Working with existing buildings can be a daunting task - whether purchasing, renovating, or adding on, careful thought needs to be put into the approach, the intended use of the building, and if it's feasible to accommodate that use. Our architecture team can provide a number of services to help in this process and what the potential might be.
We can start by provide an existing facility survey (also termed "assessment" or "evaluation") that thoroughly analyzes the building's current conditions, structural integrity (foundations, floor/wall/roof structure), mechanical & electrical systems, condition of the exterior envelope (walls, windows, doors, roof) and condition of the interior spaces. Our environmental team can also provide asbestos surveys and phase I/II environmental to ascertain any potential health risks.
We can also assess the level of current building code compliance as well as ADA compliance - this can be a standalone service by itself if you're looking to make some code-required improvements or increase the handicap accessibility of your facility.
Armed with all that information we can provide a report detailing what improvements need to be made, what capital maintenance projects will need to be considered in the future, what opportunities exist that can be taken advantage of, and what potential costs could be. In the end this will help to assess feasibility of any project being considered and important items to consider in the re-use of the building for another purpose (adaptive re-use).
We can also preliminary design, planning, and 3D visualization services to help envision what the potential of the building could be along with the potential cost. We can also work through potential master planning and phasing of a potential project to fit your long term project goals with a phased approach.
Any of the services mentioned above can be provided on its own to fit your needs and they can be used prior to purchasing a building, during due diligence when purchasing a building, or with existing buildings already owned and operating out of…at any point we can provide valuable guidance for you as you consider any potential building project.
Ryan is a Vice President at Ackerman-Estvold and the architecture team lead and has been applying his trade in the region around Minot for the past 17 years. If you have any questions throughout this series or would like more information on a particular topic, by all means contact us and we'd be more than happy to have a conversation.