Fontan Architecture Blog
Architecture, Planning, & Design Blog
What is a Habitable Room?
If you have encountered the term habitable room or habitable space, you may be wondering what that actually means. Habitable space commonly used in buildings codes. Building codes are complicated and have many terms that must be understood to properly assess the...
Modern Gray Bathroom Design Ideas
Gray is a popular color for bathrooms for many reasons. We find that gray is an easy color to work with especially considering the growing trend of not using natural materials for bathroom walls and floors and the growing trend of using porcelain tiles. Gray is a...
Does a Living Room Need a Window in NYC?
The New York City Building Code and NY State Multiple Dwelling Law require that a living room must have at least one operable window. The window's total surface area has to be at least 10% of the area of the room and the combined opening area at least 5% of the room...
What is a Zoning Analysis?
In property development and architecture zoning is a set of regulations pertaining to how land is developed and used established by the local municipality. Zoning regulations will designate certain building uses to specific areas as well as place requirements on the...
Local Law 11 Architect
Local Law 11 also known as FISP requires facade inspections to be performed by a licensed architect or engineer who is also qualified as a QEWI. A QEWI is a Registered Architect or Professional Engineer who is certified by the New York City Department of Buildings as...
FISP Facade Inspection Safety Program Local Law 11
What is FISP? The Facade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP) also known as Local Law 11 is a requirement for building owners to have regular inspections by an architect or engineer to verify the safety of exterior walls for buildings over six stories in NYC. Safety...
Why Porcelain is Good For a Bathroom
There are many options for wall and floor materials when renovating a bathroom. One very popular option is porcelain. Before choosing your bathroom materials you may be asking yourself: Is Porcelain Good for a Bathroom? Porcelain is often used for bathrooms because...
Why You Need a GFCI in a Bathroom?
You need to install GFCI or GFI outlets in your bathroom because bathrooms are wet areas and GFCI outlets will automatically shut off if water comes in contact with the electrical current. Building and Electrical Codes typically require at least one GFCI per bathroom...
Converting JLWQA Artist Lofts to Residential in SoHo
SoHo and NoHo lofts are sometimes designated as Joint Live Work Quarters for Artists (JLWQA). If you are not an artist and would like to own one of these lofts, you can now convert certain JLWQA lofts to an unrestricted residential loft as a result of the SoHo / NoHo...
NYC Rezoning Process
Zoning codes in New York City dictate the use and bulk of buildings based on their zoning district. Use regulations determine what goes into a building such as whether it is for residential, commercial, manufacturing, or community facility use. The Bulk regulations...
