New Website Coming

Evstudio will be launching a new website this summer. Our original website was put together in June of 2006 and hasn’t been recently updated. We are well aware of its shortcomings and are working to create a new website that will better reflect the exciting spirit of EVstudio. In the meantime, please give us a call or drop us an email and we’ll answer any questions.

We are currently working on the website in conjunction with Cort Langworthy of Relish Studio. It will feature new content, a better picture of our full range of services and be integrated with this blog and more information for our clients. In addition we are going to have project specific pages to help with information on projects that are in process. When the new features are up and running there will be blog posts further explaining the new options that we are able to provide to our clients.

Colfax Avenue

When you design projects along Colfax Ave or other local streets that are actually state highways, it is important to remember that you must also contact state agencies if you want to redesign access to the property.

We are doing a feasibility study for a Mexican food restaurant on Colfax Avenue in Denver. In the end we didn’t need to move the Colfax access, which will save some effort on that project.

Draftspeople

EVstudio has chosen to be a firm without draftspeople (the politically correct version of draftsmen). We have found that there really isn’t a roll for someone who is purely drafting a project, instead at each step you need someone who is drafting but also designing and thinking through the sections and details. As a result we hire project designers who work with the principals and architects throughout the project. Each project designer has a college degree in architecture and experience working with at least one other firm. They have been chosen to bring a smart mix of design and technical skill to each project.

In addition, the firm principals are capable draftsmen and the designers of EVstudio’s CAD standards. This aids the firm in flexibility, but it also means that the principals are much more capable of gauging how long tasks will take and knowing what the software is capable of.

Architect Colorado Interview – Sean O’Hara

I’ve been asked for an interview to appear in the Fall issue of Architect Colorado. It will primarily be about experiences that we’ve had in the initial years of EVstudio along with our outlook for the future. The interview is on Monday and I’ll let you know when the magazine comes out in the fall.

I gave a talk on this subject at the AIA North Chapter 10×10 during Architecture Week on April 15th.

157 Architecture

One of the pieces of our business model is forming strong partnerships with other individuals and other companies. It has been my observation that this strengthens both parties.

In 2007 EVstudio formed a joint venture with Gene Dane and Associates called 157 Architecture. 157 was formed for the express purpose of better serving the commercial architecture needs of the GDA clients in Central Texas. There is quite a building boom in the area North of Austin and a lack of quality local firms to pursue the work. Gene’s firm is well positioned but wanted the added backing that EVS brings to the table.

To date we’ve done a number of exciting projects together, an Aaron’s Rents Furniture store in San Angelo, a mixed use master plan in Harker Heights and a retail clothing store in Harker Heights. We’re currently doing a feasibility study to develop a large New Urbanist development in Central Texas and are actively pursuing a number of retail, medical, office, multi family and civic projects in the area.

Welcome

I’m going to begin writing a regular blog for the friends, clients and potential clients of EVstudio.

If you’re not already familiar with EVstudio, we’re an architecture and planning firm based in Colorado with our first office in Evergreen and our second office in Denver. We do a wide variety of building types. In the last two years we’ve worked on custom homes, duplexes, multi family, office buildings, hotels, retail, restuarants and completed hundreds of projects. We are experienced with LEED projects and sustainability.

There are currently 6 of us with another person starting June 16th. I’ll write more about the staff and have some of them make posts as well so you can get to know the entire staff.

Please check back often and let me know either via email if you have any questions or subjects that you’d like to see discussed on the blog. One of the things that we strive for is openness about the process.