NEWS

Air circulation in, above, and all around

On stairs, entryways, walkways, and balconies

Roof evaluation and maintenance should include spaces below and adjacent to the roof itself

You have a completed Reserve Study, now what? An experienced reserve study specialist, working in partnership with community management, can help you and your association prioritize property maintenance needs while respecting current reserve limitations. This team should also not let the association hide from more urgent or more costly property improvement projects. How do you […]

The weather extremes have made for an “interesting” summer, haven’t they? Any weather should remind us to be proactive with our properties. For properties that have been experiencing high heat and drought let’s keep an eye on our foundations and balcony supports. Uneven settlement can happen when the ground dries out and cracks. For properties […]

For many of us, this part of our calendar finds us planning out what we can or should tackle in the coming year.  These planning conversations are better if they are informed by a fairly recent reserve study. Otherwise, a board risks using an outdated needs list or even prioritizing pet projects, whether consciously or not. This […]

There are times when having property reviewed by an objective and expert third party is necessary. Outside expertise protects both sides in property related issues. An expert delivering a direct and unbiased assessment can eliminate future surprises, ensure a board is not taking on (or ignoring) necessary repairs, and even put to bed an ongoing […]

This issue of the J. Hershey Blueprint highlights a few examples of creative maintenance approaches designed to work within reserve limits

I am a big advocate of requiring Association Managers to frequently visit the properties they manage. We can learn a lot about the property and the resident experience if we visit association grounds in all types of weather. Spring showers bring an opportunity to see how water flows through the property and what our residents […]

Our work has seen both ends of the association spectrum recently. We are helping an established association with $0 in reserves to prioritize and plan maintenance needs and requisite funding, on the other hand, we are also working with a board who is being very proactive about making sure their property is attractive to the next […]

A call for the courage to advocate for structures and properties. Also read when codes matter, an objective view, and how we assessed that less repair was needed than was planned.

Learning from Disaster: A Look at Board Behaviors

Published in WI CAI Newsletter, this article highlights Association Board behaviors that impede property upkeep and potentially safety

Water features on properties create visual beauty, convey openness and space between dwellings, and of course can deliver important functional benefits related to water movement and capture. These benefits do not come without maintenance and safety concerns that, if left ignored, can create extensive issues related to cost and life safety. We have assessed properties […]

It’s balcony season! Or, more appropriately, it’s settlement season! Now is the time of year we see many balcony and foundation issues as the ground dries out to reveal soil settlement and erosion. As with the quality of materials, design, and workmanship in the creation of a built structure, the quality of soil matters. In […]

What are you passionate about? I count myself very fortunate to have a job that truly interests me and lets me help others. Built structures, large or small, protect what we care about, such as families or businesses, while being art forms. I’ve been interested in building construction and design from a young age, and have been working in this always-evolving field for a long time.

This is the time of year to focus on preventative maintenance that can minimize the potential for water infiltration. There is a grim reality to the value of cost avoidance that proactive maintenance measures provide compared to the high cost and resident dissatisfaction with repair work.

This winter’s weather created ice damming across many parts of the country. The freeze/thaw cycles enable ice dams to force water up under shingles and can cause water to leak into attics, ceilings, or walls. Ice dams can damage roof shingles and gutters or worse, they can create drop hazards.

The month of August brings the return of school for many of our family members, clients and business partners and is also the start of budget season for our community associations and property managers! Our most recent issue of the The Blue Print highlights the services we offer to community associations so they may keep […]

Our July issue of The Blue Print is packed full of great information including recent testimonials from J. Hershey Building Consultant clients as well as an update on current projects from reserve studies to building evaluations! This issue also features progress on a maintenance garage we designed for an Association in northern Illinois and showcases […]

Please click the link below to read a wonderful testimonial J. Hershey Building Consultants received from Jordan Scahefer at Foster Premier, Inc. J. Hershey Building Consultants Testimonial

