systems and the human community.
Apart from the above-listed designing services, there are numerous other services that enhance occupants, comfort, and productivity such as cabinet design, code consulting, conceptual design, construction administration/ document/ management/ observation/ cost estimating, day lighting design, and much more.

 

A good start leads to good results and proper listening helps you to deliver the exact masterpiece that the client is asking for. As one of the leading Architectural Firms of Las Vegas, we believe in offering strategic architectural design goals within real-world project constraints.

 

Small Studios Associates adhere to our client’s budget and scheduling parameters. Moreover, our experienced designers provide buildable solutions that create functional spaces within enriched aesthetic environments.

 

For more information, Check out our services page.