What the studio draws
The core product is the preliminary site plan: a detailed first draft of a project, organized with its site data table and drawn without the engineering layer. 3D renderings and commercial interiors and conversions are the other two lines. What a plan carries depends on the asset. The asset pages for RV parks, campgrounds, car washes, self storage, hotels and industrial sites set out the standards that shape each layout, with sources. If the term is new, start with what a site plan is and how it differs from a plot plan or a survey.
How a project starts
A project starts with a brief sent through the contact page: the site address, the program, and any survey or sketch. The studio researches the zoning and code rules for the parcel, drafts the layout and the site data table, and revises both with you in review rounds before it issues the plan sheets, with renderings if you order them. Each step is set out on the process page.
The case studies show the research behind a plan. Each is a model project in a real jurisdiction, such as the RV resort model in Bandera County, Texas or the self storage model in Apex, North Carolina.
How the plan is used
Developers take the preliminary plan to the many cities and counties that accept an unsealed plan at the concept or pre-application stage, to a lender, and to a general contractor to price, and they use it to decide on a site and raise capital. The engineer and architect of record then build the sealed set on it, adding the sewer and water pipe design, the electrical or utility engineering, and the grading and drainage engineering. The studio's work ends where the preliminary plan becomes the final, sealed plan, and who prepares a site plan at that stage depends on the jurisdiction. The state pages, such as Georgia and Colorado, set out who prepares and seals what in each state, and the service areas index lists every state and metro page.
Where the research comes from
Every figure on the studio's research pages is traced to a cited document, such as a statute, a code section, a staff report or an agency page, and the sources are numbered. The pages are written by the studio's principal, Viola Sauer, BDes. The About page covers the studio as a whole, and the guides index lists every guide, including how many RV sites fit on an acre.
Frequently asked questions
What does Innowave Studio do?
Innowave Studio is a US site planning and 3D visualization studio for real estate developers. It has three product lines: preliminary site plans, the core; 3D renderings (exterior, aerial and flyover) tied to the site plan; and commercial interiors and conversions, which cover interior visualization and renders, stand-alone render jobs, and conversions such as office or retail to restaurant.
What does a preliminary site plan include, and what does it leave out?
It is a detailed, real first draft of the project without the engineering layer. It shows site disposition and layout, buildings, rooms and floor plans, amenities, internal roads, drive aisles, parking, pads, sites and units, and yield counts, with a site data table for acreage, zoning, density against the cap, setbacks, parking required against provided, and unit mix. It leaves out sewer and water pipe design, electrical or utility engineering, and grading and drainage engineering: the client's engineer of record does that work.
Can I take the plan to the city or county?
Many cities and counties accept an unsealed plan at the concept or pre-application stage. Where a jurisdiction requires a sealed plan, the preliminary plan is what the engineer of record builds the sealed set on. Developers also give the plan to a lender, give it to a general contractor to price, and use it to decide on a site and raise capital.
Does the studio work beyond RV parks and resorts?
Yes. RV parks and RV resorts are the specialty, and the studio plans all major commercial asset classes: glamping and outdoor resorts, campgrounds, marinas, car washes, gas stations and c-stores, truck stops, RV and boat storage, self storage, hotels, multifamily, affordable housing, single-family and townhome subdivisions, industrial, warehouse, flex and outdoor storage yards, office, retail, restaurants and QSR, mixed-use, and senior living.
Can the studio render a project it did not plan?
Yes. Commercial interiors and conversions include stand-alone render jobs where the studio did not draw the site plan, for example a restaurant interior and exterior. When the studio draws the site plan, its exterior, aerial and flyover renderings are tied to that plan.
How do I start a project and get a quote?
Send a brief through the contact page: the site address, the asset and program, and any survey or sketch you hold. The studio discusses the project details, goals and requirements with you, then sends a proposal that sets out the services, the timeline and the cost for that project.
How long does a project take?
The duration depends on the project's complexity and scope. After the initial consultation, the studio gives an estimated timeline for your project in the proposal.
Where is the studio located?
The studio's business address is 27 Maiden Ln, Suite 625, San Francisco, CA 94108. It works on projects remotely, for sites across the United States.