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Working Out of Home & Accessibility

Posted on June 7th, 2013

With the change in economy over recent years, more and more people are working out of home. It saves on expense, it saves on commuting time, and it allows you to work around the clock which has both its advantages and disadvantages. The question that should come up, but maybe doesn’t is, ‘Do I need […]

Leases & Accessibility – What now?

Posted on May 6th, 2013

With the passing of California Senate Bill 1186 and its affect on the Civil Code, there are numerous questions about new lease requirements. Basically if you lease any commercial property from July 1, 2013 onwards, the lease form or rental agreement will need to state whether the property being leased has had a CASp inspection. […]

Employees Only

Posted on April 4th, 2013

Janis Kent, FAIA, Architect, CASp © 2013, Updated March, 2021 So the question that often comes up is, what do we do for employee only spaces? And the answer is, it depends on whether it is an existing employee only space or a new/altered employee only space, whether it is an employee only work area […]

Lighting – Let the Sun In!

Posted on March 5th, 2013

We have heard so much about sun light not being good for us that we have missed the impact of natural light, in particular narrow spectrum blue light, and what it can do for our health and even well-being. We have also become energy efficient with lower artificial lighting levels inside that could adversely affect […]

Signs and Things – Types

Posted on February 1st, 2013

In a previous article I provided an overview of the component pieces that go into signs. So the next question is, what components go into what kinds of signs? There are many sign types, each with their own requirements and exceptions. In order to understand some of the requirements the Components article should also be […]

Signs and Things – Components

Posted on January 1st, 2013

One of the most forgotten elements is signage. Basically it can be divided into three groups – permanent room signs, way-finding, and informational signs, but there are other types as well. Permanent room signs also have requirements for installation location with criteria for clear floor space in front. Height requirements have now been changed with […]

Elevators

Posted on November 30th, 2012

You have an older two-story commercial building and the question is whether you are required to install an elevator. The answer to this, of course, is it depends. If your building has less than 3,000 SF per floor or is a 2-story building, generally an elevator is not required. But this is based upon what […]

Single Restrooms – What needs to be done?

Posted on November 2nd, 2012

Let’s say you have single accommodation restrooms in a pre-ADA building which is a place of public accommodation. There are several items to consider. What you end up doing depends on whether or not you have done any alterations to the building and how much you have spent or plan on spending. And do realize, […]

Alterations To Existing Buildings — How Much Extra Do I Have to Spend?

Posted on September 27th, 2012

© 2012 Janis Kent, FAIA, Architect, CASp. Updated February 2021 You are altering an existing building. You know that the portion being altered is required to meet today’s standards of accessibility, but is that all that needs to be done? The answer to that question for the most part is no. Per the ADA when […]

Cabinetry and Sales & Service Counters

Posted on September 4th, 2012

Whether you have a reception counter in an office, a reservation counter at a restaurant, or a sales counter in a store, it does need to be accessible. Since many of these items do not require a building permit, the business owner is responsible and often times relies upon the cabinetry fabricator to make it […]

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