John Hershey was in Punta Gorda, Florida this morning as a presenter for the monthly CAI South Gulf Coast Breakfast Seminar.   With a packed room of over 50 attendees, John presented a course titled, “Reserve Studies, Save NOW or PAY Later”.  Each attendee that is a Certified Property Manager received (1) CEU Credit for this […]

We are currently providing construction monitoring for the facade repair project at the Association shown below in northern Illinois.  The Association consists of (25) single-story buildings containing (79) units.  Ten buildings are being worked on in this current and final phase and the repair work includes masonry tuckpointing, masonry rebuilding and replacement and steel lintel […]

Did you know that J. Hershey Building Consultants offers (4) different courses approved by the CAMICB for Property Manager CEU Credit? Our June issue of The Blue Print features those courses as well as John Hershey’s upcoming educational course in Punta Gorda, Florida on Reserve Studies and a recap of projects we have going on […]

Last month we provided a retaining wall evaluation for the Association shown below just outside of Philadelphia.  Our written report following the evaluation recommended that the walls have reached the end of their useful life and should be rebuilt.  Now that we have made recommendations to our client on what the issues are and how […]

Once the J. Hershey Building Consultants team makes recommendations to our client on what the issues are and how to repair them, we then assist the Association with the preparation of bid repair documents as needed for bidding and permitting.  We offer coordination and preparation of these documents for all site and building related issues. […]

Our team is on-site this week in a suburb of Orlando, Florida performing a Reserve Study site visit for a large scale 55+ community.  This Association consists of (938) single-family homes and the Association is responsible for maintaining: Clubhouse including an indoor tennis court, stage, exercise room, library, kitchen, billiard room, craft room and meeting […]

We are on-site today at this beautiful condominium association just west of Philadelphia performing a Transition Study site visit.  This 55+ community has recently transitioned over from the developer and consists of (64) units in (2) 4-story buildings.  These buildings contain underground parking, a fitness center, library and solarium! Contact us today at 844-543-7743 or […]

J. Hershey Building Consultants regularly provides complete project management for our Community Association clients including the initial property evaluation, design of drawings and specifications, assistance with bidding and construction monitoring. It is our goal to simplify the lives of the property managers we work with everyday by being their “go-to” firm!  Give us a call today at 844-543-7743 to discuss your project.   Below […]

The April issue of The Blue Print is now available to read by clicking here!  This month’s newsletter unveils a brand new section titled “J. Hershey Media” where we will keep you updated on articles, podcasts and videos we have created.  We also talk about several J. Hershey Building Consultant projects currently in progress for our […]

Spring has sprung and the J. Hershey Building Consultants team is busy providing Project Management services for several large community association projects!  Project Management services include: Providing construction monitoring to include in-progress site visits to review the construction status.  Site visits are followed with a written report that outlines the construction work performed, schedules, payment […]

Do you know the qualifications of the person performing your Association’s Reserve or Transition Study? Is the person who is visiting the property a licensed professional or are they an unlicensed employee who may or may not have a college degree in architecture or engineering? Does the licensed professional produce bid repair documents or provide construction monitoring of capital improvements for multi-family properties or is their experience restricted to the preparation […]

J. Hershey Building Consultants is a proud member of Community Associations Institute Chapters in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida.  Recently, our President, John Hershey, had an article published in the CAI South Gulf Coast Community Voice Magazine!  “What’s the Diagnosis…Leak Investigation” focuses on one of the most common and frustrating issues property mangers […]

In 2015, we performed an evaluation and provided drawings and specifications for a facade repair project at the Association shown below.  This Association is now ready to move forward with making the repairs.  Before we can issue the drawings for bidding we will perform a second building evaluation to determine if additional repair work is needed due to the amount of time that has passed.  We will […]

Our February issue of The Blue Print is hot off the press and ready for your viewing!  Click here to read a wonderful testimonial from a long time J. Hershey client and learn about current design and consulting projects in the works!  

