Tag Archives: ADA Architects 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.

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.

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.

CREATING A HEALTHY INDOOR ENVIRONMENT

Recently health has become a major concern in the world of architecture and more specifically medical oriented architecture as it has rapidly become more important to prevent the spread of virus, germs, and diseases. There are many things that can be done to your residential or commercial building design that can improve the overall health of the people using the spaces. This blog by SSA – Las Vegas Architects will cover information pertaining to lighting, indoor air quality, air conditioning, and other general building conditions.

 

Lighting-Sunlight is good for people, UVC light kills germs and viruses. Modern buildings have been using windows and skylights that block UV light because it can bleach textiles found within the building. It may be beneficial to remove the UV filter on a skylight or the windows that shine on a majority of a room as it would help to sterilize the room’s air. Alternatively UVC light bulbs can be purchased to help clean the air without the need for direct sunlight. UVC light is not the only countermeasure to preventing the spread of germs, though it is useful for killing germs.

 

Air Conditioning-A common air conditioning system found in Las Vegas commercial buildings is a mixed air system. Generally air is blown from the ceiling then allowed to swirl around the room it is then returned back to the AC unit through a return on the ceiling (as shown below). The advantages of this system are that it is cheap and every HVAC tech knows how to install and repair it. However since the air is swirling throughout the room, it is very easy for pollutants and microorganisms to travel from person to person in the room. One solution for this issue is to use a different air conditioning system like displacement air conditioning. This system pumps air into the room from the bottom but still returns the air through the ceiling (as shown below). Meaning that any particles in the air are taken up to the return sooner rather than being allowed to swirl around the room first. Germs and other particles are removed from the vicinity of people much quicker, significantly decreasing the likelihood of inhaling harmful pollutants. The displacement ventilation system is statistically better than the mixed air system. It can also be beneficial to combine with the practice of utilizing UV lighting to clean air. Installing a UVC light on the return duct of your AC unit will help to kill germs, viruses, and pollen so that they do not get recirculated to harm people.

 

It has become widely known that mold is bad and it is definitely in your best interest to remove any and all mold within your building. Fresh air is also important, as architects in Las Vegas we have found that building owners will commonly close their fresh air vent on their building during the summer months. They do this to assist their AC units in cooling during the heat wave days. That may be satisfactory during that period of the year, except it is common that the owners do not reopen the fresh air vent when the moderate heat months arrive. A proper fix for this problem would be to install an air to air heat exchanger that does the work of blocking heat from fresh air. Fresh air design best practices would include intake of only the air appropriate for the people and activities in the building. Automated air sensors and controls are available. Where construction costs or other factors prohibit using automated systems or opening and closing of ventilation, building occupants can set up procedures to improve indoor air quality without construction costs. If the air to air heat exchanger or open fresh air vent aren’t enough for your building, it could be helpful to open a window or door to let extra fresh air in to the building.

 

These are only a few tips to help create a healthy environment. Before constructing anything we recommend hiring a licensed architect or engineer to design your system properly. SSA architecture is always happy to provide you with more information, you can reach us at 702-873-1718. Here at SSA Architecture your first commercial project consultation at our Las Vegas Office is always free. More information on this topic is provided in the corresponding video found on our YouTube channel here. A healthy environment is important in any building, particularly those in the healthcare field. You can find information on our other work as medical architects in Las Vegas here.

DESIGN REVIEW: NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE RULES

SSA Architecture has worked as an architectural firm in Las Vegas for over 20 years and in that time SSA has done a multitude of projects including built from the ground up and building remodeling design projects. It is common place for us to take an as built site plan and draw a sketch of the proposed new building as a starting point. It is also commonplace for SSA Architecture to use public information on a vacant site to design an entirely new building and site plan.

 

From there we can begin to analyze if the property owner’s desired concept ‘plans’ will be in compliance with current rules. For example it is pertinent to determine whether or not the building will be too tall, if the lot size will be able to provide an adequate amount of parking spaces, and if the parcel is zoned for the correct use. These rules vary by project location and form of the building work depending on the final use of the building and the jurisdiction the land is in. The various government rules can be further specified by exceptions found in certain areas within the designated jurisdictions. For example, downtown may have parking requirement exceptions that the suburban areas may not have. The plans will have a better chance of being approved right away if the original drawings comply with the rules while still covering all of the client’s needs. And approvals can be possible for projects that are not in compliance with the rules. Regardless of what architect or lawyer processes your entitlements requests, there is never a guarantee that the reviewers will not object to the building concept or design of the “Plans”.

 

Sometimes it’s not possible for the project to comply with the rules. A common example of this would be when an old rule gets changed that makes a previously existing built item no longer compliant with the current rules. This can result in clients deciding to submit construction projects that are not 100% code compliant or 100% in compliance with current planning and zoning requirements. This can be approved but there is a need for additional steps to be taken. In some cases an attorney specializing in use approvals may be able to help with negotiations for approvals. In any event approval of land use, zoning and design reviews out of compliance are political.

 

The steps in the process of approvals are typically:
1. Create a drawing that shows what the client wants.
2. Visit the governing authority(s) staff to discuss the proposal.
3. Draw formal drawings for submission.
4. Meet with planning and zoning staff to discuss the formal submission.
5. A formal submission drawing set for (either) design review, planning, zoning or use approval submission.
6. Once submitted the plan set will likely be initially rejected or returned with (staff objections) comments.
7. At this point the client can decide to stay with the original submission over staff objections, adjust the design, cancel the project or attempt to make a compromise with the government staff.
8. A final submittal can be re-drafted according to the client’s decisions.
9. There will then typically be public hearings, discussions and more reviews by staff before the entitlement is established.
10. Many planning and zoning cases result in a (NFA) Notice of final action. The NFA provides a notice of what was agreed in a written form.

 

Out of compliance projects always take longer in the review system often times taking an additional month minimum.
So how much will this cost? With SSA Architecture it always starts with a free consultation followed with a fee quotation for the original drawing submission for the due diligence process. After the pre-submission meeting the list of items that your applicable agency requires for your project will become known.

For design review processes, fixed fee quotations are available.

For zoning cases, fixed fees for drawings are available.

For meetings related to use approvals and zoning cases we are unaware of any provider that does this work for other than hourly rates. Our hourly rates are competitive.


When a client’s vision for a property is not in compliance with rules, it can and will result in a huge time and money expenditure. That does not mean that the project is not worth it. It simply means that more time and materials will have to go into bringing it to fruition.

 

The explanation above does not include building permit approvals, which are a separate process.

 

If you have any more questions or have a project fitting this criteria feel free to call and schedule a free consultation at 702-873-1718. If you were looking for more information on this topic, you can check out a FAQ YouTube video on this topic here.