Chicago Only Has Two Seasons - Winter & Construction!

Dear Friends, 

As the old joke goes, Chicago only has two seasons - winter and construction.  Anyone driving near our Frankfort office knows that is true.  The Route 30 expansion project is well under way, as are the repairs on I-80.  While that construction is not so fun to watch as I am stuck in traffic, observing our building projects go from ideas to reality gives me great satisfaction.  Below are some projects that are currently under construction.  I hope you enjoy!

Sincerely,

Robert Juris 
Robert Juris & Associates, Ltd.

Under Construction...

The Birches Apartment Complex - Leasing Office.  Joliet, IL

This project completely remodeled their existing facility to include office space, an exercise room, and a computer center.  The general contractor, Denny Deckinga of VR Builders, expects construction to be completed soon.

Little Joe's Pizza and Restaurante - Interior Remodeling  

Frankfort, IL 

Little Joe's, with locations in Tinley Park and New Lenox, is opening another restaurant in the Crown Centre of Frankfort.  The above photo shows the recently completed demolition work to transform the existing space.  

Additional recently completed, and soon-to-be under construction projects include:

• Fishing Pier as part of the Lake Park Expansion Project for Des Plaines Park District.  Construction to begin shortly.

• Park Pavilion at the 191st St. Park for the Frankfort Square Park District.  Construction recently began.

• State Farm Insurance Office - Interior suite build-out in New Lenox, IL. Construction recently completed.

• Second-story Home Addition in Riverside, IL.  Construction to begin shortly.

• Interior Remodeling (including lowering the existing basement slab by 2') to a home in the Historic District of Oak Park, IL.  Construction recently completed.

• Clock Tower Renovation at the Orland Park's Village Hall.  Construction to begin shortly.

Working with an Architect: What to Expect - Final Phase 6 of 6

Phase 6: Construction Observation & Administration

 

Goals:  Act as the owner’s representative throughout construction.

Fee breakdown:  Typically for residential projects and small commercial projects, the architect is retained at an hourly rate and only consulted when needed.  For public projects where the architect is much more involved during construction, this phase can represent 10-20% of the total fee.

Services May Include:

· Periodic site visits to ensure compliance with Construction Documents

· Review Pay Requests

· Review Shop Drawings and material submittals

· Respond to RFI’s (Request for Information) from the contractor

· Issue Change Orders

· Mediate Owner/ Contractor disputes

· Oversee and Document LEED strategies (if applicable)

· Final Submittals for LEED Certification (if applicable)

· Administer project close out (Punch lists)

Phase Is Typically Completed When:

Construction is complete.

Missed phase five?  Read last week's post HERE to catch yourself up! 

Questions?
Please feel free to contact us at (815)806-0146 or e-mail Nicole at n.corbett@rjaarchitects.com

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

What do you associate with "green"?  Soon the grass, Chicago River, and the beer at the local tavern will all be turning green.  As architects, however, we most commonly hear "green" associated with the push to design buildings that are more energy and resource efficient.  While this trend seems to have just recently gained widespread popularity, we at Robert Juris & Associated have been practicing this philosophy for years.  When I designed my home in New Lenox over twenty years ago, I used the methods known as "Passive Solar" to maximize the efficiency of my house.  So for us, this is nothing new, but we hope that the trend will help our clients jump on the "green" bandwagon.  I hope everyone has a very safe and happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sincerely,

Robert Juris Robert Juris & Associates, Ltd.

Spring is Coming...Think Green!

What do you associate with "green"?  Soon the grass, Chicago River, and the beer at the local tavern will all be turning green.  As architects, however, we most commonly hear "green" associated with the push to design buildings that are more energy and resource efficient.  While this trend seems to have just recently gained widespread popularity, we at Robert Juris & Associated have been practicing this philosophy for years.  When I designed my home in New Lenox over twenty years ago, I used the methods known as "Passive Solar" to maximize the efficiency of my house.  So for us, this is nothing new, but we hope that the trend will help our clients jump on the "green" bandwagon.  I hope everyone has a very safe and happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sincerely,

Robert Juris 
Robert Juris & Associates Architects

How Can You Go GREEN?

DeVry moved their Online University Offices in to a vacant office building

1.  Don't build a new building!

While this may sound like strange advice coming from an architect, one of the greenest ways to build is to renovate an existing building.  Most of the time, there will be considerable time, energy, resources and money saved as opposed to building new.  We assisted DeVry University with this task when they moved their Online University
 Offices in to this vacant office building in Wood Dale, IL.  For smaller companies, moving your office into an existing business center is equally as green.  We have provided services from space planning to construction documents to bidding and permitting** for clients that moved into business centers including President's Row, the Brookside Commons, Abbey Woods and the Crown Centre of Frankfort, IL.

2.  Get advice from a LEED AP.

What is a LEED AP you ask?  LEED stands for "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" and the AP stands for "Accredited Professional".  Brent Ludwig, a self-proclaimed "tree hugger" and project manager here at Robert Juris and Associates is a LEED AP and our go-to guy whenever anyone has a question related to green building.  Whether you are interested in new construction, an addition or remodel, Brent can help you make informed decisions about what are the best ways to make your project more GREEN!

**Not sure what the architectural process includes?  Click HERE to read more about it in our blog series "Working With an Architect:  What to Expect"