The J. Hershey Architecture team is on-site today at this home in Chicago measuring the space to prepare drawings for the proposed addition and renovation! This home was built in 1896 and  renovations will include expanding and redesigning the second floor to accommodate two bedrooms and a larger second floor bathroom.  Are you considering a home […]

Do you know the difference between a Transition Study and a Reserve Study?  The main difference is that a Transition Study is typically done when the property has transitioned from the developer to the homeowners. Click here for a great article further explaining the difference from our friends at the law office of Kaman & Cusimano, LLC.  […]

Do you know the difference between a Transition Study and a Reserve Study?  Are you a CAI Business Partner that would like to earn the special designation of a CAI Educated Business Partner?  Answers to these questions and more including the scoop on an upcoming J. Hershey Architecture design project can be found by clicking here […]

The J. Hershey Building Consultant team performed a Structural Evaluation this week at the building shown below.  This two-story building on the north side of Chicago was built in the 1920’s and contains (2) units.   Our Consultant was directed to evaluate the condition of the floor structure beneath the kitchen of the first floor unit […]

Happy New Year!  Community Associations should not let the cold weather or threat of winter deter them from having their Reserve Studies completed during the 1st Quarter!  Our President, John Hershey, is on-site today performing a Reserve Study site visit for a large HOA in northern Illinois.  This Association consists of 746 units including a […]

Happy Holidays!  Our December issue of The Blue Print is one of our most important issues because it is where we thank you…the clients, friends and business partners who have helped make the J. Hershey Group a success! Click here to see how we give thanks and highlight upcoming events where you can find the […]

The Association shown below has hired us to prepare drawings and specifications for the replacement of the roofing at (2) of their (5) 3-story buildings.  During a recent site visit to observe the current conditions of the roofing and perform field measurements for the drawings and specifications a large amount of water was found to […]

Along with two exciting announcements regarding our President, John Hershey, this month’s issue of the Blue Print gives readers a snapshot of the various types of community association projects the J. Hershey team works on throughout a single month.  No two projects are the same!  This issue also features a list of community association events […]

The J. Hershey Group of companies and its team members have an extensive knowledge of residential and commercial design, engineering and construction.  This allows us to provide our property management clients with a full range of services that many others do not offer. We offer this range of services to help simplify the efforts associated […]

J. Hershey Building Consultants recently performed an evaluation of the flat roofing on (3) 4-story buildings, as shown below, for a community association in northern Illinois.  The purpose of the evaluation was to determine the remaining useful life of the roofing.  We have the capability to perform evaluations on every site and building component issue that […]

The J. Hershey Building Consultant team is currently providing Construction Administration services for several projects.  Examples of these projects include a roofing replacement of (5) 2-story buildings containing (25) units and a masonry repair project for (12) single-story buildings containing (79) units.  Our services during this phase include in-progress site visits to review the construction […]

We are pleased to announce that effectively immediately, John Hershey, President of J. Hershey Building Consultants, has been asked to serve as a Board Member on the Community Associations Institute (CAI) National Business Partners Council.  According to CAI, “The Business Partners Council represents product and services providers and professionals. The Council is made up of twelve […]

J. Hershey Building Consultants visited the Association shown below to determine if windows replaced by a Unit Owner were installed according to the specifications we prepared.  Our site visit will be followed with a written report complete with photographs, detailing our findings. We regularly perform site visits to Community Associations to determine if the work […]

J. Hershey Building Consultants are on-site today in Media, Pennsylvania, performing a Reserve Study for the Association show below.  These newly constructed buildings consist of (26) 3-story town-homes. The Association is responsible for maintaining the exterior of the buildings, rear parking spaces, site lighting and common area landscaping.  This Association is within walking distance to […]

Our August issue of The Blue Print features up-to-date information on current J. Hershey projects from a gutter analysis we will be performing in northern Ohio to the completion of a home renovation by our Design Build team in Libertyville.  We are also looking to hire a Licensed Architect or Engineer with Reserve Study experience, […]

