Looking for Engineer or Architect to advise on future renovation
We own a two family rowhouse in Williamsburg. We currently live in the bottom two floors and rent the top floor. We’d like to change it so the garden floor is the rental, and we occupy the top two floors. We’d build a small deck for access to our yard. I am seeking an engineer? architect? to answer some questions regarding codes and what we can and can’t do, how easy it is to make certain changes, etc. My husband wants someone to assure us the house is sturdy and to look at the basement, beams etc. (The house is sturdy, it’s 90 years old, and we did minor renovations when we moved in). I’m an interior designer so I don’t need help with the layout or design of the space, but I need some advice and guidance to move forward. I need some questions answered before I can get an idea of what this will cost, which determines how quickly we can start. Any ideas? Names? Recommendations? Thank you.
designpo
in Renovation 11 years and 10 months ago
9
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9 replies
jeanmarine2 | 11 years and 10 months ago
PS I meant to give my email address if anyone wants contact info, it’s jeanmarine (at) yahoo dot com.
jeanmarine2 | 11 years and 10 months ago
I could have all but written your original post a year or two ago, other than that i”m not in the industry and needed design help as well. Now we’re a few weeks to a month away from being done with the reconfiguration and have tenants on our ground floor with a dedicated deck, and have a parlor floor deck, new kitchen, bedrooms on the top floor etc. We’re not fully there as it’s been a long road but we’re close. I recommend a few things: 1\. If you want to permit the job, hire an architect to help with designs, permitting etc. – I’d consider Laurie Lieberman or Dick Boschen as two options (Dick designed our deck and did a good job), architects usually handle permitting themselves and Dick works hourly so you can pick his brain and pay him for whatever time you need from him; Laurie would want to permit the job, we had already started permitting our job when Dick got involved and he was open to that; 2\. If you want to be in charge of permitting then hire an expeditor like Scott Schnall to get the permit done. 3\. If you want structural advice consider hiring Heimer Engineering for an inspection report (we have done that a couple of times including before moving to our house), and there’s an engineer Andrew Goodrich I believe, who can advise on the project itself 4\. My own personal experience would warrant warning you to either hire a general contractor you trust and like for both interior and exterior job OR do the interior separate from the exterior. Which is what I wish I’d done. I used Lopopolo Ironworks for our steel deck and he rocked it. I used a time/materials guy I love for much of the interior including the kitchen, and he rocked that. And in between I tried to use a GC for the deck/interior work when it came to the permitted stuff and it was a total fiasco, and turned me off GCs quite a bit (not all but many). I felt I needed to use a GC to pull the permit for the steel deck and the kitchen as we took out a wall and reinforced with a header, and the GC I hired was willing to allow us to use the steel person I wanted. But other than a little bit of fancy header/soffit work the GC was a washout and I semi-regret having permitted the job as a combined interior/exterior job, wish I’d permitted the deck and used a steel guy and been done with that, and permitted or not permitted the interior (not sure) but used someone who knows their stuff for kitchens. Live and learn. 5\. If you want to consider hiring an interior designer for a 2nd opinion, I used Sara Klar for design work and she rocked that. My job turned out pretty well but there was a lot of hand wringing along the way and some lost money esp to the GC. Hopefully the advice above will give you some things to consider and possibly save you some similar trouble. (or just pick a better GC, perhaps, I was impressed with Rosario Giannone and wish I’d hired him, or possibly Transcend Construction) If anyone wants contact info for any of the above people let me know.
designpo | 11 years and 10 months ago
Thank you, everyone, for the replies! Brucef, thanks for your insights and for confirming that yes!, I do need some help. masterbuilder, I’ll be contacting you for some recs.
agenciegroup | 11 years and 10 months ago
We are architects and engineers, and are happy to be considered: Agencie Group [www.agenciegroup.com](http://agenciegroup.com) 212 203-0291
allrenovationllc | 11 years and 10 months ago
Contact Frank Martarella of Think Design Architecture at: Frank Martarella III, AIA, NCARB 101 Victory Boulevard Staten Island, N.Y. 10301 Phone: 718-987-3729 Email: frank@thinkdesignarch.com Website: www.thinkdesignarch.com Tell him we recommended you. He’s work with us on many **Brownstone** **gut renovation** projects in **Manhattan** and **Brooklyn** and is well versed on codes, he’ll give you the proper information. Good Luck, Pietro Calabretta Partner / Owner **All Renovation Construction LLC** www.AllRenovationLLC.com =============================== VIEW OUR MOST RECENT COMPLETED PROJECTS: 47th St – Manhattan **Brownstone “Gut” Renovation** (plus penthouse addition) – AFTER PHOTOS – [http://goo.gl/zSzQg](http://goo.gl/zSzQg) W. 120 Street – **Manhattan Brownstone Renovation** – AFTER PHOTOS – http://goo.gl/LCMDz W. 131 Street – **Manhattan Brownstone Renovation** – AFTER PHOTOS – [http://goo.gl/Bpz8i](http://goo.gl/Bpz8i) ==============================
masterbuilder | 11 years and 10 months ago
I would recommend either an engineer or architect who expedites. I know of some and have worked with them on simpler alterations like you’ve described. They are no frills professionals who would gladly handle the DOB issues for a flat fee and let you handle the design. Please email for their names. masterbuildernyc@gmail.com
nyc_sport | 11 years and 10 months ago
Typos or not, cheers to you Bruce for the thoughtful and complete views of two sides to a complicated story. This is what makes places like this a great resource, rather than enthusiastic or pessimistic rants, or random promotion, that appear all too often.
brucef | 11 years and 10 months ago
Typos in the above. Sprinkler destroy details, not detoy them. In Example 1, grandfathered conditions may be required to be brought up to modern code (think ADA)
brucef | 11 years and 10 months ago
Your inquiry is clear and well worded. If this was a reasonable world, then your approach makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately we are not living in a reasonable city. The lone advantage you have is your home is two family (as opposed to multi-family). Due both to regulations, and odd or malicious interpretations by a Dep’t of Buildings that is terrified of saying yes to anything, I would advise you to seek advice regarding the few arbitrary options open to you. This saves you from time and energy spent designing or dreaming about lovely ideas that absolutely safely improve your home and neighborhood. So expediter, architect, or engineer, all you are interested in is determining what they are currently approving. And that is a moving target, so a resource with extensive DOB is crucial. An alt 2 application can cover changes within an existing unit that does something you like, but doesn’t change the “usage”. That “change in use” is the pitfall. A change in use triggers an Alt-1\. Gut renovators and developers are successfully getting Alt-1’s all the time. But the complication that comes in with an Alt-1 involves an examination of ALL systems and ALL parts of your home. Example 1 – Previously “grandfathered” non-conforming features might need to be required. Because yours is a two family with less restrictive code, this is less of an issue. Example 2 – You might very well be required to install sprinklers. Maybe you already have them, but if not, they are a world of pain. Expensive, intrusive (think destoying details), did I say expensive? Usually sprinklers require a new, huge water main. They used to allow hallway only sprinklers with few heads and regular water pressure. No more. Search these threads for arbitrary requirements that have been forced by DOB. Wish I had better info, but they are terrible.