Humberto Bernal makes my life 1,000 times easier. An architect whose entire niche is documentation of existing conditions, he creates 3D mapping of a space — a dollhouse cutaway — using Matterport, and I then send it to the contractor and subs. We can virtually stroll around the space together at any time on a Zoom call and work through things, not just what currently exists but also what is in the process of being demo’d out and what is being built. It’s a fantastic way to do existing conditions — the foundation upon which all design work is based. Humberto also gives me 2D drawings, but with drawings alone, you miss a lot.
Other residential architects I’ve spoken with sometimes create their own models in 3D, but they don’t necessarily use them as a tool. Humberto, with lasers and drones and other specialized apparatus, increases my efficiency many fold all the way from the outset through the build. “What’s happening at the ceiling in that location?” I just open up the model, and I’m there.
Humberto enjoys what he does. “When I go to a new building,” he says, “I always try to learn the story behind it and discover how it evolved over time. Especially in this area, there are sometimes so many layers of renovations and additions. I very much enjoy working to understand what happened over the years.
“That in turn helps an architect plan better for making changes,” Humberto notes — “understanding the geometry better, understanding more about the different stories behind the changes. I look to convey these findings in my plans. And I always update my technologies as they improve in order to paint a better picture.”
Furthermore, because of Humberto, the principal of Blue Circle Studio, I don’t have to spend a day and a half on site measuring. I don’t have to draw exterior elevations. I just introduce the well-mannered guy to the homeowner and let him do his thing. Or, as Humberto puts it, “It has always been a very nice relationship. Daniel interacts with me here and there, but he lets me do what I need to do.”
In the meantime, I’m freed up to have a fruitful conversation with the client that otherwise wouldn’t have been built into the visit. I can say, “While Humberto’s working, let’s you and I walk the house and review the scope of the work and see if you want to change or add anything.”
The interior of a home overlooking an ocean bluff in Truro that I’m redesigning is a prime example. Humberto and I made it a field trip — a day trip down to the Cape. While he documented the house with his fun gadgets — a camera that spins around and other accouterments — I was listening to the client talk about what he wanted out of the finished product and learn his overall hopes for the reno. It was a nice, relaxed walk-through, in part because I wasn’t trying to do two things at once but also because Humberto is very disarming and gets along well with people. Raised in Bogota, he speaks Spanish in addition to English, which can further help put clients at ease. One of my clients once said to him, “Oh, you’re from Colombia? I’m from Venezuela,” and that set the stage for an even more pleasant site visit.
Of course, by the time of the visit to assess existing conditions, the contractual stuff is usually taken care of. We can really drill down into the business of making the home exactly what the homeowner wants it to be.
At the same time, I can say things to Humberto like, “Did you see that funky condition in the basement? How are you going to document that?” So there are multiple productive conversations happening at once, all in a convivial atmosphere.
The day of the Truro trip, I learned from the client that he was prepping for his retirement and had been looking for a place on the Cape for three years, with prior deals having fallen through. This house meant a lot to him. I also learned that he sought a more involved scope than we had originally discussed, including pulling up all the floors to install radiant heating and replacing all the windows.
After a productive tete-a-tete between the homeowner and me, the three of us broke for lunch by driving to Far Land Provisions in Provincetown and conversing over mortadella sandwiches. In four hours total, Humberto finished, and within two weeks he produced all the output products I needed to do my design work.
Daniel G. Steger
DANIEL G. STEGER ARCHITECS
I have practiced architecture for more than 30 years in both commercial and residential projects. We always did our own measuring and laboriously drew the existing conditions. We started working with Humberto and BlueCircle- studio 9 years ago and have never gone back. Humberto comes in with the state-of-the-art equipment, produces a 3D model that one can walk through as well as 2D CAD plans and elevations. The cost to the client is much less because it is a more efficient way to do it. Humberto is great to work with as well. I highly recommend BlueCircle- studio.
Sara CastledelRio
SARA CASTLE del RIO ARCHITECTS
Working with BlueCircle-studio and Humberto has made my job as a designer so much easier. Plans are accurate, turnaround was quick, and I love the Matterport feature, especially for long distance projects. I'll definitely be engaging them for future projects!
Lindsey Hanson
LINDSEY HANSON DESIGN
I have had nothing by good experiences with Humberto of Blue Circle Studio. He schedules and completes the scanning of the building & drafting of the Existing Conditions in a timely manner, and he is very respectful of my clients & their property. I will receive the CAD file of the Exist Conditions approximately 2 weeks after he visits the property. I have never had an issue importing his files. Both the floor plans & elevations are accurate. If there is an issue, Humberto resolves the issue immediately with no questions asked.
Joe Taormina
TAORMINA ARCHITECTS LLC
Humberto Bernal, has been a very helpful resource for our studio. His professionalism, skill and attention to detail has elevated our projects. We highly recommend Blue-Circle Studio.
Vany Sayeed
Vany Sayeed Studios LLC