We are looking for a Licensed Architect or Licensed Engineer with Reserve Study experience to join our J. Hershey Building Consultant’s team!  This person can be licensed in any state and will have the opportunity to work on multiple projects within a short period of time.  Experience with production drawings and construction management is desired […]

The J. Hershey Building Consultants team has been busy in recent weeks working on projects in multiple states from Illinois to Ohio, over to Pennsylvania and down to Florida!  Click here to read our July issue of The Blue Print which highlights these community association projects along with beautiful images of the home the J. […]

The J. Hershey team had a great time networking at the CAI National Conference and Trade Show earlier this month!  Click here to read the May issue of The Blue Print which include a recap of the National Conference, updates on current community association projects, in-progress pictures of J. Hershey Design Build home renovations and […]

The J. Hershey team is celebrating our 9th anniversary today!  Thanks to our amazing Clients, we are thrilled at the growth the company has experienced these past nine years including the addition of offices in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida as well as the introduction of J. Hershey Building Consultants and J. Hershey Design Build in […]

The J. Hershey Building Consultants team is preparing constructions drawings and specifications for the replacement of the roof shown in the images below. This Association consists of (1) 3-story building containing (24) units and is located in Westlake, Ohio, close to the shores of Lake Erie. Once the drawings are complete and approved by the […]

Now that spring has sprung, our team has been busy performing construction administration services for community association projects where drawings, specifications and bidding were completed with our assistance at the end of 2017. During construction we perform scheduled site visits to monitor the progress, assist with payout requests, answer questions on behalf of the board […]

From specific questions to ask your potential Reserve Study professional to images of in-progress J. Hershey Design Build projects our April issue of The Blue Print has something for everyone!  Click here to read and as always, feel free to give us a call at 844-543-7743 to discuss any of your project needs!

Last week, J. Hershey Building Consultants performed a Reserve Study site visit at a vintage 4-story walk-up building in Evanston, Illinois, which contained a laundry room, package delivery room, storage lockers, an underground parking garage as well rear wooden stairs.  A Reserve Study site visit was also performed for a town-home association which consisted of […]

In February, the Board of Directors for the Association shown below hired us to perform an evaluation of the facade on each of their buildings.  Based on our detailed written report, the Board has now hired us to prepare specifications for the facade repairs.  In March, this Association also hired us to perform an evaluation […]

In 2017, The J. Hershey Architecture team designed the conversion of an existing 6,000 square foot medical office building into the Dolce Organic Salon, Med Spa and Salt Room.  On Sunday, May 6th, from 12:00pm-4:00pm they are having a Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening at 18820 Bagley Road in Middleburg Heights, Ohio.  The Grand Opening will […]

J. Hershey Building Consultants were on-site in Columbus, Ohio, to perform a Reserve Study on this chilly, snowy day!  This past weekend our Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania offices all saw several inches of snow…we all wish we were working out of the Orlando office this week!  This time of year it melts quickly and does […]

Last week, the J. Hershey Building Consultants team was on-site to perform a Reserve Study site visit for the Association shown below in Cleveland, Ohio.  This Association consists of (19) town-home style units in (5) 3-story buildings.  Along with a review of the building exteriors which include attached garages and 4th floor decks the Association […]

Happy Spring!  The J. Hershey March issue of The Blue Print is now available to read by clicking here!  This special issue announces the addition of two new members to our team.  Please join us in welcoming Krystal Balmes and Anne Yannarella!  Our March issues also features several community association projects the J. Hershey Building […]

J. Hershey Building Consultants were on site today at the Association shown below in Wasdworth, Ohio, to perform an evaluation of the roofs, overhangs, gutters and downspouts. The Association includes (23) 2-story buildings containing (136) units. Upon completion of the site visit the Consultant will create a written report detailing their findings including color, captioned […]

