Architects

Apartment Renovations

I am interested in doing some renovations to my studio co-op…in general re-doing the bathroom and kitchen, removing a couple walls and building a wall. Can anyone recommend an interior architect/designer as well as contractor? I’m fairly new to this so I also welcome any advice in general on how to proceed. Thanks!

by sehesterman1
01/06/2010

I am interested in doing some renovations to my studio co-op…in general re-doing the bathroom and kitchen, removing a couple walls and building a wall. Can anyone recommend an interior architect/designer as well as contractor? I’m fairly new to this so I also welcome any advice in general on how to proceed. Thanks!

Architects

Comments

  1. If you haven’t found anyone yet, our firm offers complete design/build services. We have have an architect we use for any permitting and plan filing that is required, but feel that for a project like yours, to bring an architect in for design decisions could prove cost prohibitive. We’ve got extensive experience in gut renovations of brownstones and apartments in multifamily buildings. Currently we’re cranking out a project in Greenpoint that involves rebuilding three floors of a fire damaged house from the 1890s.

    Michael Vinocur
    Building Equity LLC
    mvinocur@buildingequitynyc.com
    631-680-9368
    http://www.buildingequitynyc.com

  3. Hi,

    I am currently doing a bathroom alteration project in a coop apartment in Manhattan and I just completed a large master bathroom alteration/ expansion project in Mendham, NJ.

    I would be very happy to talk to you about your project.

    Thanks,

    Anthony LaFazia, AIA
    LAFAZIA Architecture
    141 East 89th Street
    New York, NY 10128
    212-831-4199 O.
    646-707-1123 C.

  4. Hi,
    Glad you asked for help. After many years in the Slope I’ve come to the conclusion that a good architect is the way to go. Or maybe the it’s just the architect I have worked with in the past years that has made come to this conclusion. Silvia Benelli has been the best, she is fast, precise doesn’t have an agenda so your place will look like what you want, not some newfangled architects unlivable dream. She resolves all the problems before the contractor get on the job, so he is not calling you every other second for last minute input that you havn’t to foggiest idea what the answer is. Best of all you know how much the job is going to cost you. With her you save in the long run and no sleepless nights, priceless . Give her a call at 212 730 4370.
    Good luck! Joan

  5. I can only speak from my experience on a similar project in the slope. The architectual firm I used not only had the best price (after driving myself crazy meeting with 3 other architects), but also the best quality design and all around professionalism. Yes, pricing is not everything, but I felt the most comfortable with them after seeing other recently finished projects they had completed and the turn around time they were completed in. I could not have been happier. I’m mostly a reader on the forum, but felt compelled enough to offer this recommendation because it was the least I could do for making me such a happy customer on our gut renovation project.

    Sebastian is very patient, listens for your input, knows the nyc building codes inside out. He definitely brought unique persectives to the table in terms of his design ideas and fully incorporating all of the details that we wanted in the house. He really made our project a reality!

    I should of saved the time and went with them from the beginning as they were also highly recommended from my in-laws as well. All I can say is that all deadlines were met, they were true to their word, if something was going to be done by a specific date, it was. Other architects seemed to just “yes” me…but could not give me a specific time frame for all the approvals. After getting to know him better throughout the project, we learned that Sebastian is one of the higher ups in the AIA and knows many people in the buildings dept. He immediately knew what would and wouldn’t get approved. Not to sound too crazy, but in hindsight, I would have gladly paid double for their services….knowing all the stress they saved my husband and I.

    Also, if you need any iron works done on the house, we used another great local family company called Lopopolo Ironworks located in Brooklyn …tel: 718-3390572, we dealt with Joseph.btw, Sebastian’s contact info was: Dalessandro & Associates, tel. 718.259-2644, the chief architect and owner of the company is Sebastian Dalesandro…feel free to say that Jacklyn and Rob recommended him. No worries, there’s no kick-back financial incentive for us, just hope to savesomeone else some stress, time, and money using our own experience. There’s enough to worry about in dealing with so many other factors when renovating. These two were as close as you can get to a sure thing. If u need more referrals or would like to discuss more specifics from our project, please pm us, my husband or I would gladly offer any insight to help. GOOD LUCK! 🙂

  7. then before you spend a huge amount on an architect, you may also want to consult with the board and/or managing agent to make sure they’d allow you to do this.

  8. Yes, this may be considered a relatively small project, but I’m blessed with a great studio, Denton, that has several walls and enough space that we are hoping to take out the kitchen wall to make an open kitchen and add a wall elsewhere to make a sleeping alcove, among other things.

    I do believe my building needs permits and I’m prepared to do this the legit way.

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