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Code & Zoning
By Frank Fortino How’s this for a fast pace. After a forty year break between the 1968 Building Code and the 2008 Code, the City’s on track to convert over to the newly minted 2014 Code. With the signing of ...
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By Andrew J. Pisani Conversations about lighting usually are the domain of designers and architects. Yet a compelling case for LED upgrades is making bean counters take notice. LED lighting systems have come along way in recent years. The basic ...
Read MoreIndustry News / Inspections / Violations
By Renee Sosnowski LL141 was signed at the end of 2013, and Rule 103-02 goes into effect next week – on May 5, 2014. Rule 103-02 is being amended to reflect the new provisions enacted by LL141, which changes the ...
Read MoreDepartment of Buildings / Industry News / Safety
By Penny Laughlin In residences, carbon monoxide alarms and fire alarms go hand in hand. Not so much in commercial places of assembly… until now. With a new change, the DOB is mandating carbon monoxide detector systems in all new ...
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By Garvey Thelemaque The 2014 Building Code will bring a slew of new changes that impact our daily work. The best way to get ahead? Definitely with one of several training events taking place throughout the City. Here are the ...
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By Austin Regan Square Footage is always a precious commodity in New York City. Values for both residential and commercial spaces are always listed in dollars per square foot. Back in a former life I worked for an architect who ...
Read MoreCode & Zoning / Industry News
By Andrew J. Pisani Last month, I wrote about new guidelines for TPA’s – Temporary Places of Assembly. We’ve since met with the DOB on this topic, and there’s additional details to share. If a building has an elevator violation and the ...
Read MoreViolations
By Renee Sosnowski Last summer, the Mayor signed Local Law 47 of 2013, which required contractors and building owners to consolidate construction signage and permits into a single new standard format. The goal here was two-fold — to provide information ...
Read MoreFire Department / Industry News / Violations
By Brian Lafferty Sometimes, FDNY Violations feel like parking tickets. Try as you might, they just happen. The good news is that it’s relatively straightforward to avoid the FDNY’s ‘low hanging fruit’ – the most obvious violations. 1. Keep all ...
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By Austin Regan BC 403.5.2 Additional Exit Stairway “For buildings other than Group R-2 that are more than 420 feet in building height, one additional exit stairway… shall be provided in addition to the minimum number of exits required…” In ...
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By Andrew J. Pisani The Department of Buildings has always had a policy which allowed for a space that was normally a non-Public Assembly space to act as a Public Assembly space for a special event. In the eyes of ...
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By Frank Fortino Over the years our industry has trended towards a healthy, greener environment. Eco friendly materials have been matched with requirements for more green space, tree plantings, bike lanes and pedestrian walkways. Now, with an update to the ...
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