The J. Hershey Design Build home renovation in Libertyville, Illinois is progressing well!  The front porch as shown in the image below is being re-built using a composite railing system and the wood siding has been removed from the exterior and is being replaced with vinyl siding.  The roof line at the rear of the […]

The kitchen is being framed out in the J. Hershey Design Build project shown below in Libertyville, Illinois.  This single-story home has been gutted from front to back and the new design includes a new master bedroom and bathroom, kitchen and living area.  Give Jen a call today at 847-549-5499 or email at jk@jhersheygroup.com to […]

J. Hershey Building Consultants are on-site today performing a water infiltration evaluation at this high-rise building in the heart of Lincoln Park in Chicago!   Three units within this building are all experiencing a similar issue. Property Managers regularly use J. Hershey Building Consultants as an expert source on solving water infiltration issues for community associations.  […]

The February issue of The Blue Print is now available to read.  This issue highlights happenings at each of our companies including the completion of a J. Hershey Architecture designed 6,000 square foot salon and spa in Middleburg Height, Ohio!  Our J. Hershey Building Consultants team has been busy performing reserve studies and building evaluations […]

The J. Hershey team brought lunch to a northern Illinois property management firm this week and presented a seminar on Roof and Attic Issues within Community Associations.  This seminar was good for (1) CEU Credit for Property Managers with the CAM designation! We currently have (4) seminars approved by the Community Association Management International Certification […]

J. Hershey Building Consultants offers 6 FREE seminars per quarter for Property Managers to get their CEUs.  Each course is held in YOUR office and is certified through CAMICB.  We’ve already held 5 sessions in 2018!  Contact Jen at 844.543.7743 or jk@jhersheygroup.com to schedule your session.  Below are images from recently completed CEU Seminars in Illinois […]

Click HERE to read the January 2018 issue of The Blue Print!  J. Hershey is now comprised of three distinct companies, each of which is featured in this issue along with our new website and phone number!

Our September issue of The Blue Print is ready for viewing! Do you know what sets J. Hershey Architecture apart from our competitors? Check out our “Association Projects” section below for some insight! This issue not only highlights our Association projects but also some great design projects our Team is currently working on.

It is that time again where Community Association Boards and Property Managers begin to think about their budgets for next year.  A great article came out recently in the Chicago Tribune talking about the importance of making sure your yearly Association budget is done correctly. It is hard to have an accurate budget without a […]

We are currently designing repairs to the stucco privacy wall for an Association as shown below in Pennsylvania. The wall stretches approximately 900 feet. Along with the privacy wall repairs we are also redesigning one of the drive entries to include reworking the ingress/egress, adding a “faux” gate house with electronic powered gates and re-configuring […]

The low slope roof sections at the property shown below were recently re-roofed and unfortunately it now has more leaks than before. We were asked for our expert opinion to evaluate the cause of the current leaks. Note: Unfortunately, professional specifications and construction oversight were not performed prior to our involvement as is often the […]

Are you a Property Manager needing CEU credits but do not have the time to travel somewhere for a class? What if we could bring the class to you? J. Hershey Architecture is certified by CAMICB to provide 1 CEU Credit for Property Managers on the topic of Water Infiltration or Reserve Studies. We can […]

Caulk is a great product when used properly, but very often it’s use exacerbates the issue rather than correcting it. If you have water infiltration issues please give us a call before attempting to make the repairs.

Due to recent failures of some aging rooftop water storage tanks on historic Chicago buildings, many Associations are choosing to have them removed if no longer in use. This past weekend we performed construction oversight for the removal of the water storage tank shown below. This particular building was built in 1921 and converted to […]

Check out our July issue of the The Blue Print which features an update on John’s recent travels to our Orlando office and an upcoming speaking engagement with CAI Central Ohio! This issue also covers the wide variety of expert services we can offer property managers to simply their lives and be the one-stop firm […]

In this heat wave a pool is a wonderful amenity. Why not enclose it for use throughout the year. That is what this community Association in Pennsylvania would like to do. For a design consultation with one of our design professionals contact us at www.jhersheyarchitecture.com.

