ZULUETA ARCHITECTURE

La Prep Calgary Airport Project Completion Feb 2020. Zulueta Architecture. ABCCAD Consulting. Interior Resources Associates Inc. Contractor- Neutech.

How To Design A Restaurant to Building Code.  One of the more popular small businesses that I have worked with are restaurants. The restaurant business, specially for a newbie, poses its own unique challenges and can be quite daunting in the beginning. There are requirements in terms of design, building code and permitting that are very specific to a restaurant project.  This post offers advice mainly to business start-ups and small business owners in planning and designing for a small restaurant, specially their first one.  A small restaurant, for the purpose of this discussion,  are restaurants that have floor areas from 1,000 square foot to 2,000 square foot and has a dining area.  The reference in code will be the Alberta Building Code. Here are the items to consider: SEATING The seating and the number of seats is critical to the success of the restaurant. The more seats you have, the more opportunities to generate revenue. To be allowed a c...

I find that the Mezzanine issue is one the most confusing subjects in the building code. Even people in the industry is not aware as to what a mezzanine actually is. The biggest misunderstanding here is how big the area can be before it gets classified as a floor. Here is the code reference- a mezzanine is not considered a storey/ floor if It less than 40% of the open area of the floor below.  Most of the contractors and designers who do not deal with mezzanines extensively think it is 40% of the area below. No,  it is 40% of the open area below. There is a big difference right away. And here is another issue as well, some of these mezzanines gets approved at the City at development permit stage with oversized areas. Come building permit time, it gets a whole gamut of code issues. The way the permitting works in the City – development permit process is handled by planners and gets reviewed for building areas, density, zoning, parking. There might be a preliminary building cod...

I went for a completion field review for an A & W Restaurant project and I thought that this project did quite well, despite the usual hair pulling and teeth gnashing that go with any construction project. I faced some comments with the City – there is one whole side that is fire rated. Not that anyone would notice it. A & W updated their look – white exterior metal cladding, a darker aluminum panel, glass tiles on the washrooms, the bright interiors  and nuances on the colors. It looks fresh and I believe it serves the purpose of bringing people in. Aside from the juicy burger I suppose. I gently asked from the client if there was any more work coming- and the reply I got is that fast food places like these rely on the drive-thru to generate revenue. Apparently it’s difficult to get the drive thru approved. These fast foods places rely heavily on the drive thru for revenue.  If I remember correctly, 60% of the revenue comes ...

I went for a  site review for a Building improvement project to check on its compliance and completion. The story behind this project was the  client went ahead on improvements without having the proper permits. At the end of the day, all the improvements that were done to this building were removed. It was too costly to bring the building up to Code to justify and  retain those improvements. Needless to say, it was a long and difficult process for everyone.  My advice to anyone who is thinking of constructing without permits-   Do not even think about it . It is a very painful journey that is not going to be worth it in the end. ******************************************************************************* www.zuluetaarchitecture.com

I had a building permit revoked because the City would not accept that the walk out basement renovation was for the use of the homeowner’s son. It did not matter if it was the truth- as long as the City saw a bedroom, a kitchen and a washroom in a basement, it’s a suite to be leased out to a tenant. For people who are not familiar with the process- once a space is classified as a secondary suite, there is a long list of requirements that needs to be met. You need to go thru a development permit (and good luck with that) and go thru all code requirements as well. It’s unbelievable to me how one sided and convoluted this interpretation of secondary suite. This to me is an infringement of property rights. Plus, there is no recognition of multigenerational lifestyle and diversity.  For example, it’s a traditional practice for communities with Asian heritages to live with their family way into their adulthood. Also, when you are a new immigrant it’s common to live with one of you...

Are you thinking of converting your basement or garage into a rental?  T hen you are looking   at building a secondary suite in your home.                                                                                                             What exactly is a secondary suite? A secondary suite occurs when there is another dwelling unit on the same property aside from the primary dwelling. The primary dwelling, the main house, is oc...

I have a number of clients, smaller businesses or start-ups, that work with very limited budgets in improving their leasable space. Majority of them do not have a clue of what it entails to take on a renovation project. They only look at the dollar figure as the bottom line and get a bolt of shock when underlying costs begin to show up. My advise is really to do proper research. Look at very realistically what the construction costs are going to be and that is including: professional fees and permit fees. Prepare in advance. For smaller projects, it is more often than not difficult to get professionals and contractors to get interested.  Set timelines that can be met and works for your operations. Do not ask for impossible schedules, you do not want people walking out on you.  Be aware of City requirements and timelines. The City is busier this time of the year, processing permits ta...

Cheers to the release of the much awaited building permit for the medical clinic project at NW Calgary. I even said to the owner, once we have the building permit, we should throw a party complete with cake and balloons. The story of the permitting process for this project is close to a thriller movie, complete with the unexpected twists and turns and fall-off-my seat scenarios. Truly, although small, this project is a good exercise in building code and City of Calgary coordination. This building was upgraded from residential to commercial classification.  The application of building code was revisited in terms of exits, fire ratings, window calculations.  In any case, this permitting chapter is over and all parties concerned for sure, are looking forward to moving ahead.   http://architectblog.zuluetaarchitecture.com/2012/04/27/thriller-building-permit-in-calgary/ PermitGo is a division of Zulueta Architecture that spe...