By Frank Fortino We’ve written previously about the trend towards finished outdoor spaces in new construction. As tower after tower appears across the City, we’re seeing more demand for outdoor spaces – gardens, terraces, seating areas. Making these spaces intimate requires the addition of fixtures, and a preference among designers is… View more
By Frank Fortino We speak often of building materials, and how the evolution of these materials shapes our industry. As time passes, new material make old ones obsolete. They pave the way for construction techniques impossible to imagine in the past, and these techniques in turn speed up project timelines. New… View more
By Austin Regan As the 421A tax abatement deadline approaches, the DOB has been prioritizing the approval of the new building applications identified as 421A eligible. The HUB especially has been trying to accommodate the industry by scheduling extra appointments and finding ways to work with applicants approve jobs that may… View more
By Andrew J. Pisani Benchmarking filings are due every May 1st, and this annual event is a great reminder to review your building’s energy use with a year-over-year perspective. Did you implement projects to save energy? Did they work? A Benchmarking history has much to tell. While Benchmarking scores range from… View more
By Brian Redlein Great news for map nerds: The Manhattan Borough President’s Map Room has started the long slog towards digital, which means for the first time ever the public can see in high-resolution all the City’s historical maps in one convenient online resource: Manhattantopographical.com. New York City is one of… View more
By Johan Soltani Under the previous Code, commercial or mixed use buildings with non-residential use that were greater than 420 feet high were required to have 2 egress fire stairs. This is about to change. While intended to be part of the 2014 Code rollout, a zoning issue delayed the change. … View more
By Penny Laughlin The DOB has announced a new series of initiatives, designed to further assist and streamline their processes. One New York: The Plan for a Strong and Just City plans to live up to its name by outlining direct and long term goals for the DOB that focus on… View more