A Brief Guide to Restroom Compliances

Think of The White House, The Eiffel Tower, and The Museum of Modern Art. What do all of these buildings have in common? They all have restrooms. Restrooms are a staple of any building and, in most cases, a requirement. With this, comes regulations and building codes from the Government to make sure all citizens can access your restroom safely. These guidelines fall under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). ADA is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. Having a restroom that is inaccessible to a person with a disability is an act of …

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Jul 23, 2019 By Bridget Foley

Navigating ADA Regulations

In 2015, a study released by the U.S. Census Bureau stated that more than 20 million people ages 18 and older reported having serious difficulties walking or climbing stairs. This represents 7.1% of the civilian non-institutionalized population. This is a large fraction of America’s economy that may be unable to frequent your store due to architectural barriers. Because of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), public accommodations having architectural barriers are not only against the law but are overall bad for business. Less traffic means fewer sales! Architectural barriers are physical elements in a public or commercial facility that impede …

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Jan 24, 2019 By Bridget Foley

What to Consider When Designing a Retail Store

This week we are in Scottsdale, Arizona at the Retail Spaces event and next week we’ll be heading over to the International Retail Design Conference (IRDC) in Seattle. With retail so prominent on our mind, it’s the perfect opportunity to review design and permitting considerations surrounding retail stores. We have broken down three key elements that permit applicants must consider when working on a retail store: accessibility, egress, and racking. Accessibility New facilities and existing facilities being altered must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) construction and design standards. The design standards are very extensive and detailed to …

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Sep 20, 2018 By admin

Planning and Permitting a Parking Structure

According to a 2013 transportation study, most cars are parked 95% of the time. While this may have changed since 2013, let’s face it – our cars are still parked a lot of the time. Therefore, parking structures, especially in big cities and large shopping centers, are worth talking about. New parking structures are typically required for large-scale projects such as ground-up buildings or mixed-use developments. Planning and permitting a parking structure can be daunting especially in certain jurisdictions. There are a few key components to take into consideration when planning and permitting a parking structure. Let’s dive in… Planning …

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Aug 17, 2018 By admin