JHA staff had a fantastic time last night attending the CAI Central Florida Meet the Managers Event in Orlando! As a Business Partner we rotated the room every three minutes, networking in a “speed dating” format with Property Managers from over twenty different management companies!

There is a right way and a wrong way to control erosion along the shoreline of a pond. We were informed this stonework was done only a year ago (probably at a significant cost) and it is already failing. How many problems can you see with this construction?

Do you have a community association with structural issues resulting from poor drainage like the retaining wall in this photo? Have you hired multiple contractors over the years and still don’t have it solved? Send our President, John Hershey, an email at jmh@14.141.175.107 with your questions and let’s work together to solve your water related […]

Happy 4th of July from all of us at J. Hershey Architecture! Did you know that on July 13th JHA staff will be attending CAI Central Florida’s Meet the Managers Event? This sold-out, limited seating event gives business partners a chance to sit down and meet one-on-one with property managers in a “speed dating” format. […]

J. Hershey Architecture’s June issue of The Blue Print is now ready to view!  This issue includes updates on our association and design projects including an exciting commercial project in northeastern Ohio!

Construction administration for repairs is a service we regularly provide for multi-family Associations. For each Association shown below, we first performed an initial evaluation of their balconies to determine the extent of renovations needed, then created the repair specifications and assisted with the bid process. Contractors were chosen for the repairs and we are now […]

Our Residential and Commercial Design Team has been busy designing multiple projects! A snapshot of what they are currently working on includes: 1. Designing a 20’x20′ bonus room with a wet bar for a vacation home just a block away from the shores of Lake Geneva in Wisconsin. 2. Converting an existing 8,000 square foot […]

We are honored to have had the opportunity to create the design drawings for these two Habitat for Humanity homes that will be breaking ground in North Chicago next weekend! J. Hershey Architecture has had a long-standing relationship with Habitat for Humanity Lake County and we would like to say congratulations to the the James […]

JHA Staff members participated in an off-site team building event yesterday! Along with planning future company goals some fun was had including the “Marshmallow Challenge” as shown below. Teams had to create the tallest structure possible using only 20 pieces of spaghetti, 3′ of masking tape and a small piece of twine. Bill, Jen and […]

Has your Community Association had a major capital improvement project completed since its last Reserve Study? We performed a Reserve Study update for this Association after the completion of a re-roofing project so their Reserve Schedule can be updated for greater accuracy. Give us a call for a proposal!

If your property is 40 years old or greater it may need the masonry mortar joints re-pointed. We can prepare scope specifications for the mason so the new mortar closely matches the original unlike the work shown in these photos. Email us for a proposal!

The HOA shown below is newly constructed and has not been entirely transitioned over from the developer. We were asked by the Property Manager to evaluate drainage issues some Homeowners are experiencing in their backyards and provide our expert opinion and recommendations (as necessary) for corrective actions the developer should be taking. If your Association […]

JHA staff was on-site this week in northern Ohio performing three separate Reserve Study site visits! Each site visit will be followed by an easy-to-read, property specific Report. This Report is an investment for your Association that will serve as a useful reference document for many years. To request a Reserve Study RFP please click […]

Click here to view our May issue of The Blue Print where we feature a link to John’s recently published article on water infiltration as well as a snapshot into our current community association and residential design projects!

J. Hershey Architecture’s President, John Hershey, was recently invited to sit down with Tony Campisi, Executive Director for the CAI Pennsylvania/Delaware Valley, for a Podcast on the importance of having a Reserve Study for your Condominium or Homeowner Association. You can listen to the Podcast by clicking here! Please visit our website at www.jhersheyarchitecture.com and […]

This month we will be performing both a Reserve Study and a Balcony Evaluation at the building shown here. JHA staff was on-site for a meeting with the Board to prep for the upcoming site visit!  Spring is the perfect time to schedule your building evaluations!