Sean O'Hara

The Maximum Occupant Load in the Building Code – Not a Maximum

by Sean O'Hara May 17, 2012

There is a common misconception about the “Maximum” Occupant Load table in the International Building Code. This table list the number of occupants per square foot that you are designing to rather than a true maximum. As an example, the table lists 100 gross sf [...]

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OSMODE System Variable in AutoCAD – How to Reset Your OSNAP Settings With a Number

by Sean O'Hara May 11, 2012

There will come a time when Autodesk’s AutoCAD will forget your object snap settings. Sometimes a poorly written lisp routine will reset them and occasionally they just change for no apparent reason. Thankfully there is a very easy way to get them back without going [...]

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Archived Historic Denver Building Codes

by Sean O'Hara May 9, 2012

While researching code regulations for a structure that we are remodeling, I came across the page holding all of the adopted building codes and amendments for the City and County of Denver. They date as far back as 1881 and are certainly an entertaining read. [...]

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Experience Urbanism at a Reasonable Pace

by Sean O'Hara May 1, 2012

It is spring in Denver and its harder than ever to want to stay inside. People are running, riding bikes, driving their convertibles, fixing the lawn and eating on the patio at El Noa Noa. Denver is sunny year round, but the spring is especially [...]

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EVstudio and the Weight Loss Challenge

by Sean O'Hara April 30, 2012

At the beginning of 2012, the EVS team decided to take on a number of challenges based on fitness and self improvement. The immediate challenge was weight loss and 9 members of the EVstudio family decided to take it on. The 16-week challenge was based [...]

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Letter of Recommendation From the Patel’s for EVstudio

by Sean O'Hara April 24, 2012

I recently received an email from one of our past residential clients and they included a nice note of recommendation: When we decided to build a new home, we had very little experience in the process. We were referred to architect Sean O’ Hara and [...]

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Ramps that Don’t Require Handrails, Slope and Rise

by Sean O'Hara April 9, 2012

The International Building Code and the American’s with Disability Act set the rules for ramps in new construction and remodels. In most cases you need to have handrails on both sides, but there are a few ways to avoid handrails. The first way is to [...]

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Calculating Fire Resistance Ratings of Wood Assemblies Using the IBC

by Sean O'Hara April 9, 2012

Architects and Contractors can spend a lot of time hunting for miscellaneous fire rated assemblies in wood construction. What you’ll eventually learn is that the easiest place to design your own 1-hour assembly is Section 721.6 of the International Building Code. The section details the [...]

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Snap to Both Sides of Walls in AutoCAD Architecture – Layer 0

by Sean O'Hara April 9, 2012

AutoCAD Architecture walls have a justification line and a width. Sometimes snaps will only work on the justification line and not on the linework determined by the width setting. After some aggravation with this, I’ve found the cause and the solution. ACA will not snap [...]

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Use 5/8″ Gypsum Board With 24″ Stud Spacing

by Sean O'Hara April 9, 2012

Most residential projects are framed with wall studs at 16″ on center and finished with 1/2″ gypsum board. To save lumber many builders are moving to 24″ centers where they can, in interior walls or at exterior walls where the trusses are aligned with the [...]

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Denver Really is a Great City for Architects

by Sean O'Hara April 9, 2012

One of the highlights in my recent trip to Atlanta was a chance to talk to several professionals and academics about the state of architecture in Atlanta. Listening to their worries gave me a real sense of appreciation for the prospects that architects face in [...]

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Cast in Place Concrete vs Post Tension Slab – Construction Cost

by Sean O'Hara April 9, 2012

We’re currently discussing options for concrete sport courts with a client. The two options are a cast in place concrete slab or a post tensioned slab. Generally speaking the perception is that a post tensioned sport court is more expensive than a cast in place [...]

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